A New Children’s Sermon on Mark 8:27-38 — Saving Your Soul?

Preface for Pastors and Parents

This is a new children’s sermon on Mark 8:27-38. I did one before. (You can find it here) That seems possibly appropriate, since in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary most of this text (verses 31-38) comes up twice: first on the 2^nd Sunday of Lent, and then, in the late Summer or early Fall, as Proper 19(24). 

Kind of hard, but not impossible. We’ll see if I can pull it off.

Saving Our Souls?

The real challenge in my new children’s sermon on Mark 8:27-38, especially since I’m focusing on the latter part of the text, is that the message gets a bit garbled in the English translations. If I tell the story with the direct translation of the actual vocabulary Jesus used it pretty much goes against the grain of American Christianity.

That is, Jesus says, in the Greek, that if you try to save your “soul” you’ll lose it. The same word is used later in the text where Jesus asks what you gain if you get the world and lose your “soul.”

English translations don’t show this clearly. Some read the first use of the word as “life,” but make the second use “soul.” The NRSV translates all these uses of the word as “life,” even if “soul” is a good reading of the Greek word.

But if you say “soul” for the first instance, it is so surprising. Jarring even. Potentially something people could get tripped up on.

Why? So much of American Christianity actually calls on people to try to “save their souls.” We sort of have a thing about “soul saving.” How could it not be a good thing?

But Jesus says that’s the way to actually lose your soul. The motive of discipleship has to be something quite different.

This is maybe too conceptual for kids. Maybe it’s more a message for grown-ups. You can let me know what you think of my attempt here to tell the words of Jesus to kids in a story.

A New Children’s Sermon on Mark 8:27-38

Good morning kids! I’m so glad to see you. I think it’s terrific that you are here in worship this morning. And you know what? I think God thinks it’s terrific too. Thanks for coming up to hear the children’s sermon.

One day Jesus was walking along with his disciples. And, as often happened, a lot of other people heard Jesus was passing by. They joined the group, and pretty soon a whole lot of people were following Jesus down the road. Everyone was trying to get close enough to ask him a question or to at least hear what he was saying. 

What People Were Saying

Jesus said to Peter, “Wow, there are a lot of people here today!”

“Yeah,” said Peter, “and they’re all talking about you!”

“Interesting,” Jesus said. “What kinds of things have you heard them saying?” 

“Well, it’s kind of funny,” Peter said. “They’re all saying you’re actually somebody else.” 

Jesus looked at him, a little confused. “Who do people think I am?” he asked. 

“One guy said you were actually John the Baptist,” Peter said.

“But he’s dead!” said Jesus. 

“Yeah,” said Peter, “but they think he came back—and that now he’s you.”

“Weird,” said Jesus. 

“But that’s not all,” Peter said. “One guy said you’re actually the old Prophet Elijah. Now that’s kind of funny.”

Mary, Martha’s sister, was close by and spoke up. “It’s not that strange, Peter. One of the other prophets said the Elijah would come back before the Messiah came. That’s why they think Jesus is Elijah.”

“Oh,” said Peter. 

“True enough,” Jesus said. “But I’m curious: who do you say that I am?”

“You’re Jesus,” Peter said, “obviously. But Personally I think you are actually the Messiah. You’re the one we’ve all been hoping for.”

And the other disciples agreed.

Jesus said, “Okay, my friends, you’ve figured out something very important. But I don’t want you to tell anybody. Got that? ix-Nay on the essia-May alk-Tay.

“What’s that?” asked Peter.

“Pig Latin,” Jesus said. “It means, ‘Stop the Messiah talk.’”

The Big Plan

“But Jesus,” complained Peter, “we had it all worked out! We were going to have meetings, and go door to door, and talk in the synagogues. and the temple…”

“Yeah,” said Mary. “We want to tell everybody that you are really the Messiah. We are going to tell everyone that they need to save their own souls by believing on you.”

Peter said, “We just need to get them to see that it’s in their own best interest—that their whole life depends on it!”

“Wait, wait, wait,” said Jesus. “I think we need to talk. We need to talk about something very important.”

“Just you and me?” asked Peter. 

“No, everybody,” said Jesus. 

“Oh, all the disciples!” asked Peter. 

“No, really, everybody,” said Jesus. “Get the disciples to sit down on the grass with the crowd.”

Saving Your Soul?

When everyone was settled down to listen, Jesus said, “I have a question for you. How many of you want to save your souls?”

Almost everybody raised their hands. 

“Another question,” Jesus said. “How many of you want to come follow me?” 

The disciples raised their hands—but most of the others didn’t. 

“Why the difference?” asked Jesus. 

People seemed to think for a minute. Then somebody spoke up. “Well,” he said, “I have to take care of myself, right? I need to eat and sleep and stay healthy. I guess if I have a soul to think about I need to save that too.”

But then Jesus said, “But maybe looking out for yourself is not the way to save your soul.”

“What do you mean?” said the man. “If I don’t try to save my soul—well, what will happen to it?” 

Jesus said. “What if the way to save your soul is not to think about it so much? Instead, just come follow me!” 

“But I have a job!” said the man. “And a family. I can’t leave it all and follow you around.” 

“Hm…” said Jesus. “Maybe you can follow me by doing what I teach you to do: Take care of your family because you love them. I want you to love your neighbors, you know — and your family are your very closest neighbors. You’ll need to keep your job to love the way I teach you to.”

The man looked relieved.

Jesus said, “Following me means not thinking so much about yourself — not even about saving your soul. Instead, think about listening to what I tell you, and going where I tell you, and doing the things I do.”

Coming After Jesus

“But what about my soul!” shouted someone else in the back of the crowd. “I’m worried about what will happen to me!” 

“It’s kind of tricky,” Jesus said. “The more you focus on your self, the more likely you’ll get lost. People just don’t know how to make the right choices on their own. Try to save your soul, and you’ll lose it.”

“So how do I save my soul?” came the voice from the crowd.

“Focus on me instead.” said Jesus, “Just look out for where I’ve been and come there after me. Watch what I do and do the same. Listen to what I tell you.  If you focus on me and the Good News, then your soul will be perfectly safe.”

Peter tugged on Jesus’ robe. He whispered, “But Jesus, sometimes you tell me to do things I don’t want to do. Sometimes I want to do something else.”

Jesus said “Sometimes to come after me, you have to set yourself aside—sometimes you have to say ‘No!’ to your own self.”

Wondering 

I wonder how people felt about following Jesus instead of doing what they wanted?

I wonder what it’s like to try to follow Jesus instead of trying to do what’s best for yourself? 

I wonder if you’ve ever had to say “No!” to something you wanted to do so you could do something else?

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You are, of course, free to use this children’s sermon, or adapt it as you find most useful. But, if you use it, please do one (or more!) of the following.

• You can let me know that you are using it, either in the comments below, or using the contact form above.
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