Jesus said, "Salt is good… Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another" (9:50). We can think of Jesus using the word salt to describe the spirit of friendship. Friendship is God's spirit of love that seasons our lives, just as salt adds flavor to food. Having a spirit of friendship is important to our health, just as our bodies need to have salt.
When I was your age I sometimes had problems doing the right thing at school when I would sit with certain friends. I knew the rules, but it was so tempting to talk and be silly when certain friends were right there with me. Can you guess what my teachers did when that happened? You’re right: They moved us apart. They helped me to do the right thing by taking away the problem – or stumbling block – that was making things so difficult for me.
Jesus did the strangest thing. He picked up a little child, and he sat down and called his friends around him. He said, "If any man wants to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all." (vs. 36) Jesus friends must have been wondering, "Servant of all!" What does that mean?
Those of you who have been around a baby know how helpless they are. They need to depend on someone else to feed them, change them, keep them warm, talk with them, and rock them to sleep. What lesson do you think Jesus wanted his disciples and us to hear when he said whoever welcomes a little child welcomes me?
It is not unusual for us to want the biggest or best. We may want to be first in line when it is time for recess. We may want to have the first turn when we play a game. We make decisions like that everyday. Jesus asks us think about those decisions in a different way. He says, "If any man wants to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all" (9:35). And he took a little child in his arms and said, "Whoever receives one such little child in my name, receives me…" (9:37).
I have a little test for you today - a reading test. I'm going to show you a word that I'm pretty sure some of you will know. Take a look quietly and put your finger on your nose if you can tell me what this word is...ready? (Reveal the paper, oriented to read "mom." Solicit children's answers.) That's right - "mom." M-O-M spells mom, but are you sure that's what this word really says? What if I turn it over like this? (Turn paper over to orient the letters to read "wow.")
This Bible story reminds us to take time to listen – to parents, teachers, coaches, things in nature such as wind, rain, waves, bird song, and especially to God's Spirit within us. Listen! It is how we learn.
"A cloud came, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, 'This is my beloved Son. Listen to him'" (9:7). The voice was God's voice. What they saw was so surprising, so beautiful, so exciting that the disciples needed to hear God telling them that what they saw was true. God said, "This is my Son...listen to him!" (9:7). That is the best advice for us today and everyday. This is Jesus. Listen to him!
Children's Sermon Mark 8:31-38 A Difficult Journey Check out these helpful resources Biblical Commentary Sermons Children's Sermons Hymn Lists Mark 8:31-38 A Difficult Journey By Lois Parker Edstrom OBJECTS SUGGESTED: If your church has stained glass windows use them to illustrate this lesson. Otherwise, use a small stained glass object or a picture of [...]
Just before Jesus died on the cross he talked about the difficulty of being a Christian, of being his follower. He said, "Whoever wants to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me" (8:34). Jesus was saying that to be his follower there will be difficult times, but if you keep going even though you may feel tired, discouraged, or frightened you will know and be filled with the love of God which is the greatest reward.