The Kindness of Jesus

Bible Story: The Kindness of Jesus | Matt. 8:1-4; Matt. 19:13-15; Matt. 9:10-13
Key Question: What does kindness look like?
Virtue: Kindness – Showing others they are valuable by how you treat them

We start this month in the book of Matthew as we look at three moments of kindness from Jesus’ life. Whether Jesus was healing the sick, blessing little children, or sharing meals with people who others seemed to disregard, He was full of love and kindness. With the way He treated others, Jesus made sure that everyone knew they were valuable in God’s eyes.

In some ways, kindness can feel subjective. What one person sees as an act of kindness, another might see as an obligation. That’s why we start our preteens with a conversation about kindness. When you can identify what kindness can look like, you start to see all the ways you can show God’s kindness to others.

Ruth + Naomi

Bible Story: Family Ties | Ruth 1-2
Key Question: When is it hard to be kind?
Virtue: Kindness – Showing others they are valuable by how you treat them

In Week 2, we head to Ruth 1 and 2, where we find Naomi and her daughter-in-law, Ruth. Both of their husbands had died, and Ruth had the opportunity to return home to her family. Instead, she chose to show kindness to Naomi and stay with her. Ruth’s kindness didn’t go unnoticed. Boaz saw how Ruth had treated Naomi and offered kindness to Ruth, changing her life in a huge way.

If kindness is something we know should be a part of our lives, why do we find it difficult to show kindness to others? Often we find it’s easier to show kindness to strangers than those who are closest to us. We hope that through this question and the discussion that will follow, preteens will start to understand how they can show kindness to the people they love.

Go The Extra Mile

For Week 3, we turn to Matthew 5:41. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught: “Supposed someone forces you to go one mile. Go two miles with them.” To us, that might sound strange; but to those listening – not so much. Jesus’ listeners knew that a Roman solder could force them to carry their pack for a full mile. Jesus said to go two! And in doing so, Jesus reminded His followers about the importance of going above and beyond in the way they chose to respond to others.

We hear a lot about random acts of kindness, and it’s true; often the best kindness is the kind that feels completely random. We pray that this question will help preteens discover how they feel when someone surprises them with kindness. And when that happens, we hope to guide them to figure out the unexpected, surprising ways they can show kindness to the people in their life.

Good Samaritan

Bible Story: Good Samaritan | Luke 10:25-37
Key Question: How can you care for the people who are different from you?
Virtue: Kindness – Showing others they are valuable by how you treat them

We finish the month with a familiar parable found in Luke 10:25-37. A religious leader asked Jesus: “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus answered with the parable of the Good Samaritan. Jesus used this story to completely change how people who follow Him should look at showing kindness to others. It’s not just for people we know or like, but for everyone we meet.

There are times when we face people who we feel don’t deserve our kindness. Most likely, preteens could list out the people who they don’t get along with or people who are different from them. They may even be able to make excuses as to why those people don’t deserve their kindness. But Jesus tells us to love our enemies and show kindness to everyone. Through this question, we hope kids start to discover how they can show kindness to all sorts of people they meet.