Practicum Report #7 (Joel) - Teaching Report #2
Matthew 5:38-48 – Loving Your Enemies
9.10am
Game
9.20
Break Into Small Groups (or stay together if not many people are there)
9.21
Ice Breakers
1. Think of a time when someone hurt you (this can be intentionally, unintentionally, emotionally, physically, etc.). Have students share about these times. Get them to tell you the story.
2. How did you feel?
3. Did you want to get back at them?
4. Did you actually get them back?
5. What made you choose to take revenge/not take revenge?
9.25
Group Share Time
Does anybody have a story they’d like to share?
9.27
My Own Story
Well here is a story about a time when someone hurt me…
Tell story about dad losing his job unfairly and without warning and then our family having to move from Holland, Michigan to Spring Lake, Michigan in the middle of 5th grade for me. I had to leave my best friend Gabe, the city I’d lived in all my life (11 years at that point), my home, my friends, my family. My whole life, it seemed, was left behind.
How many of you guys have had to move somewhere before?
[if students raise their hands, ask them details. Where to? Where from? When? Why?]
So some of you know what it’s like to move… some of you even more than me!
Well I had a lot of bitterness in my heart towards my dad’s former boss who had fired him and seemingly ruined our lives. I thought I would NEVER be able to make friends again—at least none like the ones I had before. But I had made an enemy. I was so bitter and angry and mad and I would lie awake in my bed at night thinking mean thoughts against him.
So what does the Bible say about handling a situation like this? Let’s take a look!
9.30
Read Text
Matthew 5:38-39. – This is Jesus talking. Matthew 5 is the first chapter in what Christians today call “The Sermon on the Mount.” This passage is taken from that setting. Jesus is probably telling this to a huge amount of listeners. Jesus is taking things that these people, the Jews, have been brought up with and is giving them new meaning.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
STOP.
What are some of your first reactions to this first part of the passage?
What is Jesus’ main point here?
Jesus starts by telling them not to get revenge. Instead, turn the other cheek!! That sounds crazy, doesn’t it?
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
And then He goes even further! Not only should we “turn the other cheek”—we need to love our enemies and pray for them. Ahh! This is NOT easy stuff.
Does the Bible have anything else to say about this?
9.35
Textual Cross References
Exodus 21:24-27
…eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.
If a man hits a manservant or maidservant in the eye and destroys it, he must let the servant go free to compensate for the eye. And if he knocks out the tooth of a manservant or maidservant, he must let the servant go free to compensate for the tooth.
Proverbs 25:21
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
Romans 12:21
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Isaiah 50:6
I offered my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;
I did not hide my face
from mocking and spitting.
1 Peter 2:20-23
But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
“He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
Luke 6:28
…bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
9.40am
Questions
Take some time now, in your small groups, to answer these questions.
Do you have any enemies in your lives?
How do people around you act like they are your enemy?
What do they do to hurt you: emotionally or physically?
How do you act like an enemy to others? Are there places where you are doing this right now? (I think the text assumes we wouldn’t initiate something bad but I think we do – just think about how teens treat each other.)
When someone treats you poorly what do you want to do to make it right?
How do you want to get them back?
What steps could to take to reconcile with this person?
How do you handle how you feel vs. what is the right thing to do?
9.50am
Devotional
How many of you guys like action movies? [pause] I just love it when the hero gets back at the villains. One of my favorite movies is Indiana Jones. Have you guys ever seen those movies? Oh, man, I love it when they kick the bad guys’ butts. But you know what? Jesus calls us to something higher than that. It’s so easy to feel angry towards people isn’t it?
Just the other day I was driving back here to school from home and was feeling very bitter and angry toward a person I knew for the way they had hurt me. They had become my enemy. I was going through all the lies this person had told me and all the things this person had done to me and then remembered that I still had to finish planning my lesson when I got back to school.
Then it clicked.
My lesson was about loving my enemies.
Praying for them.
So I prayed… for my enemy.
And you know what? It began to change my heart. Do you guys know what a rabbi is? Rabbi is the Hebrew word for “teacher.” Rabbis, in Jesus’ day, were sort of like our pastors or Sunday school teachers. Well, the traditional teachings of these rabbis said that when someone wronged you, instead of judging them or plotting revenge against them or hating them, you were supposed to try and come up with every possible situation that would give them the benefit-of-the-doubt. You had to try to think of every possible scenario that involved your “enemy” having pure motives or the best interest at heart.
And there is another lesson. Often times we develop enemies because we judge. We make enemies we don’t even need to have! Have you ever been hurt by someone and felt extremely bitter towards them only to find out they didn’t mean to hurt you at all?! That’s no fun to have to apologize for judging them then, is it? Or maybe you’ve hurt someone unintentionally before too. I know I have and I would never want that person to be bitter—especially if I didn’t even mean it.
So what can we do to avoid hating our enemies and start loving our enemies like Jesus told us to?
Pray.
Jesus says it: “Pray for those who persecute you!” But why pray? Why do you guys think we should pray for our enemies? [pause] You see, the prayer is not even so much for the other person as it is for us who pray. We’re going to practice this in just a moment, but when you pray for your enemy, your heart for them begins to change. God does something in our hearts when we pray for those who persecute us. When we pray for our enemies, God gives us His heart for those people.
God loves everybody just the same. There are many people who reject God and make God an enemy of theirs, aren’t there? But God still loves them! His love is unconditional! Does anyone know what “unconditional” means? [pause] It means that no matter what happens, no matter what you do, God is going to love you. God loves no matter what. So as we begin to pray, let’s remember to ask God to give us His heart on this issue; that we would love our enemies unconditionally.
9.55
Prayer Time
Go around group(s) and have everyone pray for someone else who is having trouble loving an enemy. Pray that God would help them to learn how to love their enemies in a Christ-like way.
9.57
Closing Prayer – God, teach us what it means to love our enemies and give us the strength and the heart to do so.
9.10am
Game
9.20
Break Into Small Groups (or stay together if not many people are there)
9.21
Ice Breakers
1. Think of a time when someone hurt you (this can be intentionally, unintentionally, emotionally, physically, etc.). Have students share about these times. Get them to tell you the story.
2. How did you feel?
3. Did you want to get back at them?
4. Did you actually get them back?
5. What made you choose to take revenge/not take revenge?
9.25
Group Share Time
Does anybody have a story they’d like to share?
9.27
My Own Story
Well here is a story about a time when someone hurt me…
Tell story about dad losing his job unfairly and without warning and then our family having to move from Holland, Michigan to Spring Lake, Michigan in the middle of 5th grade for me. I had to leave my best friend Gabe, the city I’d lived in all my life (11 years at that point), my home, my friends, my family. My whole life, it seemed, was left behind.
How many of you guys have had to move somewhere before?
[if students raise their hands, ask them details. Where to? Where from? When? Why?]
So some of you know what it’s like to move… some of you even more than me!
Well I had a lot of bitterness in my heart towards my dad’s former boss who had fired him and seemingly ruined our lives. I thought I would NEVER be able to make friends again—at least none like the ones I had before. But I had made an enemy. I was so bitter and angry and mad and I would lie awake in my bed at night thinking mean thoughts against him.
So what does the Bible say about handling a situation like this? Let’s take a look!
9.30
Read Text
Matthew 5:38-39. – This is Jesus talking. Matthew 5 is the first chapter in what Christians today call “The Sermon on the Mount.” This passage is taken from that setting. Jesus is probably telling this to a huge amount of listeners. Jesus is taking things that these people, the Jews, have been brought up with and is giving them new meaning.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
STOP.
What are some of your first reactions to this first part of the passage?
What is Jesus’ main point here?
Jesus starts by telling them not to get revenge. Instead, turn the other cheek!! That sounds crazy, doesn’t it?
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
And then He goes even further! Not only should we “turn the other cheek”—we need to love our enemies and pray for them. Ahh! This is NOT easy stuff.
Does the Bible have anything else to say about this?
9.35
Textual Cross References
Exodus 21:24-27
…eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.
If a man hits a manservant or maidservant in the eye and destroys it, he must let the servant go free to compensate for the eye. And if he knocks out the tooth of a manservant or maidservant, he must let the servant go free to compensate for the tooth.
Proverbs 25:21
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
Romans 12:21
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Isaiah 50:6
I offered my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;
I did not hide my face
from mocking and spitting.
1 Peter 2:20-23
But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
“He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
Luke 6:28
…bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
9.40am
Questions
Take some time now, in your small groups, to answer these questions.
Do you have any enemies in your lives?
How do people around you act like they are your enemy?
What do they do to hurt you: emotionally or physically?
How do you act like an enemy to others? Are there places where you are doing this right now? (I think the text assumes we wouldn’t initiate something bad but I think we do – just think about how teens treat each other.)
When someone treats you poorly what do you want to do to make it right?
How do you want to get them back?
What steps could to take to reconcile with this person?
How do you handle how you feel vs. what is the right thing to do?
9.50am
Devotional
How many of you guys like action movies? [pause] I just love it when the hero gets back at the villains. One of my favorite movies is Indiana Jones. Have you guys ever seen those movies? Oh, man, I love it when they kick the bad guys’ butts. But you know what? Jesus calls us to something higher than that. It’s so easy to feel angry towards people isn’t it?
Just the other day I was driving back here to school from home and was feeling very bitter and angry toward a person I knew for the way they had hurt me. They had become my enemy. I was going through all the lies this person had told me and all the things this person had done to me and then remembered that I still had to finish planning my lesson when I got back to school.
Then it clicked.
My lesson was about loving my enemies.
Praying for them.
So I prayed… for my enemy.
And you know what? It began to change my heart. Do you guys know what a rabbi is? Rabbi is the Hebrew word for “teacher.” Rabbis, in Jesus’ day, were sort of like our pastors or Sunday school teachers. Well, the traditional teachings of these rabbis said that when someone wronged you, instead of judging them or plotting revenge against them or hating them, you were supposed to try and come up with every possible situation that would give them the benefit-of-the-doubt. You had to try to think of every possible scenario that involved your “enemy” having pure motives or the best interest at heart.
And there is another lesson. Often times we develop enemies because we judge. We make enemies we don’t even need to have! Have you ever been hurt by someone and felt extremely bitter towards them only to find out they didn’t mean to hurt you at all?! That’s no fun to have to apologize for judging them then, is it? Or maybe you’ve hurt someone unintentionally before too. I know I have and I would never want that person to be bitter—especially if I didn’t even mean it.
So what can we do to avoid hating our enemies and start loving our enemies like Jesus told us to?
Pray.
Jesus says it: “Pray for those who persecute you!” But why pray? Why do you guys think we should pray for our enemies? [pause] You see, the prayer is not even so much for the other person as it is for us who pray. We’re going to practice this in just a moment, but when you pray for your enemy, your heart for them begins to change. God does something in our hearts when we pray for those who persecute us. When we pray for our enemies, God gives us His heart for those people.
God loves everybody just the same. There are many people who reject God and make God an enemy of theirs, aren’t there? But God still loves them! His love is unconditional! Does anyone know what “unconditional” means? [pause] It means that no matter what happens, no matter what you do, God is going to love you. God loves no matter what. So as we begin to pray, let’s remember to ask God to give us His heart on this issue; that we would love our enemies unconditionally.
9.55
Prayer Time
Go around group(s) and have everyone pray for someone else who is having trouble loving an enemy. Pray that God would help them to learn how to love their enemies in a Christ-like way.
9.57
Closing Prayer – God, teach us what it means to love our enemies and give us the strength and the heart to do so.
posted by Anonymous at 11:05 AM
1 Comments:
you guys are awesome!
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