ELEMENTARY KIDS & FAMILIES date
3.8
BEN LOOPED HIS ARMS AROUND MY BROTHER’S NECK AND LOOKED TENDERLY INTO HIS FACE. Inspire (for parents) Several years ago while on vacation with my family, I offered to show my two-year-old nephew, Ben, some photos on my computer. He watched intently as the pictures from a previous family Christmas scrolled across the screen. Each time a picture of my brother, Matt, would appear, Ben would point to the computer and say, “Dada.” At first, he would look at me each time a photo appeared on the screen, as if to say, “Do you know that’s my daddy?”
the picture it paints of my relationship with my heavenly Father. As Ben watched images of his father and was reminded of the nature of their love relationship, he was filled with an urgency to be with his daddy! As I look at the amazing things God has done in my life, I’m filled with the same sense of devotion. And when I think about what God offers me through Christ Jesus, or see the beautiful things He does in the lives of those around me, it moves me to want to respond— extravagantly. The nature and character of God inspire me to want to be with Him and devote everything I have to Him.
As the slide show progressed, Ben’s tone became more and more intense. Soon he was yelling, “Dada!” at the top of his lungs. The moment the slide show ended, Ben turned to me with a look of urgency. “Dada!” he said, by Suzanne Gosselin squirming out of my lap and scanning the area for his father. Ben scampered off and found my brother in the kitchen. oints Jesus) 12:1–11 (Mary An Scripture: John tion “Hey, Buddy,” Matt said, us Inspires Devo Main Point: Jes your family to all scooping his son into his arms. designed to ow is ce ur so re is Th your children Ben looped his arms around d’s Word before have time in Go is for parents to my brother’s neck and looked cause God’s plan attend church. Be their children’s of ual nurturers tenderly into his face. irit sp y ar im pr e be th spiritually, your that as you grow ow kn we , ith fa That experience stuck with spiritually as well. children will grow me. Not only because of the sheer sweetness of Ben’s love for his daddy, but also because of
Getting Started
Equip (for parents) Equip is additional background information that will help you introduce this Scripture passage to your children this week. Jesus inspires sincere devotion. Mary, the sister of Lazarus, understood this when she came to Jesus with an “alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head” (Mark 14:3). Though the disciples objected to this display of sincere devotion, Jesus defended Mary and blessed her, saying, “When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial” (Matthew 26:12). Nard, an expensive ointment imported from India, was both a luxury cosmetic and a salve used in solemn acts of devotion (such as the purifying of tabernacle priests) and for the preserving of corpses—particularly people who were greatly respected or very important. In Jewish culture, the more nard, myrrh, or aloe someone used to prepare a body for burial, the more important the individual was. As a substance used for burial, nard was applied, along with myrrh and aloe, to preserve the body, act as glue to which linen wrappings could adhere, and counteract the smell of decay. Nard was kept in alabaster jars, which were sealed to prevent evaporation. So the long neck of the jar had to be broken for the ointment to be spilled all at once. In John 12:5, we read that pure nard is worth a year’s wages to a common worker. It is an expensive, lavish substance. Through her generous outpouring of this substance, Mary showed her sincere devotion to her Lord. Because of her relationship with Jesus, she knew He was worthy of her devotion and she offered it willingly. And Jesus, knowing
REM
EMB “How ER V ERS E the awes L o o m rd M e is the g all t reat K ost Hi g he e i arth ng over h, !”Psal m 47:2
her heart, blessed her act of worship and, in doing so, made an example of the kind of extravagant worship He deserves.
Support
(for parents & kids)
This week, gather your family together to read from the Bible. JUST FOR FUN, spray some perfume or light a scented candle to fill the area with a sweet aroma as you read John 12:1–11. Ask your children why they think Mary would pour perfume on Jesus. Explain to them that the oil Mary poured on Him was very expensive and could have cost a year’s wages. List some items comparable to that today. What does sincere devotion look like? As a family, discuss ways you already are or could show your sincere devotion to Jesus. Explain to your children that the account of Mary and her sincere devotion to Jesus is a part of The Big God Story. Remind them they will hear more about it in church this week.
“WHAT DOES SINCERE DEVOTION LOOK LIKE?”
© 2011 David C. Cook. TruResources are developed in partnership with ROCKHARBOR Church and a national network of family and children’s ministry leaders. All rights reserved.