Aim

To understand the definition of Christian love.

Preparation

Before the lesson photocopy one worksheet for each child.

Lesson

Remind the children that last week they explored feelings. One feeling they may / may not have discussed is love. Love is a very important idea for Christians because Jesus' last commandment before He died was that His followers should love one another. But what did Jesus actually mean by love?

Explain to the children that there are many different types of love, but English has only one word to cover all of them. The Ancient Greeks however, had a different word for each different type of love. The love between a girl/woman and a boy/man, the Greeks called eros. The love between two friends the Greeks called philios. Whereas the love Jesus was talking about, the Greeks called 'agape'. The Roman word for this type of love is 'charitas'.

Do the children know an English word which is most like 'charitas'? What type of love do the children think this is? To help his disciples understand what He meant by love, Jesus gave a simple illustration. Share with children the incident when Jesus washes the feet of His disciples (John 13:1-17).

How many of them would like to undertake a similar task with the rest of the class? Inform them that foot washing was a job reserved for servants. So what Jesus was trying to teach His disciples can be summed up by the phrase; "To love is to serve."

Activity

To give the children some experience of what it feels like to be or to have a servant, divide them into pairs. One child takes on the role of the servant, the other the role of the master. The servant can perform a range of tasks for his Master - for example, sharpen pencils, read aloud to, tidy drawer, convey message, make comfortable. After a few minutes, reverse roles.

After the role play, allow children to discuss their experiences. How did it feel to be a servant? How did it feel to be a master?

Using the worksheet and list, children are to write down the qualities which make for a good master and/or a good servant. Are these the same?

Conclusion

Conclude lesson by reading part of St. Paul's first letter to the Corinthians. Explain to the children that you have changed the word 'love' where it appears to the phrase 'a good servant' because that's the sort of love St. Paul was talking about.

A good servant is patient and kind. A good servant is not jealous, he does not boast, and he is not proud. A good servant is not rude, is not selfish, and does not become angry easily. A good servant does not remember wrongs done against him. A good servant is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth. A good servant patiently accepts all things. He always trusts, always hopes, and always continues strong. A good servant never fails.

Teachers' Notes

For the servant / master role play to succeed, it may prove necessary to provide the children with a focus. I have found an excellent focus is getting changed before or after PE. The servant is then effectively employed folding clothes, tying shoe laces etc. You are free to choose your own focus or to allow the children more freedom to explore.

The Bible story shows Peter's unwillingness to be served to which Jesus replies, "If I don't wash your feet, you are not one of my followers." Christians have to allow themselves to be served. Therefore the word love in the final reading could also be substituted by the phrase 'a good master.'