Curriculum
The Pharisee and the Tax Collector
Memory Verse:
“Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor because the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them!” (Matthew 5:3)
Bible Background
What Kids Will Learn
God wants us to pray. As we do, He can see the intent of our hearts. He wants to see honest love for Him and genuine admittance that we need Him.
Scripture Summary
Jesus often taught using parables. These were earthly stories with heavenly meaning. Because Jesus’ teachings were often against the current religious teachings, He needed a way for listeners to hear and relate to His message.
In Jerusalem, people often traveled to the temple in order to pray to God. The temple was the center of worship, and where God dwelt.
Jesus tells the story of two people, a Pharisee and a tax collector, who went to the temple to pray. In that day, the Pharisee was a religious leader who was seen as an expert on religious law and a tax collector was often despised as a thief and one who broke religious laws.
Both men went to the temple to pray. The Pharisee wasn’t focused on praying to God but on publicly listing all of his good deeds for all to overhear. The tax collector was intent on speaking honestly and bluntly with God.
The Pharisee was self-righteous, depending on his works more than on God himself. While God calls all of us to right living, He wants us to depend on Him.
The self-righteousness of the Pharisee was his downfall. We’re all sinners, just like the tax collector. Whether our sins are public or are hidden, we all are in desperate need of God’s forgiveness and grace.
Why Is This Important
A lifelong relationship with God involves our increasing dependence on Him. We need God. We need Him to save us from our sins, we need Him throughout today, and we will need Him tomorrow as well.
Teacher Devotion
Scripture
We Need God … Today
“He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since He is LORD of heaven and earth, He doesn’t live in man-made temples, and human hands can’t serve His needs–for He has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and He satisfies every need.” (Acts 17:24-25)
I read a devotional that posed a simple question. It’s funny, isn’t it, how the simple questions are often the most profound.
“Why do you need God today?”
While I pondered my answer to that simple question, I expected to read further in the devotional to see if my answer was correct (or at least on the right track). I expected to see a list of Bible verses to reference and look up the correct answer. I expected a sort of validation to my own train of thought.
Nope. That wasn’t the author’s purpose of the question. It was a simple invitation to answer a simple question with a big God.
The God of the universe, the Creator of all things, and the One who provides all of our needs has no needs of His own. But you and I have great needs. In all reality, we could list basic needs, temporal needs, the need for a miracle, or an overarching need that is now identified as a void in our souls.
I have to admit, I’m tempted right now to share how I answered the question. Though that’s not the point. While I want to share the beautiful answer God gave me, He desires to have the same experience with you today. Right now.
So how do you answer the simple question? Why do you need God today?
Prayer
Dear God, thank You for creating me to need You. Especially in this world where independence is rewarded, it’s hard for me to admit and lean into my deep need for You today. Please help me hold tightly to Your hand as You meet my needs. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Bible Memory Verse
You’ll Need: “Paper Chain Memory Verse” handout for each child, Clear tape
Get Ready: You can cut apart the memory verse slips ahead of time or have kids do this, depending on their age and skills.
“Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor because the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them!” (Matthew 5:3)
Give children the strips and have them make loops to form a chain. Keep the words on the outside. Afterward, practice saying the verse with the children.
AFTERWARD, ASK: What do you think this verse means?
Read aloud Matthew 5:3: Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor because the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them!
SAY: The Tax Collector understood something that the Pharisee did not understand. Let’s discuss this to figure out what that thing is. The Tax Collector understood that he could never be good enough for God. He was poor in spirit. He knew that he needed God’s goodness instead of his own goodness.
Interactive Bible Experience
You’ll Need: “The Pharisee & Tax Collector How-to Video”, Clear quart jar filled one-fifth with water, Red food coloring, Yellow food coloring, Three cups of bleach in a container with a lid and label that says “Do Not Drink”, Long spoon or something to stir with
Get Ready: Practice this object lesson ahead of time to ensure that your ratio of food coloring to bleach works. Adjust accordingly.
SAY: It might be confusing to understand why it was a bad thing for the Pharisee to tell about all the good things he did. Why wouldn’t it be okay to tell God the good things we’ve done? Was that confusing for you? (Allow kids to explain why.)
SAY: We’re going to do something to help us better understand why the Pharisee’s actions were not good.
Set the clear jar of water on a table so all kids can see.
SAY: Let’s imagine that this is us. We look all clear and wonder- ful but the truth is that sometimes we do or say things that we shouldn’t.
Each time you say something, add a drop of red food coloring to the jar.
SAY: Sometimes we think mean things about people. I know I have done that. (Add a red drop.)
SAY: Sometimes we do unkind things to people, like we may not share. I know I have done that. (Add a red drop.)
SAY: Sometimes we see people who need help and we don’t help. I know I have done that. (Add a red drop.)
SAY: Sometimes we know that God wants us to obey and we don’t obey. I know I have done that. (Add a red drop.)
Stir the jar and ASK: What’s happened to our clean lives?
SAY: The Pharisee had done lots of good things. And we’ve done lots of good things too. The thing is that no matter how many good things we do, we can never do enough good things to be as good as God. Watch what happens when we try to be as good as God by doing good things.
SAY: Sometimes we obey God. I know I have done that. (Add a yellow drop.)
SAY: Sometimes we are kind to our friends. I know I have done that. (Add a yellow drop.)
SAY: Sometimes we give money to people who need it. I know I have done that. (Add a yellow drop.)
Stir the jar and ASK: What’s happened to our lives now?
Open the lid on the bleach but don’t tell kids that it’s bleach. Ensure safety precautions to keep kids away from the bleach. Pour the bleach in the jar of water and food color. “Miraculously” the water will clear up as you continue the lesson.
SAY: The Bible says that “everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23 NLT). The Bible says that all of us have sinned and that no one is as good as God. The Tax Collector understood that he needed God. The Pharisee did not think he needed God.
SAY: The Bible also says in Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. The Tax Collector understood that he needed a Savior. The Pharisee was self-righteous and he did not think he needed anything. Here’s what happens when we accept Jesus as our Savior.
SAY: God was happy with the Tax Collector because he knew he needed God. The Tax Collector was poor in spirit. Jesus said this about being poor in spirit.
Read Matthew 5:3: Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor because the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them!
SAY: God wants us to do good things. But most important, God wants us to need Him. None of our good things will ever be enough to make God happy if we do not need God.
Have an adult helper remove the two jars, empty and thoroughly rinse them, and put them away where no child can reach them.
Snack
We Need Sugar! Snack
You’ll Need: Powdered drink with sugar, Powdered drink without sugar, Water, Two pitchers, Drink cups, Snack like cookies or graham crackers
Get Ready: Mix both powdered drinks with water in separate pitchers.
Serve children their snack with the powdered drink without sugar. But don’t tell them that’s what you’re going to do. Wait for it! Kids will begin to complain about the missing sugar.
Then tell them you meant to do that and give them the drink with sugar. Tell them that living life without Jesus is like having a drink without sugar. The best parts are just missing because we need Jesus!
Game
Block Relay
You’ll Need: The blocks from the children’s sermon
Get Ready: Place the blocks in two piles on one side of the room.
Form two teams and have teams line up against one wall. One at a time, have the children on each team do the following:
- walk to the pile of blocks,
- place a block on their head, and
- walk back to their team without dropping the block.
When a child returns, the next child will take the block and do the following:
- place the returning child’s block on their head,
- walk to the pile of blocks,
- place another block on their head, and
- walk back to their team without dropping the blocks.
Continue to play until all the players have had a chance to carry the blocks. If one player cannot carry the blocks, he will just go back to the team and let the next player try.
Afterward, ASK: What was easy or hard about this game?
SAY: It may have felt impossible to be perfect in this game and carry all the blocks. I can tell you for sure that it is impossible to be as good as God. We need to be poor in spirit and let God know that we need Him like the Tax Collector did.
Craft
The Pharisee and the Tax Collector Coloring Page
You’ll Need: “The Pharisee and the Tax Collector” coloring page for each child, Markers, Star stickers
Give each child a “The Pharisee and the Tax Collector” coloring page, markers and star stickers. Encourage kids to color their paper and put stars on the Tax Collector because he did what was right with God; he admitted that he needed God.
After kids finish their coloring pages, SAY: When we remember that Jesus helps us do good things, we show that we are poor in spirit like the Tax Collector. When we forget that we need Jesus, we are like the Pharisee. Let’s ask God to help us always remember how much we need Jesus.
Prayer
Thank You Prayer
You’ll Need: Kids’ completed coloring pages
Gather kids with their completed coloring pages. Lead them in this prayer.
Have children point to the Pharisee and SAY: No, no, no, no, no!
Have children point to the Tax Collector and SAY: Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!
Have children kneel on their knees. Then lead them in a prayer, thanking God and telling Him that we need Him every day.
