Matthew 16:21-28

²¹ From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. ²² Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” ²³ Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” ²⁴ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ²⁵ For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. ²⁶ What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? ²⁷ For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.   ²⁸ “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Materials:  none needed

Good Morning.  It is good to see you all here today.   I  have some questions for you and I want you to tell me if these things are hard to do or easy to do.  If you have a big plate of spinach, is it hard to share it with someone else or easy?  How about if you have one cookie--is it hard to share or easy?  If you have an old, broken toy, is it hard to let someone else play with it or easy?  What if you have something brand new that is your favorite toy--is that hard or easy to share?  There are lots of things in our lives that are hard to do--sometimes it is hard to share with each other, sometimes it is hard to be nice and to get along.  Jesus had to do the hardest thing ever--do you know what it was?  That's right, he was going to die on the cross. And you know, his friends, like Peter, did not want this to happen.  But Jesus came to show us how much God loved us.  If Jesus can show that God loves everyone even after what people did to Jesus, then Jesus can help us love each other even when we find that hard to do.  So the next time that it is hard to get along with someone, or to be kind, or to share, you can ask Jesus to help you love that person and He will!

Let's say a prayer about that.  Dear God, Thank you for sending Jesus to show us how very much you love us.  Help us show kindness, caring, and love to everyone.  Amen.