During the lesson, the information for you to know is written in regular type, and what we suggest speaking or reading aloud to children is in bold. All resources for this lesson, including the Teacher Guide and Student Page, can be downloaded in a ZIP file by clicking on the following link:
In some lessons you will find "resource articles." These are articles written by experts from around the world to help equip you for your work with children and adolescents. Share them with parents or guardians if you consider it appropriate.
Before class, tear out the situations at the end of the lesson and separate the sections. You will use these situations for the Connecting activity.
“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip.
John 1:46
Jesus called His disciples from many different places, different professions, and different social classes. He spent His days on earth with those society would consider the worst of the worst—the sick, the poor, the tax collectors, the prostitutes. He travelled, talked, and ate with people who understood what it felt like to be judged and condemned by others. They knew the effects of prejudice in real and painful ways. And, as this passage tells us, even Jesus faced prejudice. If Nathanael had allowed his prejudices against the people of Nazareth to govern his choices, he might have stayed in Bethsaida. But instead, Nathanael decided to “come and see”—and what he saw changed his life forever. He saw Jesus!
Each day, you have similar choices to make. You can choose to follow your prejudices, or you can allow love to determine your direction. Will you embrace the opportunities and the people God puts in your path? Or will you allow your prejudices to hinder you? It is difficult to open your mind and heart to those who may seem different. But as you start the journey, know that you are not alone. God can help you to erase prejudice from your heart. Come and see.
Encourage the students to share their poems or songs with their families. They can then discuss prejudice in the community and talk about ways to stop it.
Teacher Tip: If possible, email or text the Family Connection Card to the families of your students.
Greet the students and ask them to share ways they were able to show honour to others. Congratulate them for their efforts. If you have time, allow 2–3 students to share their stories with the whole group.
Divide students into 4 groups. Give each group a situation from the tear-out page at the end of the lesson. The situations are listed below for your reference.
Give the groups 5–6 minutes to discuss their situations and create a short role-play to show the best ways to respond to each situation. Then gather the class together and have the groups present their role-plays. After each role-play, ask the following questions:
After all of the role-plays are finished, ask the following questions.
Today we will learn more about common types of prejudice, and we will work together to discover ways to stop prejudice in our community.
One reason prejudice exists is because it is accepted in a culture or community. Often people do not even recognize it as prejudice. So the first step we can take to stop prejudice is to recognize it. We need to be able to see prejudices in our community and even in ourselves. This may be difficult, but we can ask God for help. When we are able to recognize prejudice in our own thoughts and feelings, we can begin to overcome it.
Many prejudices are deeply rooted in cultures and families. They have existed for many years and through many generations, so change is slow and often challenging. But we can begin by making a change in ourselves. We can choose to think or speak in a different way—based on truth and love instead of prejudice. We can begin to share our new perspectives with others. We can also try to defend and become friends with those who are victims of prejudice.
Let’s read what Jesus taught about how to treat others.
He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Luke 10:27
After Jesus said these words, someone asked Jesus who his “neighbour” was.
What do you think Jesus meant when he said neighbour?
In response to this question, Jesus shared a parable. Let’s read it.
Optional: If possible, share the image from The Action Bible.
In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Luke 10:30–37
In Jesus’ time, Jewish people had very strong prejudices against Samaritans. Jewish people often mistreated the Samaritans and refused to do business with them. A Samaritan probably would not have helped an injured Jewish man who was lying on the side of the road. It seems more likely that the priest or the Levite, a Jewish religious leader, would have helped the injured man. Instead, it was the Samaritan who showed kindness and mercy.
What does this story teach us about prejudice?
We should care for and love others, regardless of who they are. We should not allow prejudice to stop us from doing what is right.
How could acting like the Samaritan help us to stop prejudice in our community?
Allow 2–3 students to share their thoughts.
Now we will talk about some common prejudices and work together to find ways we can use what we have learned to stop these kinds of prejudice in our own community. We know from our last lesson that the best ways to respond to prejudice are to recognize it, to change our own attitudes and behaviours, and to show God’s love to everyone. Think about these ideas as we decide how we should respond to different types of prejudice.
The most common types of prejudice are those based on what a person looks like and where he was born. Many people have prejudices about people who come from different countries and regions and whose appearance is different than their own. Where a person lives often influences how he looks, how he dresses, how he talks, and what traditions and customs he practices. And where a person is born is often reflected in his appearance.
Though our background and where we live do make us different, these things do not define who we are. The true measure of who we are is our character. Listen to what the Bible tells us about this.
If you are using the Memory Verse Poster, show it to the students.
The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
1 Samuel 16:7
Another common type of prejudice is based on ability. Many people believe that those with illnesses and disabilities are less valuable than those who do not have these disabilities. But disabilities are not imperfections. They are simply differences. Listen to how the Lord tells us to treat those with disabilities:
Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the Lord.
Leviticus 19:14
Another common prejudice is based on gender. God created men and women to be different. Neither is more valuable or more important to God. They are created to work together and to help one another. Both men and women have important roles in every community. All people, no matter what their race, their social status, or their gender might be, are equally loved by and important to God. Listen to what the Bible tells us about God’s family.
There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:28
Another type of prejudice is based on social class. Many people have prejudices against people of other social classes—both those of lower social classes and those of higher ones. In the early church, many people struggled with prejudices and misunderstandings about who Jesus’ message of hope was for. But the Bible explains that all believers are part of the body of Christ and that all people should care for one another.
That there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.
1 Corinthians 12:25
Overcoming prejudice can be difficult. But when we recognize the different types of prejudice and ask God to reveal the prejudices in our own hearts and share what we have learned about prejudice with others, we can begin to heal the prejudices in our community.
Poems and songs help us to share information in interesting and memorable ways. Now we will create our own poems and songs to tell people in our community about prejudice and how to stop it. Be sure that your song or poem shares a positive message, not a negative one.
Divide the students into groups of 4–5. Have each group create an original poem, song, cheer, or rap that inspires people to stop prejudice. They can include motions, appropriate dance moves, and inspiring words. If they create a song, they can use a familiar tune or create their own.
Optional: If you are using the Student Pages, the students can write their poems or songs on their pages.
Give the students 5–7 minutes to create poems or songs. Then allow the groups to present their creative work. Lead the class in clapping for their poems and songs. Encourage the teens to share their songs or poems with others in the community as well.
Close with a blessing based on Matthew 7:12:
Blessing: May God give you the wisdom to recognize prejudice, the courage to stop it, and the compassion to treat others the way you want to be treated.
Lead the teens in singing this quarter’s song, if possible.
Life on Life ©2020 David C Cook. Reproducible for home or classroom use only. All other uses require written permission from David C Cook [email protected]. All rights reserved.
