Advanced Level, Block 9—Jesus’ Closest Followers
Week 89
Those in Bethany—Grateful and Loving Him
Point to Emphasize: Are you a grateful one?
Reference Reading: Matthew 26:6-13; 21:17, footnote 171; Mark 14:3-9; 11:1, 11, 19; Luke 10:38-39; John 12:1-3
[Note: The above verses are to show you how those in Bethany were grateful to Jesus and loved Him. Please do not share the story of the ointment being poured on Him.]
Memory Verse: Only, fear Jehovah and serve Him in truth with all your heart, for consider what great things He has done for you. (1 Samuel 12:24)
Sample Story
For three and a half years Jesus traveled through many small towns and villages. The Bible says little or nothing about where He stayed during these travels. But we are told that whenever He went to Jerusalem, He stayed in the town of Bethany, which was just outside the city. He was always welcomed in Bethany because some who lived there had grateful hearts and loved Him as a friend. There was Simon the leper who had been healed by Jesus and had a feast in his home for Him. And then there was the household of Lazarus and his two sisters, Martha and Mary. Jesus was at “home” with these ones. He was very comfortable being with them.
Being in Bethany was so different from traveling through other places where the crowds always seemed to be pressing against Him and people followed Him everywhere. He was kind of “hounded” by them. It seems that He could never walk with just a few. Wherever He went, people would crowd around Him. Sometimes He even had to get into a boat to avoid being “mobbed.” Most of these people wanted something from Jesus. They were trying to get something from Him.
And the religious people whom He encountered were never nice to Him but rather spoke such angry and belittling things to Him. They also followed Him around always trying to pin Him down with their hostile debates and prove He was wrong. It did not sound very restful!
Do you understand the contrast between most of the places He traveled and those who were in Bethany? What made Bethany so different? [Lead them to discuss this. The ministry says that the people in Bethany were grateful and that they loved Him. They were not demanding things from Him, nor were they like the others, and they just liked being with Him.]
At one point in my life, I taught school overseas in Taiwan. There were a lot of American children in that school. I taught a class of children your age. Most of the children in my class missed all the things that they could do and have in the U.S., but there were two boys who were different. These two boys just missed being with their grandparents. It was not that the grandparents did anything special or gave them anything special. They just missed being with them. They were so grateful for their grandparents, and they missed being with them. [Storyteller, use your own example of someone being grateful. If you don’t have one, tell this story in the third person.]
Today it is too easy not to have a grateful heart, it seems that many grow up always wanting “something”. And when we want something from our parents, we often start to hound them for it. Are you one of those who “hounds” your parents for what you see in the stores or for what is “the latest and greatest”? Are you the one who complains about your brothers and sisters or your parents? These actions show that our heart is not grateful, not grateful for the parents, brothers, and sisters we have, and not grateful for all that has been given to us. Those at Bethany had a “grateful” heart, meaning that they had an attitude of gratitude under all circumstances. And this gratitude resulted in a pleasant situation. On the other hand, our “hounding” and “complaining” bring in a tenseness with our parents and brothers and sisters. We all must admit that we often “hound” and that our heart is not grateful. Have you been the cause of this tenseness in your family? What can you do about this ungratefulness? First, we must admit it to ourselves. Then we should talk about it to God and to our parents as well. This will make the situation in your family more pleasant.