By Susan Ciancio
And the king will say to them in reply, “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” – Matthew 25:40
In the Gospel of Matthew, we hear Jesus tell His followers that how we treat others is how we treat Him, for Christ is in all of us. So when we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, and so forth, we are doing these things for Him.
This is an amazing—and sometimes scary—teaching. Why? It works the other way around too. When we do or say unkind or hurtful things to others, we do them to Christ as well.
So we must learn to treat people with respect, with love, and with kindness. We must see the dignity in everyone. And we must teach our children—from the time they are small—to see this dignity as well and to treat people with love and compassion.
That is why we created Caring for the Least of These—a picture book lesson that shows K-2 students that every person has a duty to care for the weakest and most vulnerable people around us.
Parents rave about this lesson. Not only is it fun, but it teaches children valuable lessons.
Why should you use Caring for the Least of These in your home? We have 10 great reasons!
1. Students learn about the importance of standing up for others, even when the person cannot repay any help. Your child will learn that he is not powerless when it comes to being able to do things for people in his family or circle of friends.
2. You and your child get to read the adorable book Elmer and Butterfly by David McKee together. There’s nothing quite like snuggling up with your child to read a good book!
3. Your student will learn that, even though he is small and young, he can help others. There are so many ways he can do this—and you can explore them together.
4. Your student will love the butterfly craft. Watercolors, clothespins, pipe cleaners, and more! Little hands will love creating their own butterfly.
5. You and your child can create butterfly-related snacks to enjoy. You’ll want to read the book over and over again, so make this fun snack and then cuddle and reread the book.
6. Your child will have fun coloring the coloring page. While you clean up or make dinner, your child can sit and think about the story while coloring his own butterfly.
7. Your child will become more empathetic. He will begin to see things from someone else’s point of view, and that will help him in relationships as he grows.
8. You can begin having great conversations with your child about how to care for others. This builds a foundation for future—and more difficult—conversations.
9. The lesson has discussion questions! We created the questions, so you don’t have to think of them. We even provide answers!
10. We include additional activities you can do with your child. We won’t tell you what, only that they’re really fun!
So turn off the TV, grab this awesome lesson and book, and start some meaningful conversations about the value of all God’s children.
This lesson is available in both print ($7.95) and downloadable form (just $3.95!), and it’s perfect for a weekend activity or for a hot summer day inside.
