The Unmerciful Servant
The children will act out a story to remind them to be merciful.
by Leah Pittsinger
TOPICS:Knowing God, Mercy MATERIALS:None
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PREPARATION:
Explain to the children that they will be acting out a story about a servant who was not merciful. Help them spread out across the room so they will have plenty of space to participate.
WHAT YOU WILL DO:
Perform each prompt’s action while telling the story and ask the children to copy your movements:
1. (Sitting on your knees while holding your hands up in the air as if begging for mercy.) There once was a servant who owed the king a lot of money and he couldn’t repay it. He begged the king for mercy.
2. (Proudly walk with your head held high.) The king told the servant that he was going to sell his entire family as slaves to pay the debt. But then the king decided to give him a second chance; he forgave the servant instead of punishing him.
3. (Pointing and shaking your finger with a mean face.) After the king had shown the servant mercy, the servant called upon his friend who owed him money. The servant demanded that his friend repay him, but his friend couldn’t. The servant was furious and had his friend arrested. Even though the servant had been in a similar situation where he had been shown mercy, he did not give his friend a second chance.
4. (Crossing your arms with a stern face.) The king heard that the servant had been unmerciful with his friend even though the servant had been given a second chance. The king was angry and threw the servant into jail.
5. (Walking with a drooping head and shoulders.) The servant was unkind and unmerciful even though he had been given a second chance.
6. (Standing with open arms and a smiling face.) God tells us in the Bible, Matthew 18, that we should give mercy to others because He is happy when He gives mercy to us.