Easy to Forgive?

An Upper Elementary/Middle School Exercise for the Sunday of the Prodigal Son

One of the most powerful Lenten Sunday lessons is the Parable of the Prodigal Son, a story about God's infinite love and forgiveness.  Read the story (Luke 15: 11-32) together with your class.  Review the facts by having them take turns adding to the story until it is completely told.

Then ask them what this story is about? Your students might offer the simple facts, but ask them what the story is truly about?  Isn't it about what forgiveness means?  Especially what God's love and forgiveness are all about?

Talk with them about forgiving.  Do they think is it hard or easy?  What forgiving is easier some times than other times?  Are some people easier to forgive than others?  Is it easier to forgive a friend or a brother or sister?  Or does forgiving depend on what the other person did?

Make copies of the following and distribute to class.  After they fill it out, poll answers and discuss.  Look at the situations listed on this handout and think about whether it would be easy or hard in each situation.  Write an E after each thing that would be easy to forgive and an H after each thing that would be hard to forgive.

Your favorite uncle forgets your birthday.________

A classmate borrows a pencil and loses it.________

Someone steals your bike from your yard.________

Your mom promised to come to your baseball game but has to work instead._____

You tell a friend something and ask him not to tell anyone. Later, you find out that he did tell.____

A classmate teases you about what you’re wearing.__________

Someone accidentally bumps into you and causes you to drop your lunch tray._____

Your parents have agreed to let you have a few friends over on a Friday night, but later they say you can't because your little brother is sick.____

Someone else takes credit for a good idea that was yours.____

A friend cheats by copying your homework, and you both get in trouble._____

Now think about what makes it easy or hard to forgive. Make two lists here.

It's hard for me to forgive when:

It's easier for me to forgive when: