St. John and the

Repented ThiefGrade 4-5 Sunday-School

Lesson

“who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1Timothy 2:4)

LOVE NEVER FAILS

“Love suffers long [and] is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. LOVE NEVER FAILS.” 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8

An old man chasing a young one

A Saint is chasing a Thief

The young man was not just a thief, he was a gang leader and everyone used to fear him.

His gang were surprised that he was afraid from this old man and run from him.

The old man kept yelling: “Stop…. Stop” falls and stands up again to continue running after him

How did all of that start?

St. John the Beloved

One day St John the beloved was preaching in city. At that time he was very old.

he noticed a young man in his audience.

St. John preached him and left him in the care of the city’s bishop to teach him the Christian faith, and he returned back to Ephesus.

The bishop took great care of the young man until he was able to baptize him and he could participate in the Holy Communion.

The Bishop

The young man did not continue in the path of righteousness.

Through some bad friends, who taught him evil deeds, he became a thief and then a leader of a gang.

The Thief

The young man thought that his new life style made him happy.

Everyone use to fear him. He also gets what he wants at anytime.

But he felt so

Do you think he was happy?

SAD

St. John and the repented thief

After many years, St. John came to visit this city once again.

He asked the bishop about the young man. The bishop explained to him what happened to the young man.

St. John was very sad and asked where can he find the young man.

St. John and the repented thief

The young man, when he saw how St. john, who was very old man (80-90 years old), was chasing him. He knew how much he LOVED him and CARED about him

St. John, Falling several times, but kept yelling for him to stop, to repent

He stopped and came back to St. John crying and confessing his sins

St. John took him back to the church and both kept praying and fasting until the young man was able to participate in the Holy Communion again.

St. John and the repented thief

“who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1Timothy 2:4)

LOVE NEVER FAILS because…

GOD is LOVE

“who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1Timothy 2:4)

Let us practice this week: to offer Love to

someone who is not nice to us at school

Offer God (Love) and believe that GOD NEVER FAILS

Questions: TRUE OR FALSE? The bad friends encourage the

young man to sin. TRUE OR FALSE? St. John heard about what

happened to the young man but was very busy to do anything.

Was St. John able to catch the young man? Why did the young man stop, return to St. john and

REPENT?

“who _________ all men to be _______ and to come to the ___________ of the truth.” (1Timothy __:4)