NOT FAR FROM THE KINGDOM

Scripture Lesson: Mark 12:28-34

Object: A Halloween Mask (if possible one that is scary looking and one that is kind
and pleasant)

This halloween mask reminds me of an old story about a man who was not a good man. He had wasted much of his life doing things that were not good for himself or good for others. He was filled with hate and resentment and his evil ways showed in his face. He wasn't as ugly as this mask but sometimes you can look into a person's face and see what kind of person they have been. You could see this man's evil in his face.

One day, however, this evil man fell in love with a beautiful girl. She not only had a beautiful face, but a beautiful heart as well. She was very kind and gentle. The evil man loved the beautiful girl so much that he went to a sorceror and asked the sorceror to make him a mask that he could wear--a very pleasant and kind mask with which he could fool the beautiful girl. With his new mask he did fool the girl and they were married and he tried in every way to be a good and kind man so that she would never know that she had married a phoney.

One day, however, there was an accident and while the doctor was treating this man, he discovered that the man was wearing a mask and so the doctor removed it. His beautiful wife stared with amazement as the man's real face was revealed. But guess what?

The evil man had been acting so good and so loving to please his wife for so long, that now his real face was pleasant and kind to look at as well.

Our lesson for the day is about loving God and loving one another. Sometimes we may not feel very loving, but if we act loving, even when we do not feel like it, a change will take place in our lives. We will become the loving person we pretend to be.