Romans 14
Explanation and Bible story for toddlers and preschoolers (ages 3-6)
The Explanation
Two friends loved Jesus very much. One friend ate everything. Meat, bread, all of it. Yum.
The other friend only ate vegetables. Carrots, beans, greens.
One friend liked to rest on a special day. The other friend rested every day, all the same.
They were not the same. Not one bit.
But guess what? Jesus loved them both.
What Does This Mean?
Sometimes the one friend looked at the other. He thought, "Why does he eat that?"
Sometimes the other friend looked back. He thought, "Why does he not eat that?"
They almost started to fuss.
But Someone was watching. Someone kind. God was watching.
God said, do not judge your friend. He is not your servant. He is Mine.
Both friends said thank you before they ate. Both friends loved God in their hearts. That was what mattered most.
The Common Thread
Long ago, Jesus died on a cross. Then he came alive again.
Why? So he could be Lord. Lord of everyone. The ones who eat meat. The ones who eat only vegetables. The ones resting today. The ones resting every day.
We all belong to Jesus. Every single one.
One day, everyone will bow low before him. Every voice will say his name.
Jesus is Lord of all his friends, even when they are different.
For You
Do you have a friend who is not like you? Maybe he likes different food. Maybe she plays different games.
That is okay. God loves your friend too.
Do not laugh at him. Do not look down on him.
Instead, be kind. Help him feel safe next to you. Build him up, like a tower of blocks, not knock him down.
Peace is soft and warm, like a blanket. Share that blanket with your friend.
Talk About It
Do you know someone who is different from you? What do they like that you do not like?
How can you be kind to a friend who is not the same as you?
Praying Together
Dear God,
Thank you for my friends.
Thank you that we can be different.
Help me not to judge them.
Help me to be kind.
We all belong to you.
Amen.
Questions about Romans 14
Short answers for anyone reading about this for the first time.
What is Romans 14 about?
What does Romans 14 say?
What does Romans 14 teach us about God?
What others discovered
Then don't let your good be slandered," Paul writes. Your freedom really is good. But a good thing handled carelessly can leave a bruise on someone weaker, and then people speak evil of the very grace you were enjoying. Love asks a harder question than "Am I allowed?" It asks, "Who is watching, and what will this cost them?
As I live," says the Lord, "to me every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess to God." Paul doesn't quote this to frighten the brother you disagree with. He quotes it to get you off the bench. That person kneels beside you, not before you. The seat you keep climbing into is already taken. Who have you been quietly sentencing this week?
Don't let him who eats despise him who doesn't eat. Don't let him who doesn't eat judge him who eats, for God has accepted him." Two different sins, one for each side. The free look down, the careful look sideways. Paul refuses to take either party's side. His reason is not that the issue is trivial, but that God has already welcomed the person you are eyeing. Would you turn away someone the Father has received?
So then each one of us will give account of himself to God." Notice the word "himself." Paul is talking to people busy grading each other over food and holy days. On that day no one will hand God a list of your brother's faults. You will have your own hands full. Maybe that frees you to stop counting his.
Looking for something for slightly older children?
We also have dedicated versions for elementary age (7-12) and teens (12 and up).
Open in the Children's Bible tool
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