The Rich Young Ruler Preschool Lesson
Preschool lesson (ages 3–6, 20 minutes)
1. Welcome (3 min)
Sit in a circle, greet every child by name and show one thing from the story to touch.
2. The little story (5 min)
Teach the refrain first: “Jesus looked at him and loved him.”
Jesus was going on his way. Suddenly a man came running to him. Run, run, run! He knelt down in front of Jesus. Can you kneel down like him?
“Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” he asked. Inherit means to get something as a gift. Eternal life means life with God that never ends. The man wanted that very much.
Jesus said, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except one – God.” Only God is good all the way through.
Jesus said, “You know the commandments.” Then he named some of them. “Do not steal.” “Do not give false testimony.” “Honor your father and mother.” False testimony means telling lies about someone. Honor means to love and respect.
The man said, “Teacher, I have observed all these things from my youth.” That means: I have kept all these rules since I was a boy.
Then something beautiful happened. Jesus looked at him and loved him. Jesus said, “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have and give to the poor. You will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
One thing you lack means: one thing is missing. Treasure in heaven means riches that God keeps for you. Follow me means: come with me!
But the man’s face fell. Can you show me a sad face? He went away sad, for he had many, many things. Jesus looked at him and loved him.
Jesus looked around at his friends. “How difficult it is for those who have riches to enter into God’s Kingdom!”
His friends were amazed. Jesus said again, “Children! How hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter into God’s Kingdom!” Jesus called his grown-up friends “Children”! To trust in riches means to think money can keep you safe. Remember the man? Jesus looked at him and loved him.
Then Jesus said something surprising. “It is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter into God’s Kingdom.” A needle is a thin pin for sewing. It has a tiny hole at the top. A camel was the biggest animal people there knew.
Make a tiny hole with your fingers, like the eye of a needle. Now think of a big camel trying to squeeze through! Can it fit? No!
His friends were even more amazed. “Then who can be saved?” they asked. Jesus looked at them. “With men it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” Impossible means it can’t be done.
God can do what we cannot do. And Jesus loves us, just like he loved that man. Jesus looked at him and loved him.
3. Talk together (3 min)
- Why do you think it was so hard for the man to give his things away?
- How do you think Jesus felt when the man walked away sad?
4. Move (3 min)
Refrain Freeze: move around the room; when you say the refrain, everyone freezes and says it together.
5. Make (4 min)
Draw a big camel and a tiny needle.
6. Verse and prayer (2 min)
“All things are possible with God” — Mark 10:27 (all things → spread your arms wide; are possible → thumbs up; with God → point up high)
Dear God, thank you that all things are possible with you. Thank you that Jesus loves us. Amen.
Lesson for older kids (ages 6–10)
Big idea: God wants our whole heart
Memory verse: “With men it is impossible, but not with God, for all things are possible with God.” — Mark 10:27 · WEB
The Bible story
A rich young man races to Jesus with a big question about heaven — and when Jesus answers him with love, will he give up his gold to follow along?
Talk about it
- What was Jesus doing when the young man ran to Him? — Setting out on a road
- How did the young man come to Jesus? — He ran up and knelt down
- What big question did the young man ask? — How to have eternal life
- What did Jesus remind the young man about first? — The commandments
- What did the young man say about the commandments? — He had kept them all his life
- How did Jesus feel when He looked at the young man? — He loved him
Where is Jesus in this story?
The rich young man would not give up his riches to follow Jesus. But Jesus gave up far more for us. The Bible says, “Though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). We can't earn eternal life. It is a gift from the One who gave everything.
What God wants to tell us
Jesus did not love the young man because of his riches — Jesus loved him just for who he was. God shows us here that the things we own can never truly fill up our hearts or make us happy deep inside. Only God can do that. When we hold God's hand more tightly than we hold our toys and treasures, we discover the very best gift of all: being close to him forever.
Prayer
Father God, thank you that you love me just as I am, and not for anything I own. Help me to hold your hand more tightly than anything else, and to follow you with my whole heart. You are my greatest treasure. Amen.
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