Joyful Moments ESL

This Bible study series uses simple English so everyone can understand. It is perfect for ESL students, homeschool children, and anyone who wants to grow in faith. I also have a Sunday School lesson on Luke 6:27-36 that may work better for native English speakers.

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Lesson Icebreaker Question

Can you think of a time when someone was kind to you, even when you did not expect it?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will learn what Jesus teaches about loving people who are hard to love. He shows us how to be kind and merciful, just like God is with us.

Vocabulary Lists for the ERV Bible Translation

Key Vocabulary Words (10 words)

1. bless: (verb) To ask God to be kind to someone.
2. enemy: (noun) A person who hates you or wants to hurt you.
3. expect: (verb) To think that something will happen.
4. full of sin: (phrase) Doing many bad things that go against what God wants.
5. lend: (verb) To let someone use something for a short time.
6. mean: (adjective) Not kind or acting in a way that hurts others.
7. mercy: (noun) Kindness and forgiveness shown to someone who deserves punishment.
8. Most High God: (phrase) A special name for God that shows he is the greatest and has the most power.
9. praise: (noun) Words that show someone has done a very good job.
10. sinner: (noun) A person who does things that God says are wrong.

Important Words to Know (20 words)

1. bless: (verb) To ask God to be kind to someone.
2. do good: (phrase) To act in a way that is kind or helpful to other people.
3. enemy: (noun) A person who hates you or wants to hurt you.
4. expect: (verb) To think that something will happen.
5. full of sin: (phrase) Doing many bad things that go against what God wants.
6. give back: (phrase) To return something to the person who had it before.
7. hate: (verb) To dislike someone or something very much.
8. hit: (verb) To touch someone or something with force.
9. lend: (verb) To let someone use something for a short time.
10. love: (verb) To care very much for someone and want what is best for them.
11. mean: (adjective) Not kind or acting in a way that hurts others.
12. mercy: (noun) Kindness and forgiveness shown to someone who deserves punishment.
13. Most High God: (phrase) A special name for God that shows he is the greatest and has the most power.
14. praise: (noun) Words that show someone has done a very good job.
15. pray: (verb) To talk to God.
16. reward: (noun) Something good given for doing a good job.
17. should: (verb) A word used to say what is the right thing to do.
18. sinner: (noun) A person who does things that God says are wrong.
19. take: (verb) To get or carry something away.
20. thankful: (adjective) Feeling glad for what you have been given.

Complete Lesson Word Bank

1. always: (adverb) Every time or at all times.
2. amount: (noun) How much there is of something.
3. anything: (pronoun) Any thing or any part of something.
4. ask: 1. (verb) To request help or to tell someone what you want. 2. (verb) To say something to get an answer.
5. because: (conjunction) For the reason that.
6. bless: (verb) To ask God to be kind to someone.
7. children: (noun) More than one child.
8. coat: (noun) A piece of clothing worn over other clothes to keep warm.
9. do good: (phrase) To act in a way that is kind or helpful to other people.
10. enemy: (noun) A person who hates you or wants to hurt you.
11. even: (adverb) Used to show that something is surprising.
12. everyone: (pronoun) Every person in a group.
13. expect: (verb) To think that something will happen.
14. face: (noun) The front part of the head with the eyes and nose.
15. Father: (noun) A name for God.
16. full of sin: (phrase) Doing many bad things that go against what God wants.
17. give back: (phrase) To return something to the person who had it before.
18. God: (noun) The creator and ruler of everything.
19. great: (adjective) Very large or very good.
20. happen: (verb) To take place.
21. hate: (verb) To dislike someone or something very much.
22. hit: (verb) To touch someone or something with force.
23. lend: (verb) To let someone use something for a short time.
24. let: (verb) To allow something to happen.
25. listen: (verb) To pay attention to a sound with your ears.
26. love: (verb) To care very much for someone and want what is best for them.
27. mean: (adjective) Not kind or acting in a way that hurts others.
28. mercy: (noun) Kindness and forgiveness shown to someone who deserves punishment.
29. Most High God: (phrase) A special name for God that shows he is the greatest and has the most power.
30. only: (adjective) Just one and no more.
31. praise: (noun) Words that show someone has done a very good job.
32. pray: (verb) To talk to God.
33. reward: (noun) Something good given for doing a good job.
34. same: (adjective) Not different.
35. shirt: (noun) A piece of clothing worn on the top part of the body.
36. should: (verb) A word used to say what is the right thing to do.
37. side: (noun) The part of something that is not the top, bottom, front, or back.
38. sinner: (noun) A person who does things that God says are wrong.
39. someone: (pronoun) A person, but it is not said who.
40. something: (pronoun) A thing, but it is not said what.
41. special: (adjective) Different and often better than what is normal.
42. stop: (verb) To not move or to finish doing something.
43. take: (verb) To get or carry something away.
44. tell: (verb) To give information to someone by speaking.
45. thankful: (adjective) Feeling glad for what you have been given.
46. thing: 1. (noun) An object that is not alive. 2. (noun) An event or an action.
47. too: (adverb) Also.
48. will: (verb) A word used to talk about the future.
49. without: (preposition) Not having something.

Summary of the Passage

This passage teaches how Jesus wants his followers to love other people, even when it is hard. At that time, many people thought it was okay to be kind only to their friends and family. Jesus taught something very different because he said to love even your enemy. An enemy is a person who hates you or wants to hurt you.

Jesus explained that we should pray for people who are mean to us. If someone hits us on the face or takes our things, we should be ready to show them love instead of fighting back. He used the example of giving a coat and a shirt to show that we should be very generous and stay peaceful.

Jesus also taught a very important command that many people call the Golden Rule. He said that we should always do for others what we want them to do for us. This means if we want people to be kind to us, we must be kind to them first. Jesus wants us to be giving and helpful to everyone, even when people do not deserve our kindness.

Jesus asked his followers to think about how they love. He said it is easy to love people who already love you. Even a sinner, which is a person who does things God says are wrong, can do that. What makes God’s people different is that they love their enemy and lend things without expecting to get anything back. To lend means to let someone use something for a short time.

Jesus reminded them that the Most High God is kind to both good and bad people. He is even kind to those who are full of sin and not thankful. Jesus told his followers to be merciful just like God is. Mercy is the kindness and forgiveness shown to someone who deserves punishment. When we show mercy, we show that we are children of God.

This passage teaches us that real love is shown not only to friends but also to enemies. God’s people are called to love in a way that shows God’s kindness and mercy to everyone.

Read The Passage

Most English learners should use the Easy-to-Read Version (ERV), the New International Reader’s Version (NIRV), or the Good News Translation (GNT). If you want to try something harder, you can read one of the other Bible versions.

Love Your Enemies
27 “But I say to you people who are listening to me, love your enemies.
Do good to those who hate you.
28 Ask God to bless the people who ask for bad things to happen to you.
Pray for the people who are mean to you.
29 If someone hits you on the side of your face, let them hit the other side too.
If someone takes your coat, don’t stop them from taking your shirt too.
30 Give to everyone who asks you for something.
When someone takes something that is yours, don’t ask for it back.
31 Do for others what you want them to do for you.
32 “If you love only those who love you, should you get any special praise for doing that?
No, even sinners love those who love them!
33 If you do good only to those who do good to you, should you get any special praise for doing that?
No, even sinners do that!
34 If you lend things to people, always expecting to get something back, should you get any special praise for that?
No, even sinners lend to other sinners so that they can get back the same amount!
35 “I’m telling you to love your enemies and do good to them.
Lend to people without expecting to get anything back.
If you do this, you will have a great reward.
You will be children of the Most High God.
Yes, because God is good even to the people who are full of sin and not thankful.
36 Give love and mercy the same as your Father gives love and mercy.

Luke 6:27-36 (ERV)

• Very Easy: Easy-to-Read Version: Luke 6:27-36 (ERV)
• Very Easy: New International Reader’s Version: Luke 6:27-36 (NIRV)
• Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 6:27-36 (GNT)
• Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 6:27-36 (NLT)
• Hard: New International Version: Luke 6:27-36 (NIV)
• Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 6:27-36 (ESV)

Comprehension Questions

1. How does Jesus want us to treat our enemies?
2. What should we do for people who are mean to us?
3. How should we react if someone takes something that belongs to us?
4. What is the Golden Rule that Jesus gives in this lesson?
5. Why is it not special to only love people who already love you?
6. What kind of person does a sinner usually lend things to?
7. What does Jesus say will happen if we do good without expecting anything back?
8. How does God treat people who are not thankful?
9. What does it mean to be a child of God in this passage?
10. Who should we look at as our example for showing mercy?

Application Questions

1. Why is it sometimes hard to love people who hurt us?
2. How can praying for people help us love them?
3. What are some ways you can show kindness to people you do not like?
4. How does it feel to know that God loves you, even when you make mistakes?
5. What is one way you can show God’s mercy to someone this week?

Theological Insights

1. God loves both good and bad people and shows kindness to everyone.
2. Jesus teaches us to love others in a way that is different from the world.
3. God gives great rewards to people who love their enemies.
4. Mercy means being kind to others, even when they do not deserve it.
5. When we love our enemies, we show that we belong to God.

Closing Prayer

Dear Father,
We praise you because you are the Most High God who is full of mercy.
We confess that we are often mean to people who are not kind to us.
Thank you for being good to us even when we are full of sin.
Please help us to love our enemy and show your kindness to everyone.
Amen.

A Sunday School Lesson

If you prefer a lesson that is better for English speaking children, see my Sunday School lesson for Luke 6:27-36. This lesson includes:

• Advice for Sunday School Teachers
• Activity Suggestions
• Discussion Questions

Luke Bible Study Series

You can explore my complete collection of 104 free Bible study lessons for ESL learners, homeschool families, and anyone who enjoys easy English. The studies are organized into 6 simple sections to help you grow in faith at your own pace:

• Part 1: The Birth and Early Life of Jesus (Lessons 1–11)
• Part 2: Jesus Begins His Ministry (Lessons 12–23)
• Part 3: Teaching and Miracles (Lessons 24–40)
• Part 4: The Journey to Jerusalem (Lessons 41–60)
• Part 5: Parables and Teachings (Lessons 61–83)
• Part 6: The Final Week and Resurrection (Lessons 84–104)

More Easy English Resources

More Related Resources

Visit the Joyful Moments ESL homepage for all posts, or scroll through more blog posts about love:

Scripture quotations marked (ERV) are taken from the HOLY BIBLE: EASY-TO-READ VERSION ©2006 by Bible League International. Used by permission.