Copyright 2014 by Elizabeth L. Hamilton
All Rights Reserved.
Loyalty
Lesson 4 of 4
Loyalty Loves Country
(Christian loyalty seeks the best for man’s country AND God’s country.)
Scripture: “Render (give) to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s,
and to God the things that are God’s.” Mark 12:17
Preparation
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Print on cardstock one copy each of the pictures on pages 4, 5, and 6.
Print one copy of the age-appropriate activity sheet for each child.
IMPORTANT NOTE FOR TEACHER:
Loyalty to country is often called patriotism. Patriotism is love and
devotion to one's country, i.e., wanting what is best for one’s own country. The word comes from the Greek
patris, meaning fatherland. Scholar J. Peter Euben writes that for the Greek philosopher Socrates, "Patriotism
does not require one to agree with everything that his country does and would actually promote analytical
questioning in a quest to make the country the best it possibly can be." Patriot names "a person who loves his
country and defends and promotes its interests."
Review
Begin by showing the character wall, saying: “We’re ready to put the finishing touches on the loyalty block
of your character wall. First, let’s see how much you remember.”
Hold up the pictures from Lessons #1, #2, and #3, reading the captions.
Say: “So we should not be loyal to everyone, but choose carefully who should be included. Then we stay strong
for those we’ve chosen – ALWAYS for, NEVER against them. We stick tight, no matter what happens.”
Introducing New Lesson
Say: “Today we learn (Hold up the Page 4 picture of the bat), “Loyalty Loves Country.”
Say: “Our story is an old story about a bat, birds, and beasts. Beasts are, of course, animals.”
This story is attributed to Aesop. It was written over 2000 years ago. This is a paraphrase.
Long ago, the Bird Country and the Beast Country were very angry at one another. No one remembers now why
they were angry, but it got so bad that they decided to have a big war. Everyone in the Bird Country gathered on
one side, and everyone in the Beast Country gathered on the other side.
The Bat perched on a tree, watching the Birds and Beasts. He looked at the Birds first. Then he looked at the
Beasts. Which side should he join? Bird Country? Beast Country? He couldn’t make up his mind.
The Birds that flew past his tree called to him. “Hey, Bat! The Beasts are our enemy. If you love Bird Country,
come and fight the Beasts. Come and fight with us.”
Bat shook his head. “Actually, I’m a Beast,” he said. “I have to be loyal to Beast Country.”
Soon, some Beasts hurried past below Bat’s tree branch. They looked up and called. “Hey Bat! The Birds are
our enemy. If you are loyal to Beast Country, come and fight the Birds. Come and fight with us!”
Bat shook his head. “Actually, I’m a Bird,” he told them. “I have to be loyal to Bird Country.”
Bat was taking care of Bat and only Bat! He thought he was smart not to join either side. Let the others fight all
they wanted. He wouldn’t have to fight at all! He wouldn’t get hurt at all!
Well, as it turned out, the Bird Country and the Beast Country made peace at the last minute. Nobody fought
anybody. All of the Birds and the Beasts went home instead to celebrate the peace with big, wonderful parties.
What did Bat do then?
Bat flew off happily to Bird Country and tried to join their big party, but they all turned against him. “You
didn’t want to be a Bird when it was hard,” they said, “so you can’t be a Bird now.” They chased Bat away.
Bat shrugged. “No problem.” He hurried off to Beast Country to join their big party, but when he got there....
“Oh no, you don’t!” they roared. They ran at Bat, determined to tear him in pieces.
Poor, frightened Bat flew away as fast as he could go. He flew until he found a cave, and there he hid. He had
said he wasn’t part of Bird Country, so the Birds didn’t want him. He had said he wasn’t part of Beast Country,
so the Beasts didn’t want him either. No one wanted Bat.
The Birds and the Beasts tried to find Bat. They agreed together to destroy him, but they could not find him no
matter how long they looked. Bat was safe, but he could never again come out of his cave except at night.
“I learned something,” said Bat, “He that is not loyal to one country or another country has NO country.”
Bible Story: Mark 12:14-17 – Jesus Teaches Loyalty to One’s Country
Jesus taught that we should be loyal to our country as long as our country does not ask us to sin against God.
It happened when the Pharisees were trying to start trouble for Jesus. They did this often, so that was nothing
new. This time, they sent several men to ask Jesus a trick question.
The men pretended they thought Jesus was a wonderful teacher. “Master,” they said, “we know that you are
true. You teach the true way. You don’t care what anyone thinks. Oh, no. Not you! You don’t even care if you
make the important people – like the princes – get angry! No matter how important the person seems to be, you
just go on teaching truth. That’s wonderful!”
The men paused, smiled ever so slightly, and continued. “So, we have a question. Tell us what you think,
please. Is it right for us to pay taxes to our country or not? Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?”
They were sure they had caught Jesus this time. He’d say not to pay taxes, they’d tell the Romans, and they’d
have him thrown in jail. The men asking the question didn’t want to pay taxes, no matter what Jesus said. They
didn’t intend to pay taxes, even if Jesus said they should.
Jesus looked at them and asked, “Why are you trying to trap me? Hand me a penny. I want to look at it.”
Hold up the Page 5 picture of Caesar’s penny as you continue.
Quickly, someone handed a penny to Jesus. He looked at one side. He turned it over. He looked at the other
side. Then he raised his head. “Whose picture is this?” He asked, pointing to one side of the penny. “And whose
label is this?” He asked, pointing to the other side of the penny. (Point to the picture as you ask.)
“That’s Caesar’s picture!” they all exclaimed. “The label is Caesar’s, too. It says Caesar is a god.”
Jesus handed the penny back to its owner. “Give Caesar the things that are Caesar’s,” he said to the tricksters,
“and give God the things that are God’s.”
Caesar was the head of the government. Jesus was saying to be loyal to Caesar’s country in obeying its laws.
The money Caesar asked was only useful here on Earth. They should pay taxes because the government needed
it for things that help life on Earth – things like roads and safety. Those things help, so they should pay the
government. It could demand only as much as the law says to take care of their country’s needs.”
Imagine the people nodding as they listened. They understood. It made sense. Jesus didn’t stop with talking
about Caesar, though. He told them something more. “Give God the things that are God’s.”
Hold up the Page 6 picture representing Heaven’s coin as you continue.
God is the Head of a bigger, much more powerful government than Caesar’s government! Jesus was saying to
be loyal to God’s country in obeying His laws! “Give God the things that are God’s,” he said. In other words,
they should do what God asked them to do. They should not allow the country’s government, Caesar, to tell
them what to believe. They should not let their country’s government take over their consciences. They must
never let the government make them believe anything wrong about God and His laws.
They were to be loyal to an earthly country only if they could still be loyal to God’s heavenly country.
Apply the stories in age-appropriate words.
Hold up the picture of the bat again, and read, “Loyalty Loves Country.” When you love a country, you do
what is best for it. Bat didn’t love the Bird Country. Bat didn’t love the Beast Country either. Bat loved only
himself. He wasn’t willing to do what was best for any country. Loyalty does what is best for your country.
Hold up the picture of Caesar’s coins. Loyalty does what an earthly country tells you to do. You pledge
allegiance with respect. You say good things about your country. You study to learn its true history, not wrong
ideas about that history. You pay taxes. You obey laws. Laws can be wrong sometimes, though. So can leaders.
You think what is best for your country, and that is what you do.
Hold up the picture representing heavenly coin. Loyalty does what God’s heavenly country tells you to do.
You show loyalty to God’s country by pledging allegiance to it. You give money to God. You sing songs to
God. You show loyalty to God’s country by saying good things about it. You show loyalty to God’s country
when you study to learn its true history. You show loyalty to God’s country when you obey God’s laws.
Hold up the pictures again, and have students repeat with you, “Loyalty Loves Country.”
Close by handing out assignment sheets.
Loyalty Loves Country
Loyalty Loves Country
First and Last Name:
“You show loyalty when you do what is best for your country.”
Color the picture to look like you pledging allegiance to your country’s flag.
Use the right colors on the flag. Add longer hair if your hair is longer than the
hair in the picture. Write your memory verse on the lines under the picture. On
the back of the paper, tell why you should pledge allegiance to your country.
Bible memory verse:
______________________________________________________________________
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Christian Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program
Copyright © 2014 by Elizabeth L Hamilton
Loyalty #4 – Ages 3 to 7
For more information, visit www.character-in-action.com
First and
d Last Name:
“I show lo
oyalty when I do
o what is
s best fo
or my co
ountry.”
Color thee picture belo
ow to look like you pled
dging allegiaance to your country’s flag. Write yoour
Bible meemory verse below the piicture. On th
he back of thhis page, wriite about whaat Jesus saidd to
the men who
w asked him
h if they sh
hould pay taaxes. Then teell how you ccan do whatt is best for yyour
country every
e
day. What
W should you
y not do?
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Chrisstian Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program
Copyright © 2014 by
y Elizabeth L Hamilton
H
Loyalty #4 – Ages 7 and up
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For more infformation, visitt www.characte
er-in-action.com
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