Who is the 'neighbor' Jesus refers to in Matthew 22:39, and how do I explain that to kids?

Jesus does not define 'neighbor' narrowly in this passage, and elsewhere in the Gospels (Luke 10) He makes clear it extends beyond friends and family to anyone we encounter who has a need. For kids, the most helpful framing is that a neighbor is anyone God places near them, at school, in their neighborhood, or even someone they find difficult to get along with.

Is this a good passage to use for teaching kids about the Ten Commandments?

This passage pairs well with a broader conversation about God's law, but it is distinct from the Ten Commandments themselves. What Jesus does here is show how all of God's commands flow from a foundation of love, love for God and love for people. You can use it to help older kids see that rules aren't arbitrary but are rooted in relationship.

How do I handle the question of whether kids can truly love God if they don't fully understand Him yet?

This is a genuinely good question and worth taking seriously with upper elementary students especially. The honest and encouraging answer is that growing in love for God is a lifelong process, not a threshold moment, and Jesus's words here are as much an invitation as a command. Kids can begin loving God with what they know now, and that love deepens as they learn more about who He is.

Matthew 22:37-39 Sunday School Lesson for Kids

“Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
— Matthew 22:37-39

Scripture: World English Bible (Public Domain).

Big Idea

Jesus said the most important thing we can do is love God completely and love the people around us.

Opening Hook

Ask the class: 'If you could only keep one rule for the rest of your life, what would it be?' Take a few answers, then tell them a religious leader once asked Jesus a very similar question.

Teaching Points

A religious leader asked Jesus which commandment was the greatest, and Jesus didn't hesitate. He pointed straight to love for God as number one.
Loving God 'with all your heart, soul, and mind' means it isn't just a feeling. It involves our choices, our thoughts, and our whole selves.
Jesus immediately added a second commandment: love your neighbor as yourself. He treated these two as a matched pair, not separate ideas.

See also:John 3:16 — another lesson about love→

Discussion Questions

Jesus said to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. What do you think it looks like to love God with your mind?
Who counts as a 'neighbor' in Jesus's words? Is it only the person who lives next door?
Is it ever hard to love someone? What makes it hard?

Sample Slide Titles

A Very Important Question for JesusThe Greatest Commandment: Matthew 22:37Love God. With All of YouLove Your Neighbor TooTwo Commands, One Big Idea

Sample Word Search Terms

LOVEHEARTSOULMINDLORDGREATSECONDNEIGHBOR

Application & Send-Off

Challenge students to look for one 'neighbor moment' this week, someone they can treat with the same kindness they would want for themselves.

Bible Context

Matthew 22:37-39 comes near the end of Jesus's public ministry in Jerusalem, during a series of challenge questions from religious leaders trying to discredit Him. A lawyer asked which commandment was greatest, likely hoping to spark a debate. Jesus responded by quoting Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18, grounding His answer firmly in Israel's own scriptures and signaling that love for God and love for people are not new additions but the foundation the entire law was always meant to rest on.

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Frequently Asked Questions

For younger kids, it helps to keep the language concrete and body-centered. You can say that loving God with your heart means caring about Him, with your soul means your whole self belongs to Him, and with your mind means thinking about Him and what He says. You don't need to unpack all three terms in equal depth, the cumulative picture is simply that no part of us is left out.