The Last Orange Slice
Written for Bible Journey Plan. Our editorial standards.
Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
Matthew 7:12 KJV
This is an original fictional illustration, not a historical report or an added Bible event.
Maya counted the orange slices on the plate. There were three for her, three for her brother, and one left in the middle. She reached for it, then remembered yesterday's snack. She had felt disappointed when her brother took the last cracker without asking.
Maya put the slice on the cutting board. Mom helped cut it in two. The pieces were small, but both children had one.
Jesus teaches us to do for others what we would want them to do for us. Maya could remember how it felt to be left out, and that helped her choose kindness. She did not know whether her brother would remember next time. She could still do right this time. A little piece of orange became a chance to practice a big lesson.
A small step for today
Think about the care you would welcome if you were new or left out. Offer that care to another child. Explain the game, make room, and use kind words. Jesus' teaching helps us look beyond our own turn and our own comfort. We can begin doing good without waiting for someone else to be kind first.
For the grown-up reading along
Jesus summarizes a duty toward others that agrees with the law and the prophets. The command calls for active love, not a bargain in which kindness is given only when it is returned.
Read the KJV passage aloud. Explain unfamiliar words in ordinary language without changing the quotation.
Read further: Matthew 7 in the King James Bible.