Salty Self | Object Lesson
Lesson Topic: Humility, Pride, Prayer, Repentance, and Having the Right Attitude
Main Point: God is not impressed when we boast about how good we are or compare ourselves to others. He wants us to approach Him with humility, recognizing that we need His mercy and grace.
Scripture: Luke 18:14: “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”
Additional Scripture: Luke 18:9–14
Lesson Overview
Can two cups of water look exactly alike but be very different? This simple object lesson uses water and ordinary table salt to illustrate the difference between outward appearances and what is happening in a person’s heart.
In Luke 18, Jesus told a parable about two men who went to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee who was proud of his religious accomplishments and looked down on others. The other was a tax collector who recognized his need for God’s mercy.
Although both men went to the same place to pray, their attitudes were very different. Jesus explained that the humble tax collector, rather than the proud Pharisee, went home justified.
As children watch salt disappear into a cup of water, they’ll learn that pride isn’t always obvious on the outside. Someone may appear to be doing everything right while secretly having an attitude of superiority toward others.
This activity provides a memorable way to teach children that God cares about our hearts, not just our outward actions.
Supplies Needed
- Two clear cups or glasses
- Water
- Table salt
- Spoon for stirring
- Tray to catch spills
- Bible
Preparation
Before class, fill two identical clear cups with approximately the same amount of water. Place both cups on a tray where the children can easily see them.
Keep a small container of table salt nearby, along with a spoon for stirring.
The demonstration works best when the cups are identical and the water levels are nearly the same. Use enough water that a small amount of salt will dissolve completely without making the water cloudy.
Practice adding and stirring the salt before class to make sure it dissolves and the water remains clear.
Do not allow children to drink from the demonstration cups. The water is being used only as a visual illustration.
How to Teach the Object Lesson
Step 1: Two Cups That Look the Same
Begin by holding up the two cups of water.
Ask: “What do you notice about these two cups? Do they look the same to you?”
Allow the children to respond. Point out that both cups contain clear water and appear nearly identical.
Say: “Today, we’re going to learn about two men who went to church to pray. From the outside, they were both doing something good. But Jesus told us that there was a very important difference between them!”
Explain that Jesus told this story because some people trusted in their own goodness and looked down on others.
Read Luke 18:9: “And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:”
Explain that these people thought they were better than everyone else because of the good things they did.
Step 2: The Pharisee and His Pride
Point to the first cup of water.
Explain that the first man in Jesus’ story was a Pharisee. The Pharisees were known for carefully following religious rules and traditions.
The Pharisee went to the temple to pray, but instead of humbly asking God for help, he began telling God how good he was.
Read Luke 18:11: “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.”
As you describe the Pharisee’s attitude, begin adding small amounts of salt to the first cup.
Say: “The Pharisee was proud that he wasn’t like other people. He thought he was better than everyone else.”
Add another small amount of salt and stir.
Say: “He bragged about fasting and giving his tithes. Those things weren’t wrong, but his attitude was!”
Continue stirring until the salt completely dissolves.
Ask: “Can you still see the salt in the water?”
Allow the children to respond.
Explain that although the salt is no longer visible, it is still there.
Say: “That reminds us of something important about pride. Sometimes people can look good on the outside, but their hearts are filled with pride. They may do good things, but they begin thinking those good things make them better than everyone else.”
Hold up the cup and remind the children that the salt hasn’t disappeared. It has simply dissolved into the water.
Step 3: The Tax Collector and His Humility
Now point to the second cup of plain water.
Explain that the second man in Jesus’ story was a tax collector, also called a publican. Tax collectors were often disliked because some were dishonest and took more money than they were supposed to collect.
But this man came to the temple with a very different attitude from the Pharisee.
Instead of boasting about how good he was, the tax collector recognized that he was a sinner who needed God’s mercy.
Read Luke 18:13: “And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.”
Explain that the tax collector didn’t try to convince God that he was better than anyone else. He didn’t make excuses for his mistakes or compare himself to other people.
He simply humbled himself and asked God for mercy.
Say: “This man understood something very important. He knew he couldn’t make himself righteous by bragging about his good deeds. He needed God’s forgiveness!”
Hold up the second cup.
Explain that this cup represents the humble attitude of someone who comes before God recognizing their need for His help.
Teaching Point: The plain water is only a symbol of humility. The tax collector wasn’t without sin. In fact, he openly admitted that he was a sinner. The difference between the two men was their attitude toward God.
Step 4: What’s Really Inside?
Place both cups side by side on the tray.
Ask: “Now look at these two cups. Can you tell which one has salt in it just by looking?”
Allow the children to respond.
Explain that although the cups appear almost identical, their contents are different.
Say: “That’s how it can be with people. Two people might both come to church, sing the same songs, listen to the same preaching, and even pray at the same altar. But God knows what’s happening in their hearts!”
Explain that one person might be proud, thinking about how much better they are than everyone else. Another person might be sincerely asking God to forgive them and help them become more like Jesus.
Ask: “Which prayer do you think Jesus was pleased with? The Pharisee who bragged about himself, or the tax collector who humbly asked for mercy?”
Allow the children to answer.
Read Luke 18:14: “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”
Explain that Jesus said the humble tax collector went home justified rather than the proud Pharisee.
God wasn’t impressed by the Pharisee’s boasting. He honored the man who recognized his need for mercy.
Step 5: Learning to Be Humble
Explain that humility doesn’t mean we should think we’re worthless or that we can’t do anything good. Humility means recognizing that everything good in our lives comes from God and that we always need His help.
Sometimes pride shows up in the way we talk about ourselves or treat others.
Give the children a few examples.
At Sunday School: A child memorizes more Bible verses than anyone else and begins making fun of children who haven’t learned theirs. Instead of being proud, that child should thank God for helping them learn and encourage others to keep trying.
At School: A student gets the highest grade in the class and starts telling everyone how much smarter they are. A humble student can be thankful for doing well without making others feel inferior.
At Church: A child sings, participates in worship, or helps with an activity and begins thinking they’re more important than everyone else. Remind the children that serving God is a privilege, not a reason to look down on others.
When We Make Mistakes: Instead of blaming someone else or making excuses, we should be willing to admit when we’re wrong, ask for forgiveness, and try to do better.
Say: “God wants us to do good things, but He also wants us to have the right attitude while we’re doing them. We should never use our good deeds as a reason to think we’re better than somebody else.”
Bringing the Lesson Home
Hold up both cups one final time.
Say: “These cups look almost exactly the same, but we know there’s something different about them. One has salt dissolved inside it, even though we can’t see it. In the same way, people may not always know what’s happening in our hearts, but God does!”
Remind the children that God sees our attitudes, motives, and intentions. He knows whether we’re serving Him because we love Him or simply trying to impress other people.
Encourage the children to thank God for helping them do what is right rather than taking all the credit for themselves.
When they make mistakes, remind them that they can come to Jesus with a humble and repentant heart, just as the tax collector did.
Conclude with a short prayer, asking God to help the children recognize pride in their hearts, treat others with kindness, and remain humble before Him.
