Year 4 achievement standard
Term 3
Challenge and Change -
Making meaning of the parables (STNT10)
Making meaning of the parables (STNT10)
The Lost Sheep (MT 18:12-14, Lk 15:3-7)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZuqs9iUgjg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ecm2nZrnj68
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ8T0asDtcI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZuqs9iUgjg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ecm2nZrnj68
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ8T0asDtcI
Sower and Seed (Mk 3: 27, Mt 13:3-9, Lk 8:5-8)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LvvHXaKZPE (lego animation traditional)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ecm2nZrnj68http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LvvHXaKZPE (modern)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LvvHXaKZPE (lego animation traditional)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ecm2nZrnj68http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LvvHXaKZPE (modern)
Tuning In
Fertile Question - What can we learn from parables?
Learning Objective: The children will learn about what a parable is and why Jesus taught so often using parables.
Parbles – fictional stories; unnamed characters; purpose and messages; three-stage pattern (what people expect, what Jesus says; how people must change)
(Teacher Background)
During His earthly ministry, as Jesus went about preaching and teaching, He frequently used parables - cf. Mt 13:1-3, 13:34-35 a). It has been estimated that at least one-third of Jesus' recorded teaching is found in the parables (Wiersbe, "Windows On The Parables", p. 15)
b). Certainly many of the most often remembered sayings of Jesus are His parables
2. It is therefore proper for disciples today to ask such questions as:
a. What is a "parable"?
b. Why did Jesus teach in parables?
c. How should we interpret them?
(a) THE DEFINITION OF "PARABLE"
THE WORD "PARABLE"... 1. Is a transliteration of the Greek "parabole" (para-bow-LAY) 2. Means "to place beside, to cast alongside" 3. As defined by Vine's Expository Dictionary of N.T. Words, it "signifies a placing of one thing beside another with a view to comparison" 4. Wiersbe's description of a parable... a. As "a story that places one thing beside another for the purpose of teaching" b. "It puts the known next to the unknown so that we may learn"
AS USED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, A PARABLE... 1. Is usually a story or narrative drawn from nature or human circumstances 2. From which spiritual lessons can be made by comparison -- A common definition of a parable is "an earthly story with a heavenly meaning".
(b) THE PURPOSE OF THE PARABLES OF JESUS
THE PRIMARY PURPOSE WAS TO "CONCEAL"... 1. Jesus began speaking in parables because of the hardness of many people's hearts - cf. Mt 13:10-17 a. The disciples' attitude was such that they were blessed to learn "the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven" - Mt 13: 10-12,16-17 b. But because of the hard hearts of many in the multitude, Jesus began speaking to them in parables - Mt 13:13-15; cf. Mk 4:10-12 c. He would then explain the parables in private to His disciples - Mk 4:33-34 2. By resorting to parables, Jesus effectively separated the truth-seekers from the curiosity-seekers! a. Those seeking the truth would say "Explain to us the parable..." - Mt 13:36 b. Whereas the simply curious could easily be sent away 3. Indeed, Jesus used parables to carry out Divine judgement... - cf. Mt 13:12 a. "For whoever has (a good heart, listening ears), to him more will be given, and he will have abundance (by virtue of the parable being explained)" b. "But whoever does not have (a good heart, listening ears), even what he has will be taken away from him (by virtue of being sent away with the multitude)"
BUT ANOTHER PURPOSE WAS TO "REVEAL"... 1. Even though the primary purpose in telling parables was to conceal the "mysteries of the kingdom of heaven" from the multitude! a. For once the disciples understood the basic meaning of the parables... b. ...the comparison of the "known" (earthly) truths with the "unknown" (heavenly) truths would shed further light on the unknown 2. Therefore, with the help of the Lord's explanation of His parables we can learn more about "the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven" - cf. Mt 13:34-35
(d) THE INTERPRETATION OF THE PARABLES OF JESUS
THERE ARE TWO EXTREMES TO AVOID...
1. Seeking to find some spiritual truth in every little detail
2. Saying that there is only ONE spiritual truth in each parable
SOME GUIDELINES FOR PROPER INTERPRETATION... 1. Learn from the explanations Jesus gave in those parables He explained a. Understanding the parable of the sower helps us to understand other parables - Mk 4:13 b. Jesus therefore went on to explain that parable... 2. Look for the CENTRAL truth of the parable, making sure that any other truths gleaned from the parable are in harmony with it 3. Consider carefully the CONTEXT of Jesus words... a. Looking for an introduction or an application which may give insight b. As supplied by either the Lord Himself, or His inspired writers 4. Don't use the parables to formulate new doctrine a. Remember, parables were originally told to conceal, so they are not always that clear in their meaning b. Therefore don't try to build a case for a doctrine based solely on a parable.
Fertile Question - What can we learn from parables?
Learning Objective: The children will learn about what a parable is and why Jesus taught so often using parables.
Parbles – fictional stories; unnamed characters; purpose and messages; three-stage pattern (what people expect, what Jesus says; how people must change)
(Teacher Background)
During His earthly ministry, as Jesus went about preaching and teaching, He frequently used parables - cf. Mt 13:1-3, 13:34-35 a). It has been estimated that at least one-third of Jesus' recorded teaching is found in the parables (Wiersbe, "Windows On The Parables", p. 15)
b). Certainly many of the most often remembered sayings of Jesus are His parables
2. It is therefore proper for disciples today to ask such questions as:
a. What is a "parable"?
b. Why did Jesus teach in parables?
c. How should we interpret them?
(a) THE DEFINITION OF "PARABLE"
THE WORD "PARABLE"... 1. Is a transliteration of the Greek "parabole" (para-bow-LAY) 2. Means "to place beside, to cast alongside" 3. As defined by Vine's Expository Dictionary of N.T. Words, it "signifies a placing of one thing beside another with a view to comparison" 4. Wiersbe's description of a parable... a. As "a story that places one thing beside another for the purpose of teaching" b. "It puts the known next to the unknown so that we may learn"
AS USED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, A PARABLE... 1. Is usually a story or narrative drawn from nature or human circumstances 2. From which spiritual lessons can be made by comparison -- A common definition of a parable is "an earthly story with a heavenly meaning".
(b) THE PURPOSE OF THE PARABLES OF JESUS
THE PRIMARY PURPOSE WAS TO "CONCEAL"... 1. Jesus began speaking in parables because of the hardness of many people's hearts - cf. Mt 13:10-17 a. The disciples' attitude was such that they were blessed to learn "the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven" - Mt 13: 10-12,16-17 b. But because of the hard hearts of many in the multitude, Jesus began speaking to them in parables - Mt 13:13-15; cf. Mk 4:10-12 c. He would then explain the parables in private to His disciples - Mk 4:33-34 2. By resorting to parables, Jesus effectively separated the truth-seekers from the curiosity-seekers! a. Those seeking the truth would say "Explain to us the parable..." - Mt 13:36 b. Whereas the simply curious could easily be sent away 3. Indeed, Jesus used parables to carry out Divine judgement... - cf. Mt 13:12 a. "For whoever has (a good heart, listening ears), to him more will be given, and he will have abundance (by virtue of the parable being explained)" b. "But whoever does not have (a good heart, listening ears), even what he has will be taken away from him (by virtue of being sent away with the multitude)"
BUT ANOTHER PURPOSE WAS TO "REVEAL"... 1. Even though the primary purpose in telling parables was to conceal the "mysteries of the kingdom of heaven" from the multitude! a. For once the disciples understood the basic meaning of the parables... b. ...the comparison of the "known" (earthly) truths with the "unknown" (heavenly) truths would shed further light on the unknown 2. Therefore, with the help of the Lord's explanation of His parables we can learn more about "the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven" - cf. Mt 13:34-35
(d) THE INTERPRETATION OF THE PARABLES OF JESUS
THERE ARE TWO EXTREMES TO AVOID...
1. Seeking to find some spiritual truth in every little detail
2. Saying that there is only ONE spiritual truth in each parable
SOME GUIDELINES FOR PROPER INTERPRETATION... 1. Learn from the explanations Jesus gave in those parables He explained a. Understanding the parable of the sower helps us to understand other parables - Mk 4:13 b. Jesus therefore went on to explain that parable... 2. Look for the CENTRAL truth of the parable, making sure that any other truths gleaned from the parable are in harmony with it 3. Consider carefully the CONTEXT of Jesus words... a. Looking for an introduction or an application which may give insight b. As supplied by either the Lord Himself, or His inspired writers 4. Don't use the parables to formulate new doctrine a. Remember, parables were originally told to conceal, so they are not always that clear in their meaning b. Therefore don't try to build a case for a doctrine based solely on a parable.
Lesson 1
- “Who loves to listen to stories? Why do you like to listen to stories?” Take some feedback from the children.
- “Did you know that Jesus told lots of stories when He was on earth as a way to teach us? Jesus’ stories are called parables. A parable is a simple story that tells a lesson.”
- “Many of you have already learned about some of the parables Jesus taught when He was here on earth. Can you name any or tell about them?” Brainstorm with the children some of the parables of Jesus.
- Show a parable of choice on YouTube.
- Use BibleGateway/hardcopy of bible:
- “Why do you think Jesus taught us using parables? Let’s look at the reason Jesus himself gave when he was talking to his disciples.”
- “Open your Bibles to Matthew 13:10-17.” Read these verses aloud or divide up the verses among some proficient readers in your class to have them read the passage aloud. “In these verses Jesus explains why he taught using parables.” Reread verse 11. “Jesus spoke in simple stories as a way of teaching his disciples lessons he wanted them to learn. Lessons learned in the form of a story are easy to remember and later share with others. His disciples could listen to the story and understand the lesson Jesus wanted them to learn. Those who were not his disciples heard the stories, but did not understand the lessons.”
- “Why do you think some people did not understand the lessons in Jesus’ stories?” Take input from the children. “They did not understand because they had hardened their hearts to hearing the truth Jesus was teaching.”
- Reread verse 12. “Those who believe in Jesus and understand the lesson of his parables will continue to learn even more because their hearts are soft toward learning truth. For those who do not believe in Jesus even the lessons they have learned they will soon forget because their hearts are hard.”
- Reread verse 13-16. “The eyes and ears Jesus is talking about are our spiritual eyes and ears. People who believe in Jesus have eyes to see his truth and ears to hear his truth because their hearts are soft. They are blessed by what they learn. The soft heart of a Christian wants to understand Jesus’ parables and learn more of the lessons Jesus has to teach. But, people with hard hearts have blind eyes and deaf ears to learning the meaning of God’s Word. They do not want to know the meaning of Jesus’ parables because their hearts are hard.”
- “Jesus taught in parables for his followers to understand the truth he was teaching, but those with hard hearts could not understand.
Finding Out
Lesson 2
The Good Samaritan
Show a traditional parable on you tube and the same modern parable.
Compare and Contrast -What is the same/what is different. Make a connection between the two texts.
Homework: Find an example from the news media of 'A GOOD SAMARITAN' and describe why the person is similar to the 'Good Samaritan'.
This is not an actual event but one that was believable because it could easily have happened. The distance from Jerusalem to Jericho is about 25 kilometres. This familiar road ran through rocky, desert country that provided places for robbers to hide and make surprise attacks on people. The people listening to this parable would have been able to relate to the trouble that the man in the parable was in. It would have been a relief for the injured man to see a good Jewish priest come along. How horrible to see him pass by without helping. Another Jew, a Levite, should have also stopped but he did not.
This Jewish audience would have expected other Jews to help a Jew in obvious need. What they did not expect was the next thing that Jesus said. It was not a Jew that finally helped this man, it was a Samaritan! The Samaritans were looked down on by Jews. They were considered half-breeds and not true Jews. This goes back to 2 Kings 17:24-41 when the Jews of the northern kingdom were taken into Assyrian captivity and the King of Assyria made an attempt to resettle Samaria with his own people.
The Samaritan goes to extraordinary measures to help the man. He not only helped him in the moment of need, he got personally involved in the man’s situation. He spent the night taking care of him and then paid an inn keeper so that the man would be taken care of until he was well. Two silver coins would have been equal to two days’ wages. This would have been enough for up to two months stay in an inn.
We are to love our neighbour as we love ourselves. Neighbours are not just the people who live near us or that are in our circle of friends and family. Neighbours are not even just the people who attend church with us or even just those who believe in God. Neighbours are anyone who is in need.
Way to Introduce the Story:
Bring a few different maps (city, country, world) to class or use google earth to find the school. Help children find where they live on the map. Ask them where their neighbourhood is. “In today’s lesson we are going to learn about a parable Jesus told about neighbours . . .”
The Story:
Wherever Jesus went people would come to hear him tell about God. They loved to hear him tell parables. Parables were stories that helped people understand important lessons. Once a man who was an expert in the Law of God asked Jesus a question, “Teacher, what must I do to live forever?” Jesus knew the man was an expert in God’s Old Testament Laws. He asked the man what the Old Testament Law said that a person must do to live forever. The man’s answer was, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and, Love your neighbour as yourself.” Jesus told the man that he was right. That was the greatest commandment. That is the way to live forever. Then the man asked about loving your neighbour as yourself. Did he have to love all of his neighbours or just the ones that lived close by? He asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbour?”
Instead of telling him the answer Jesus told a parable. This is the parable:
A man was travelling by himself from Jerusalem to the town of Jericho. While he was on the road some robbers attacked him. They beat him up and took everything he had – even his clothes! The man was left all alone on the road. He waited and waited for someone to come by and help him.
A priest came walking by on the road. Priests were God’s helpers in the temple. They knew how to worship God. They knew all of the rules of God. Do you think the priest helped the man? No, the priest went on the other side of the road and passed right by the man without helping.
Next, a Levite came along the road. Levites knew all of God’s laws. They were good Jews. Do you think the Levite stopped and helped the man? No, the Levite looked at the man and then crossed the road and walked right past him.
Finally, a man from Samaria came along the road. The Jews did not like Samaritans. Everybody thought that the Samaritans would never help anybody. But this Samaritan was good. He saw the man on the road and he stopped to help. He put oil and wine on the man’s wounds. (Oil and wine were used for medicine in those times.) Then he lifted the man onto his donkey and took him to a nearby inn. He took care of the man all night to make sure he was going to be well.
The next morning the Samaritan had to leave to continue on his journey. He wanted to make sure that the injured man was taken care of so he gave money to the innkeeper. He gave him enough money so that the man could stay at the inn for two months! He even told the innkeeper that he would come back next time he was travelling and pay more money if the man was still sick.
Everyone was very surprised to hear this parable. When Jesus was finished he asked the expert in the Law of God a question, “Three men went on the road that day: the priest, the Levite and the Samaritan. Which of these men do you think was a neighbour to the man who was beaten and robbed?”
What do you think the expert in the Law of God answered? That’s right, the Samaritan was a neighbour. Helping anyone who needs help is being the kind of neighbour that God wants. We don’t even have to know the person. We should help them just because they need help.
Review Questions:
Lesson 3
The Prodigal Son
Show YouTube Clip.
Using word collaboratively recreate a parable making changes to particular language features to apply the teaching from the parable to the students lives.
Teacher Background:
Luke 15 contains three different parables. Each is about something that is lost and then found again: a sheep, a coin and a son.
An inheritance was the property that was passed on to a son after the father’s death. Usually the first son would receive a double share of the inheritance. Sometimes a father might divide the inheritance between his children before he died but would still receive the income from the property until he died.
In the case of this parable, the father still had his estate intact. He had not divided it and it seems he was still actively making a living. His younger son asked him to divide the estate and to give him what he had determined was “his share”. By giving the son a portion of the estate he was giving away more than just the property. He was giving away the income he might have received from it until his death.
The son took the money and left home and found the worldly pleasures that he was looking for. When the money was all spent he found himself with no friends and nowhere to go. A famine forced him to find the only work he could – feeding pigs. This job tells us how desperate the man was. No Jew would choose to be around unclean animals like pigs (Leviticus 11:7-8).
Verse 17 states that the son “came to his senses”. He must have finally realised the enormity of what he had done. He was a failure. He began to think about his father and home. When he had left home the first time he had only thought about what he felt he deserved. Now he saw things in true perspective. He never should have asked his father for anything. His father owned his estate and could divide it when and how he pleased. Now, the son did not go back to ask for what he deserved. He went back to ask his father’s mercy.
The father met the son with his arms wide open. He ran to meet him before the son had even repented. The father forgave his son, not because the son deserved it but because he loved his son and wanted to forgive him. He did not make the son a servant, as the son felt he deserved. Instead, he celebrated and accepted him back as a son.
The older brother was jealous and did not understand his father’s complete forgiveness. How could his father simply forget it as if it had never happened? He had always tried to treat his father well and he had watched his younger brother squander his father’s money. Now, the father was giving all of the attention to the younger brother. The older brother refused to join in the celebration.
The father reminded him that he loved him and that his inheritance was secure. He tried to explain that the son had been “dead” but was now “alive”. The Scripture does not say whether or not the older son relented.
This parable is a simple story that reveals a deeper meaning. Our Heavenly Father is like the father in the story. He is happy to forgive us when we repent and turn back to him. He forgives us completely. He “throws a party” when we return. There is even rejoicing in heaven (Luke 15:7).
The older brother is like the Jews who had been God’s people all along. They felt they deserved God’s love more than anyone else. Later on, in Acts, we find that many of them could never accept the fact that God welcomed the Gentiles to him and treated them like they had been his children all along. We can also be like the older brother when we think that God “owes us” special favour because we have been faithful to him and done the things he has asked. In truth, none of us could do anything to deserve God’s favour. We all live only by his mercy.
Finally, it is important to note that the younger son went back to the father. This should encourage us to do our teaching job well. Even if the children we teach go astray later in life, we should teach them where “home” is and who their father is! Read Psalm 145:8.
Way to Introduce the Story:
For a few days before class save your kitchen scraps in a container such as an ice cream tub. Tell the children that you have something in the container that somebody in one of Jesus’ parables really wanted to eat. Let them guess what it is. After they have guessed then open the container and let them see (and smell). “This is food like you would feed pigs! Why would someone want to eat this? Let’s listen to the lesson and find out . . .”
The Story:
Jesus told a parable about a man with two sons. He told a parable because a parable is a simple story to help people understand something that is hard to understand – something that is important to understand.
In this parable there was a man who had two sons. The father knew that someday he would get very old and die. When he died, all of his money and his house and farm would be given to his two sons. The money and property that children receive from someone who dies is called an “inheritance”.
The younger son was very impatient. He did not want to wait for his father to die to get his inheritance. He wanted his father’s money soon so he could go and spend it. He asked his father to divide all of the money up and give him his part. The father wanted his son to be happy so that is what he did.
The younger son took all of the money and he left home. He went to live in another country that was very far from his home. He bought everything that he wanted. He spent money on parties. People liked him because he had lots of money.
The problem was that soon the money ran out. He had no more money for parties. People stopped liking him. They weren’t real friends. They only liked him when he bought them things. Now they did not even want to be around him.
There was a famine in the country where the son lived. That meant that there was hardly any food to eat. The son got a job working for a man who owned some pigs. His job was to feed the pigs. The son was so hungry that he wished he could eat the food the pigs were eating.
Finally, the son began to think about what he had done. He knew that he had been wrong to ask his father for the inheritance. He wanted to go home but he thought his father would never forgive him. He couldn’t even blame his father for that because he knew he didn’t deserve to be forgiven.
The son went back home. He wanted to say he was sorry. He would not ask his father to let him live in the house. He would just ask if he could work for him like one of the other workers.
As the son got close to his father’s house he noticed his father running to meet him. He could not believe it! His father was not even angry. Instead, he was so happy to see his son that he threw his arms around him and gave him a big hug and a kiss.
The son said he was sorry for what he had done. He told his father that he did not deserve to be his son. But the father loved him so much and was so happy to see him again that he wanted to celebrate. He was happy to forgive his son. He told the servants to cook a big dinner. He put a beautiful robe on his son. He put a ring on his finger and special sandals on his feet.
The father and the youngest son were very happy but the father’s older son was jealous. He had never left home and spent all the money but nobody had a party for him.
But the father went to the older son and told him that he loved him too. He explained to the son why he was so happy. “Don’t you understand son? I am so happy because my son has come home. I thought he was dead but now I know he is alive! Please, let’s all be happy together.”
Jesus told this parable so that people would understand something about God. Sometimes we are like the young son in the parable. We do things that are wrong. We start to feel very bad. We might think that God would never forgive us.
But God does forgive us! When we tell God we are sorry, he is so happy. He is happy because he loves us and he always wants us to do the right thing.
Do you think God will love you and forgive you if you tell him you are sorry for something? Do you need to tell God you are sorry? If you do, let’s have a prayer right now.
Review Questions:
The Lost Sheep
Teacher Background:
You can find this same parable in Luke 15:1-7. Jesus seems to have told this parable more than once. In Matthew’s account Jesus has a little child stand in front of the audience as he tells the story. He is answering one of the disciples’ questions concerning “who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:1-4). The parable of the lost sheep is used to help the audience understand that God is not just concerned with the “greatest” in the kingdom. He does not want even one little child to be lost (Matthew 18:14).
In Luke’s account Jesus told the parable to help the Pharisees understand that God loves each and every sinner. The Pharisees did not understand why Jesus was spending so much time with the sinners. They thought they were more important than the “sinners” and that he should spend time with them. In the parable Jesus showed that he did not spend all of his time with faithful Jews (the 99 sheep) because he wanted to go out searching for those lost in sin (the one sheep).
In both cases, the people Jesus was speaking to would have been very familiar with sheep. Shepherds were common in the first century. A shepherd led his flock in and among the hills of Palestine searching for the best grass and water. Bears, leopards, jackals and even hyenas were known to roam the hills of Palestine. The shepherd often risked his life to protect the sheep from these dangers.
Sometimes a sheep would fall down a crevice and the shepherd had to climb down and pull it to safety. It would have been common for a shepherd to carry a sheep on his shoulders (Luke 15: 5).
A shepherd spent a great deal of time with his sheep and most likely knew each one by name. Every sheep was important and his goal is to keep every one of them safe.
This is the kind of care that God has for mankind. He knows each of us by name. He does not want even one of us to go astray. Mankind had gone astray and God sent his son, Jesus, to find us.
Satan is the predator of mankind (1 Peter 5:8) and he prowls around like a roaring lion trying to find someone to devour in the spiritual sense.
Way to Introduce the Story:
(Hide a house or car key before students arrive) When the children are ready to begin the story, tell them that you are going to pretend that you lost your house (or car) key. Show the children all of your other keys and explain what they are used for. Then explain that even though you have all of the other keys – - – the house key is very important to you. You really need to get into your house when you go home today and only that key works. Let the children help you hunt for the key. After they have found the key settle them all down for the lesson. “In today’s lesson we are going to learn about a shepherd who had a lot of sheep. One of those sheep got lost . . .”
The Story:
Some of Jesus’ followers thought that God loved some people more than others. They thought that some people were important and some people were not important. They asked Jesus a question, “Teacher, who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
Jesus asked a little child to come stand by him. He told his followers that even a little child is important to God. Everyone is important to God.
Jesus wanted his followers to understand this better so he decided to tell them a story to help them understand. This kind of story is called a parable. This is the parable of the Lost Sheep.
Once a shepherd had a flock of 100 sheep. The shepherd loved every one of his sheep. He even had names for his sheep. Every night he would count his sheep to make sure that all 100 were there.
He helped the sheep find the best green grass. He looked for nice clean water so his sheep could have a nice drink when they were thirsty.Sometimes dangerous animals like bears and lions would come and try to hurt his sheep. The shepherd protected the sheep and chased all of the dangerous animals away from them.Sometimes the sheep would wander away from the rest of the sheep and the shepherd had to call out the sheep’s name. When the sheep heard the shepherd’s voice he would run back to the shepherd.
What would it mean if the shepherd counted his sheep and he counted only 99? That would mean that one sheep was missing. How do you think the shepherd felt? What do you think the shepherd would do? Do you think the shepherd would just say, “Oh, well, who cares? I’m just happy that the 99 sheep are okay. I won’t worry about just one little sheep. One little sheep is not very important anyway.”
What would you do if you were the shepherd?
The shepherd would leave the 99 sheep in a safe place and then he would go and look for the lost sheep. He would look behind bushes and in the deep valleys. He would keep looking everywhere until he found the sheep.
When he finally found the sheep he would be so happy! He would lift the sheep up onto his shoulders and carry him back to the other ninety-nine sheep. At last, the shepherd could be happy because all of the sheep were safe and well.
After Jesus told this parable he explained what it meant. God does not look at one person and say, “This person is important. She’s the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” And he doesn’t look at another person and say, “This person is not important. He is the least in the kingdom of heaven.”
Every single person – even the littlest child – is important to God. He does not want even one single person to be lost. Did you know that you are important to God?
Review Questions:
In the Parable of the Lost Sheep, how many sheep did the shepherd first have in his flock? 100
Lesson 5
The Sower and the Seed
One day Jesus was sitting on the shore of a lake. He began teaching the people on the shore. More people came to hear what Jesus was saying. Soon the beach was filled with people. There were so many that Jesus decided to get in a boat and float it out from the beach. Then he could speak loudly and everyone could hear him without being so crowded.
Jesus told the crowd many parables. Do you remember what a parable is? A parable is an easy-to-understand story that helps people understand something that is very hard to understand. One of the parables that Jesus told from the boat was a story about a farmer who planted some seeds.
Farmers in those times did not plant seeds using tractors. The farmer would take a hand full of seeds and carefully toss them onto the soil. After he was finished he would cover the seeds over with soil and then wait for the plants to grow. Planting seeds is called “sowing”. Jesus’ story is called the Parable of the Sower and the Seed.
In the parable the farmer sowed seeds and the seeds fell into four different kinds of soil. The first seed fell onto a path where people walked. The soil on the path was hard because it was packed down. The seed that fell on the path just rolled on the top of it. Soon a bird came along and gobbled the seed up.
The next seed fell on some rocky soil. The seed sprouted very quickly and in a few days had leaves and roots. But soon the plant was dead. That was because the roots could not grow in rocks. When the roots died, the plant died.
The third seed fell on soil that was full of weeds and thorns. The plant sprouted and began to grow but it never got very big. The weeds choked the plant and kept taking all of the sun and the best soil. The plant never produced any grain.
The last seed fell on very good soil. Soon the plant sprouted and leaves began to appear. The roots were healthy and the plant grew bigger every day. Grain began to appear on the stalk and when the right time came, the farmer picked the grain so he could sell it or crush it to make flour for bread.
The people asked Jesus what the parable meant. He told him that the seed was like the things he was trying to teach them about the kingdom of God. Jesus taught lots of people about God being the King over the whole world in the same way that the farmer planted lots of seeds. Not all of the farmer’s seeds grew and not everyone who heard Jesus believed what he said. Different people have different kinds of hearts. There are different kinds of hearts just like there are different kinds of soils.
The hard soil of the path was like the hard hearts of people who heard Jesus’ teaching but did not even understand or care what it meant. When people have hard hearts then they do not want to follow God. They just go away from God like the seed got taken away by the birds.
The seed that fell on the rocky soil was like someone who hears about God and becomes a Christian. They are so happy to find God but then they change their minds and turn away from him. That is like the plant whose roots die.
Remember the seed that fell on the soil that had weeds and thorns in it? That plant never got big. That is like people who listen to the Word of God but then get so busy making money and having fun that they don’t have time to worship him. Too much money and too much fun keep them from being strong and healthy Christians just like the weeds that choked the plant.
Finally, Jesus explained what the good soil meant. The good soil was the kind of heart that we should all have. The good soil is a heart that listens to God’s word and tries to obey him. Just like the seed grows in good soil, the words of Jesus grow in good hearts. The person whose heart is like the good soil always wants to listen to God and to make him happy by obeying him.
Do you have a good heart? Does God’s word go into your heart? Are you growing up to be a good Christian?
Review Questions:
Craft and Activity ideas for the class (choose age appropriate ones):
The Good Samaritan
Show a traditional parable on you tube and the same modern parable.
Compare and Contrast -What is the same/what is different. Make a connection between the two texts.
Homework: Find an example from the news media of 'A GOOD SAMARITAN' and describe why the person is similar to the 'Good Samaritan'.
This is not an actual event but one that was believable because it could easily have happened. The distance from Jerusalem to Jericho is about 25 kilometres. This familiar road ran through rocky, desert country that provided places for robbers to hide and make surprise attacks on people. The people listening to this parable would have been able to relate to the trouble that the man in the parable was in. It would have been a relief for the injured man to see a good Jewish priest come along. How horrible to see him pass by without helping. Another Jew, a Levite, should have also stopped but he did not.
This Jewish audience would have expected other Jews to help a Jew in obvious need. What they did not expect was the next thing that Jesus said. It was not a Jew that finally helped this man, it was a Samaritan! The Samaritans were looked down on by Jews. They were considered half-breeds and not true Jews. This goes back to 2 Kings 17:24-41 when the Jews of the northern kingdom were taken into Assyrian captivity and the King of Assyria made an attempt to resettle Samaria with his own people.
The Samaritan goes to extraordinary measures to help the man. He not only helped him in the moment of need, he got personally involved in the man’s situation. He spent the night taking care of him and then paid an inn keeper so that the man would be taken care of until he was well. Two silver coins would have been equal to two days’ wages. This would have been enough for up to two months stay in an inn.
We are to love our neighbour as we love ourselves. Neighbours are not just the people who live near us or that are in our circle of friends and family. Neighbours are not even just the people who attend church with us or even just those who believe in God. Neighbours are anyone who is in need.
Way to Introduce the Story:
Bring a few different maps (city, country, world) to class or use google earth to find the school. Help children find where they live on the map. Ask them where their neighbourhood is. “In today’s lesson we are going to learn about a parable Jesus told about neighbours . . .”
The Story:
Wherever Jesus went people would come to hear him tell about God. They loved to hear him tell parables. Parables were stories that helped people understand important lessons. Once a man who was an expert in the Law of God asked Jesus a question, “Teacher, what must I do to live forever?” Jesus knew the man was an expert in God’s Old Testament Laws. He asked the man what the Old Testament Law said that a person must do to live forever. The man’s answer was, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and, Love your neighbour as yourself.” Jesus told the man that he was right. That was the greatest commandment. That is the way to live forever. Then the man asked about loving your neighbour as yourself. Did he have to love all of his neighbours or just the ones that lived close by? He asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbour?”
Instead of telling him the answer Jesus told a parable. This is the parable:
A man was travelling by himself from Jerusalem to the town of Jericho. While he was on the road some robbers attacked him. They beat him up and took everything he had – even his clothes! The man was left all alone on the road. He waited and waited for someone to come by and help him.
A priest came walking by on the road. Priests were God’s helpers in the temple. They knew how to worship God. They knew all of the rules of God. Do you think the priest helped the man? No, the priest went on the other side of the road and passed right by the man without helping.
Next, a Levite came along the road. Levites knew all of God’s laws. They were good Jews. Do you think the Levite stopped and helped the man? No, the Levite looked at the man and then crossed the road and walked right past him.
Finally, a man from Samaria came along the road. The Jews did not like Samaritans. Everybody thought that the Samaritans would never help anybody. But this Samaritan was good. He saw the man on the road and he stopped to help. He put oil and wine on the man’s wounds. (Oil and wine were used for medicine in those times.) Then he lifted the man onto his donkey and took him to a nearby inn. He took care of the man all night to make sure he was going to be well.
The next morning the Samaritan had to leave to continue on his journey. He wanted to make sure that the injured man was taken care of so he gave money to the innkeeper. He gave him enough money so that the man could stay at the inn for two months! He even told the innkeeper that he would come back next time he was travelling and pay more money if the man was still sick.
Everyone was very surprised to hear this parable. When Jesus was finished he asked the expert in the Law of God a question, “Three men went on the road that day: the priest, the Levite and the Samaritan. Which of these men do you think was a neighbour to the man who was beaten and robbed?”
What do you think the expert in the Law of God answered? That’s right, the Samaritan was a neighbour. Helping anyone who needs help is being the kind of neighbour that God wants. We don’t even have to know the person. We should help them just because they need help.
Review Questions:
- What is the greatest commandment? (To love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength, and with all your mind).
- After loving God, what is the second greatest commandment? (To love your neighbour as yourself).
- Why is the Samaritan man in Jesus’ parable called the “Good Samaritan”? (He stopped and helped the man who had been robbed and hurt).
- According to Jesus’ Parable of the Good Samaritan, who is your neighbour? (Anyone who needs help).
- Assign parts to the children and then read the story from the bible. Let them act out the story as you read.
- Let one child volunteer be the injured person and show the class how to do simple first aid (plasters, clean and bandage wounds, etc.)
- Fill a shallow container with sand and recreate the road in the story. Place stones and plants along the road as places where robbers might hide. Let the children draw paper people and cut them out. These characters can be used to tell the story.
- Memorize Luke 10:27. A fun way to do this is to write words like “fast, slow, baby talk, bass voice, opera singer, etc on small cards. Children can draw cards and then say the memory verse according to the card they choose. Example: Child draws a card with “opera singer” on it so they sing the verse as an opera singer would.
- Make up character cards with the names (or pictures for younger children) of each character. Let the children take turns drawing the cards and telling what happened to them in the parable. Don’t forget the obscure characters: innkeeper, donkey, man asking Jesus the questions.
- Help children think of ways to help someone in need. This could be a class project. Perhaps collecting food or items for the poor.
- Colouring page and puzzle worksheets at http://www.calvarycurriculum.com/pdf/childrenscurriculum/NEW/CURR208.PDF
- Pictures for a Power Point slide presentation at http://sermons4kids.com/good-samaritan-ppt-slides.htm
- Craft: Printable pattern for house and neighbours at http://www.dltk-bible.com/crafts/mneighbour.htm
- Online slideshow at http://biblelessonsite.org/slideshow67.html
- A good selection of puzzles and games to print at http://www.gardenofpraise.com/bibl25s.htm
- Song: Words to be sung to the tune of “The Farmer in the Dell” at http://www.dltk-bible.com/good_samaritan_song.htm
- Lesson plan and activities (Luke 10:25-37, age adaptable) at http://www.missionarlington.org/d/LOC09-29-GoodSamaritan.pdf
Lesson 3
The Prodigal Son
Show YouTube Clip.
Using word collaboratively recreate a parable making changes to particular language features to apply the teaching from the parable to the students lives.
Teacher Background:
Luke 15 contains three different parables. Each is about something that is lost and then found again: a sheep, a coin and a son.
An inheritance was the property that was passed on to a son after the father’s death. Usually the first son would receive a double share of the inheritance. Sometimes a father might divide the inheritance between his children before he died but would still receive the income from the property until he died.
In the case of this parable, the father still had his estate intact. He had not divided it and it seems he was still actively making a living. His younger son asked him to divide the estate and to give him what he had determined was “his share”. By giving the son a portion of the estate he was giving away more than just the property. He was giving away the income he might have received from it until his death.
The son took the money and left home and found the worldly pleasures that he was looking for. When the money was all spent he found himself with no friends and nowhere to go. A famine forced him to find the only work he could – feeding pigs. This job tells us how desperate the man was. No Jew would choose to be around unclean animals like pigs (Leviticus 11:7-8).
Verse 17 states that the son “came to his senses”. He must have finally realised the enormity of what he had done. He was a failure. He began to think about his father and home. When he had left home the first time he had only thought about what he felt he deserved. Now he saw things in true perspective. He never should have asked his father for anything. His father owned his estate and could divide it when and how he pleased. Now, the son did not go back to ask for what he deserved. He went back to ask his father’s mercy.
The father met the son with his arms wide open. He ran to meet him before the son had even repented. The father forgave his son, not because the son deserved it but because he loved his son and wanted to forgive him. He did not make the son a servant, as the son felt he deserved. Instead, he celebrated and accepted him back as a son.
The older brother was jealous and did not understand his father’s complete forgiveness. How could his father simply forget it as if it had never happened? He had always tried to treat his father well and he had watched his younger brother squander his father’s money. Now, the father was giving all of the attention to the younger brother. The older brother refused to join in the celebration.
The father reminded him that he loved him and that his inheritance was secure. He tried to explain that the son had been “dead” but was now “alive”. The Scripture does not say whether or not the older son relented.
This parable is a simple story that reveals a deeper meaning. Our Heavenly Father is like the father in the story. He is happy to forgive us when we repent and turn back to him. He forgives us completely. He “throws a party” when we return. There is even rejoicing in heaven (Luke 15:7).
The older brother is like the Jews who had been God’s people all along. They felt they deserved God’s love more than anyone else. Later on, in Acts, we find that many of them could never accept the fact that God welcomed the Gentiles to him and treated them like they had been his children all along. We can also be like the older brother when we think that God “owes us” special favour because we have been faithful to him and done the things he has asked. In truth, none of us could do anything to deserve God’s favour. We all live only by his mercy.
Finally, it is important to note that the younger son went back to the father. This should encourage us to do our teaching job well. Even if the children we teach go astray later in life, we should teach them where “home” is and who their father is! Read Psalm 145:8.
Way to Introduce the Story:
For a few days before class save your kitchen scraps in a container such as an ice cream tub. Tell the children that you have something in the container that somebody in one of Jesus’ parables really wanted to eat. Let them guess what it is. After they have guessed then open the container and let them see (and smell). “This is food like you would feed pigs! Why would someone want to eat this? Let’s listen to the lesson and find out . . .”
The Story:
Jesus told a parable about a man with two sons. He told a parable because a parable is a simple story to help people understand something that is hard to understand – something that is important to understand.
In this parable there was a man who had two sons. The father knew that someday he would get very old and die. When he died, all of his money and his house and farm would be given to his two sons. The money and property that children receive from someone who dies is called an “inheritance”.
The younger son was very impatient. He did not want to wait for his father to die to get his inheritance. He wanted his father’s money soon so he could go and spend it. He asked his father to divide all of the money up and give him his part. The father wanted his son to be happy so that is what he did.
The younger son took all of the money and he left home. He went to live in another country that was very far from his home. He bought everything that he wanted. He spent money on parties. People liked him because he had lots of money.
The problem was that soon the money ran out. He had no more money for parties. People stopped liking him. They weren’t real friends. They only liked him when he bought them things. Now they did not even want to be around him.
There was a famine in the country where the son lived. That meant that there was hardly any food to eat. The son got a job working for a man who owned some pigs. His job was to feed the pigs. The son was so hungry that he wished he could eat the food the pigs were eating.
Finally, the son began to think about what he had done. He knew that he had been wrong to ask his father for the inheritance. He wanted to go home but he thought his father would never forgive him. He couldn’t even blame his father for that because he knew he didn’t deserve to be forgiven.
The son went back home. He wanted to say he was sorry. He would not ask his father to let him live in the house. He would just ask if he could work for him like one of the other workers.
As the son got close to his father’s house he noticed his father running to meet him. He could not believe it! His father was not even angry. Instead, he was so happy to see his son that he threw his arms around him and gave him a big hug and a kiss.
The son said he was sorry for what he had done. He told his father that he did not deserve to be his son. But the father loved him so much and was so happy to see him again that he wanted to celebrate. He was happy to forgive his son. He told the servants to cook a big dinner. He put a beautiful robe on his son. He put a ring on his finger and special sandals on his feet.
The father and the youngest son were very happy but the father’s older son was jealous. He had never left home and spent all the money but nobody had a party for him.
But the father went to the older son and told him that he loved him too. He explained to the son why he was so happy. “Don’t you understand son? I am so happy because my son has come home. I thought he was dead but now I know he is alive! Please, let’s all be happy together.”
Jesus told this parable so that people would understand something about God. Sometimes we are like the young son in the parable. We do things that are wrong. We start to feel very bad. We might think that God would never forgive us.
But God does forgive us! When we tell God we are sorry, he is so happy. He is happy because he loves us and he always wants us to do the right thing.
Do you think God will love you and forgive you if you tell him you are sorry for something? Do you need to tell God you are sorry? If you do, let’s have a prayer right now.
Review Questions:
- In the Parable of the Lost Son (Prodigal Son), what did the man’s youngest son ask his father to give him? (His inheritance).
- What did the youngest son do when he left home? (He went to another country and spent all of his money).
- After the son spent his inheritance, what did he do for a job? (He fed pigs).
- When the youngest son was feeding the pigs, what did he want to eat? (Pig food).
- In the Parable of the Lost Son, did the father forgive his son when he came back home? (Yes).
- Use puppets to let the three main characters (father and two sons) tell the story. One way to make puppets is to draw simple faces on the children’s fingers (You could tie on a small piece of fabric for a headpiece).
- Give the children examples of times when someone might repent. Role play situations and let children play the part of the one who forgives.
- Have a chain prayer and let each child ask God’s forgiveness. Do this by joining hands and sitting in a circle. One child begins the prayer and then squeezes the hand next to him/her to signal the next person’s turn to pray. The last person finishes the prayer.
- Colouring page and puzzle worksheets at http://www.calvarycurriculum.com/pdf/childrenscurriculum/NEW/CURR210.PDF
- Anagrams/word scrambles at http://www.dltk-bible.com/anagrams/prodigal-index.htm
- Online slideshow at http://biblelessonsite.org/slideshow61.html
- Lesson plan and activities (Luke 15:11-32, age adaptable) at http://www.missionarlington.org/d/LOC09-38-LostSon.pdf
The Lost Sheep
Teacher Background:
You can find this same parable in Luke 15:1-7. Jesus seems to have told this parable more than once. In Matthew’s account Jesus has a little child stand in front of the audience as he tells the story. He is answering one of the disciples’ questions concerning “who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:1-4). The parable of the lost sheep is used to help the audience understand that God is not just concerned with the “greatest” in the kingdom. He does not want even one little child to be lost (Matthew 18:14).
In Luke’s account Jesus told the parable to help the Pharisees understand that God loves each and every sinner. The Pharisees did not understand why Jesus was spending so much time with the sinners. They thought they were more important than the “sinners” and that he should spend time with them. In the parable Jesus showed that he did not spend all of his time with faithful Jews (the 99 sheep) because he wanted to go out searching for those lost in sin (the one sheep).
In both cases, the people Jesus was speaking to would have been very familiar with sheep. Shepherds were common in the first century. A shepherd led his flock in and among the hills of Palestine searching for the best grass and water. Bears, leopards, jackals and even hyenas were known to roam the hills of Palestine. The shepherd often risked his life to protect the sheep from these dangers.
Sometimes a sheep would fall down a crevice and the shepherd had to climb down and pull it to safety. It would have been common for a shepherd to carry a sheep on his shoulders (Luke 15: 5).
A shepherd spent a great deal of time with his sheep and most likely knew each one by name. Every sheep was important and his goal is to keep every one of them safe.
This is the kind of care that God has for mankind. He knows each of us by name. He does not want even one of us to go astray. Mankind had gone astray and God sent his son, Jesus, to find us.
Satan is the predator of mankind (1 Peter 5:8) and he prowls around like a roaring lion trying to find someone to devour in the spiritual sense.
Way to Introduce the Story:
(Hide a house or car key before students arrive) When the children are ready to begin the story, tell them that you are going to pretend that you lost your house (or car) key. Show the children all of your other keys and explain what they are used for. Then explain that even though you have all of the other keys – - – the house key is very important to you. You really need to get into your house when you go home today and only that key works. Let the children help you hunt for the key. After they have found the key settle them all down for the lesson. “In today’s lesson we are going to learn about a shepherd who had a lot of sheep. One of those sheep got lost . . .”
The Story:
Some of Jesus’ followers thought that God loved some people more than others. They thought that some people were important and some people were not important. They asked Jesus a question, “Teacher, who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
Jesus asked a little child to come stand by him. He told his followers that even a little child is important to God. Everyone is important to God.
Jesus wanted his followers to understand this better so he decided to tell them a story to help them understand. This kind of story is called a parable. This is the parable of the Lost Sheep.
Once a shepherd had a flock of 100 sheep. The shepherd loved every one of his sheep. He even had names for his sheep. Every night he would count his sheep to make sure that all 100 were there.
He helped the sheep find the best green grass. He looked for nice clean water so his sheep could have a nice drink when they were thirsty.Sometimes dangerous animals like bears and lions would come and try to hurt his sheep. The shepherd protected the sheep and chased all of the dangerous animals away from them.Sometimes the sheep would wander away from the rest of the sheep and the shepherd had to call out the sheep’s name. When the sheep heard the shepherd’s voice he would run back to the shepherd.
What would it mean if the shepherd counted his sheep and he counted only 99? That would mean that one sheep was missing. How do you think the shepherd felt? What do you think the shepherd would do? Do you think the shepherd would just say, “Oh, well, who cares? I’m just happy that the 99 sheep are okay. I won’t worry about just one little sheep. One little sheep is not very important anyway.”
What would you do if you were the shepherd?
The shepherd would leave the 99 sheep in a safe place and then he would go and look for the lost sheep. He would look behind bushes and in the deep valleys. He would keep looking everywhere until he found the sheep.
When he finally found the sheep he would be so happy! He would lift the sheep up onto his shoulders and carry him back to the other ninety-nine sheep. At last, the shepherd could be happy because all of the sheep were safe and well.
After Jesus told this parable he explained what it meant. God does not look at one person and say, “This person is important. She’s the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” And he doesn’t look at another person and say, “This person is not important. He is the least in the kingdom of heaven.”
Every single person – even the littlest child – is important to God. He does not want even one single person to be lost. Did you know that you are important to God?
Review Questions:
In the Parable of the Lost Sheep, how many sheep did the shepherd first have in his flock? 100
- In the Parable of the Lost Sheep, what did the shepherd do when one of his sheep got lost? Looked for it until he found it.
- If everyone in the world was obeying God and only one person did not believe in him, would God care about that one person? Yes! Each and every person is important to God.
- Have one child hide his eyes or face a corner of the room. Let the other children take turns “bleating” like sheep. If the “shepherd” can recognize his sheep then that sheep becomes the shepherd and sits in the corner while the original shepherd then becomes a sheep.
- If you have the opportunity to play outside then let the children play a lost sheep version of “Marco Polo”. Mark off an area that all children must stay inside of. One child stands in the middle of the area and is designated the shepherd. That child is blindfolded. The object of the game is for the blindfolded child to “find” one of his sheep by touching them. Then that sheep becomes the shepherd. The shepherd can call out “Where are my sheep?” Each time the shepherd says this all the sheep must say “baa”.
- Colouring page and puzzle worksheets at http://www.calvarycurriculum.com/pdf/childrenscurriculum/NEW/CURR203.PDF
- Colouring pages (2 different pictures) at
- Online slideshow at http://biblelessonsite.org/slideshow63.html
- (story of lost sheep and lost coin)
- Lesson plan and activities (Luke 15:1-10, age adaptable) at http://www.missionarlington.org/d/LOC09-37-lostsheepcoin.pdf
- Craft: Printable pattern for toilet paper roll shepherd at http://www.dltk-bible.com/mabel.htm
- Craft: Cute yarn sheep at http://sweetgrace.typepad.com/the_inadvertent_farmer/2010/01/baa-baa-black-pink-and-blue-sheep-an-easy-yarn-craft.html
- Craft: A variety of sheep crafts at Instructions at http://www.daniellesplace.com/html/rrpreschoolsamplelostsheep.html
- Craft: Adapt this craft for Abel, the shepherd, made from an empty toilet paper roll and make a generic shepherd.
Instructions at http://www.dltk-bible.com/mabel.htm - Snack: Cute lamb cupcakes at http://www.crafolic.com/2012/05/lamb-of-god-or-good-shepherd-cupcakes.html#
- Lost sheep and coins anagrams/word searches at http://www.dltk-bible.com/anagrams/lost-index.htm
- Writing response page at http://www.cqsb.qc.ca/svs/434/pdf/lostshp.pdf
Lesson 5
The Sower and the Seed
One day Jesus was sitting on the shore of a lake. He began teaching the people on the shore. More people came to hear what Jesus was saying. Soon the beach was filled with people. There were so many that Jesus decided to get in a boat and float it out from the beach. Then he could speak loudly and everyone could hear him without being so crowded.
Jesus told the crowd many parables. Do you remember what a parable is? A parable is an easy-to-understand story that helps people understand something that is very hard to understand. One of the parables that Jesus told from the boat was a story about a farmer who planted some seeds.
Farmers in those times did not plant seeds using tractors. The farmer would take a hand full of seeds and carefully toss them onto the soil. After he was finished he would cover the seeds over with soil and then wait for the plants to grow. Planting seeds is called “sowing”. Jesus’ story is called the Parable of the Sower and the Seed.
In the parable the farmer sowed seeds and the seeds fell into four different kinds of soil. The first seed fell onto a path where people walked. The soil on the path was hard because it was packed down. The seed that fell on the path just rolled on the top of it. Soon a bird came along and gobbled the seed up.
The next seed fell on some rocky soil. The seed sprouted very quickly and in a few days had leaves and roots. But soon the plant was dead. That was because the roots could not grow in rocks. When the roots died, the plant died.
The third seed fell on soil that was full of weeds and thorns. The plant sprouted and began to grow but it never got very big. The weeds choked the plant and kept taking all of the sun and the best soil. The plant never produced any grain.
The last seed fell on very good soil. Soon the plant sprouted and leaves began to appear. The roots were healthy and the plant grew bigger every day. Grain began to appear on the stalk and when the right time came, the farmer picked the grain so he could sell it or crush it to make flour for bread.
The people asked Jesus what the parable meant. He told him that the seed was like the things he was trying to teach them about the kingdom of God. Jesus taught lots of people about God being the King over the whole world in the same way that the farmer planted lots of seeds. Not all of the farmer’s seeds grew and not everyone who heard Jesus believed what he said. Different people have different kinds of hearts. There are different kinds of hearts just like there are different kinds of soils.
The hard soil of the path was like the hard hearts of people who heard Jesus’ teaching but did not even understand or care what it meant. When people have hard hearts then they do not want to follow God. They just go away from God like the seed got taken away by the birds.
The seed that fell on the rocky soil was like someone who hears about God and becomes a Christian. They are so happy to find God but then they change their minds and turn away from him. That is like the plant whose roots die.
Remember the seed that fell on the soil that had weeds and thorns in it? That plant never got big. That is like people who listen to the Word of God but then get so busy making money and having fun that they don’t have time to worship him. Too much money and too much fun keep them from being strong and healthy Christians just like the weeds that choked the plant.
Finally, Jesus explained what the good soil meant. The good soil was the kind of heart that we should all have. The good soil is a heart that listens to God’s word and tries to obey him. Just like the seed grows in good soil, the words of Jesus grow in good hearts. The person whose heart is like the good soil always wants to listen to God and to make him happy by obeying him.
Do you have a good heart? Does God’s word go into your heart? Are you growing up to be a good Christian?
Review Questions:
- What are the four types of soils in Jesus’ parable of the Sower and the Seeds? Path (hard, packed soil), rocky soil, thorny soil (full of weeds), and good soil.
- In the Parable of the Sower and the Seed, what does the seed represent? The word of God
- In the Parable of the Sower and the Seed, what does the good soil represent? Those with good hearts who hear and understand the word and try to obey it.
Craft and Activity ideas for the class (choose age appropriate ones):
- Relate different situations and let students decide which type of soil that situation falls under. Example: “Suzy listens to the sermon at church about not swearing. She even takes notes and writes down scriptures. She says she will never swear again. After church she forgets all about the lesson and starts swearing as soon as she is back with her friends. What kind of soil is Suzy? Rocky.”
- For review draw a big heart on the chalk/white board and put a cross inside it to divide it into four parts. Each section will represent one of the four types of hearts. Ask the children to help you think of words that go in each section. For example, the first section might contain words such as path, birds, hard, eaten, heart, message, kingdom, sown and seeds. At the end write the names of the children in the section where the good soil is. Remind them that God wants us to have good hearts that love and obey him.
- Online Resources:
- Colouring page and puzzle worksheets at http://www.calvarycurriculum.com/pdf/childrenscurriculum/NEW/CURR192.PDF
- Parable of the Four Kinds of Soils. Youtube clip. 2 minutes and 17 seconds. Slideshow with narration. At http://youtu.be/Hz8KJrgC20k.
- Craft: Instructions to make a mosaic using seeds at http://www.firstpalette.com/Craft_themes/Food/Seed_Mosaic/Seed_Mosaic.html
- Craft: Make a heart stamp from an empty toilet paper roll. Instructions at http://rustsunshine.blogspot.co.nz/2012/01/heart-stamps.html#
- Craft: Printable envelope and verses about the heart at http://thecraftyclassroom.com/blog/2012/02/06/love-bible-verses-for-children/#
- Craft: Pumpkin seed mosaic at http://www.kinderart.com/sculpture/pumpkin.shtml.
- Various printables and activities at http://www.biblestoryprintables.com/BiblePrintablesParableoftheSower.html
- Jesus’ Parable of the Sower maze at http://www.calvarywilliamsport.com/mz2.html
- Sower and the Seeds anagrams/word scrambles at http://www.dltk-bible.com/anagrams/sower-index.htm
- Online slideshow at http://biblelessonsite.org/slideshow62.html
- Lesson plan at http://www.missionarlington.org/d/LOC07-20-Seeds.pdf
- Lesson plan and activities (Mark 4:1-20, age adaptable) at http://www.missionarlington.org/d/LOC08-14-SeedsAndSoil.pdf
- Lesson plan and activities (Luke 8:4-15, age adaptable) at http://www.missionarlington.org/d/LOC09-21-Seedsandsoil.pdf
Sorting Out
Summative Assessment
iMovie or Claymation of a parable (Choice of traditional or modern adaptation).
On completion of Claymation/movie, students group with others who have chosen the same parable and compare interpretations, these groups then share their insights and claymation/movie with others in the class.
iMovie or Claymation of a parable (Choice of traditional or modern adaptation).
On completion of Claymation/movie, students group with others who have chosen the same parable and compare interpretations, these groups then share their insights and claymation/movie with others in the class.
Term 2
Christians are called to be responsible stewards, caring for all of God’s creation. What can we learn from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to help us better care for God’s creation today.
Assessment: Comparison of moral duty of stewardship to address environmental practices of modern Australia’s environmental practices to those of traditional Indigenous Landowners.
Food Gathering – How did Aboriginal People use food sustainably – eat what they needed versus Modern Australians.
Waste/Recycling
Care of animals
Land Use
Assessment: Comparison of moral duty of stewardship to address environmental practices of modern Australia’s environmental practices to those of traditional Indigenous Landowners.
Food Gathering – How did Aboriginal People use food sustainably – eat what they needed versus Modern Australians.
Waste/Recycling
Care of animals
Land Use
Term 1
What is a Passover feast? Describe the process and what takes place.Retell the story of the Passover in the old testament from Exodus 12 in your own words.