An image of God's kingdom
Children's Activity
Object:
During our sermon time we discussed the lesson for today using dot-to-dot image. It's hard sometimes to see something large unless you examine different parts and begin to connect them together. Today, Jesus tells not one, but five parables to describe what the kingdom of heaven is like. Both because the idea of the kingdom is so complicated and because it's unlike anything we've ever known, it's impossible for us to grasp fully it. So, Jesus gives his listeners five separate images to pull apart.
Read the passage from Matthew with the children and examine each parable that Jesus tells:
o The kingdom of heaven is like a tiny seed that eventually grows into the greatest of trees.
o The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that is mixed in with three measures of flour.
o The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field and someone sells all he has in order to buy that field.
o The kingdom of heaven is like one priceless pearl that someone seeks and purchases.
o The kingdom of heaven is like when a net full of both good and bad fish gets sorted by the fishermen.
In your discussion, consider: what do these parables mean? How are they similar to one another? How are they different? How do these ideas compare to the children's idea of what heaven is like? Maybe by looking at each image individually and connecting it to the others we can begin to construct a faint idea of what heaven might be like.
Read the passage from Matthew with the children and examine each parable that Jesus tells:
o The kingdom of heaven is like a tiny seed that eventually grows into the greatest of trees.
o The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that is mixed in with three measures of flour.
o The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field and someone sells all he has in order to buy that field.
o The kingdom of heaven is like one priceless pearl that someone seeks and purchases.
o The kingdom of heaven is like when a net full of both good and bad fish gets sorted by the fishermen.
In your discussion, consider: what do these parables mean? How are they similar to one another? How are they different? How do these ideas compare to the children's idea of what heaven is like? Maybe by looking at each image individually and connecting it to the others we can begin to construct a faint idea of what heaven might be like.
