Jesus And The Rich Young Man
Children's Resources
Spotlight On Jesus
Readers' Theater For Children's Church
Characters
Narrator
Rich Young Man
Peter
Questions
1.
What question did this wealthy, young man ask Jesus?
2.
What did Jesus ask this young man to do?
3.
Why did Jesus give this particular man that particular answer?
4.
How did the young man respond to Jesus' demand?
5.
How did Jesus respond to Peter's bragging about making a sacrifice?
Narrator: Jesus and his disciples were heading to Jerusalem. As they walked along, a young man, expensively dressed, comes running up to Jesus.
Rich Young Man: (calls out from a distance) Jesus! Jesus! I must speak to you. It's desperately important.
Peter: Lord, there's a young man running toward us, calling your name. Oh, my, he's kneeling down before you.
Rich Young Man: (puffing slightly) Good master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?
Jesus: Friend, you called me "good." Why?
Rich Young Man: Why ... ah ... I ... I'm not sure. It's ... ah ... a term of respect for a good man such as you.
Jesus: No person is really good when compared to God.
Rich Young Man: Well, yes, I agree, but certainly we must all do many good deeds to deserve heaven. But I've often wondered, exactly how many, and which good deeds are essential?
Jesus: If you want to be "good" enough for heaven, then you must keep "all" the commandments.
Rich Young Man: Oh, is that all? Well, I've keep all the laws, from my childhood right up to the present.
Peter: (aside) What a self-righteous snob. No one keeps "all" the commandments "all" the time.
Jesus: The scriptures tell us, "Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not commit adultery. Do not murder. Love your neighbor like you love yourself." You've kept all of those?
Rich Young Man: I've kept every single one of those commandments, and lots more.
Peter: (aside) I've never heard anyone so confident of their own goodness.
Jesus: If you've kept all those commandments, then why are you asking me how to inherit eternal life?
Rich Young Man: (a little worriedly) It's just that I feel I'm still lacking a little something, that I still need to do more. But then I'm certainly better than the miserable poor who say they have to work on the sabbath to survive and claim they can't afford to journey to Jerusalem on the high festival days. However, I can truly say I do a little something for the poor, probably more than they deserve.
Jesus: Young man, if you want to be perfect, if you want to "earn" eternal life, then give up all your wealth to the poor ...
Rich Young Man: (gasps) What?
Jesus: Then come, join my disciples. Follow me.
Rich Young Man: Give up my possessions? my home? my beautiful clothes? my chariot? my summer home in the mountains? my business? my friends of good social standing? That's preposterous! Absolutely unheard of! Completely unreasonable! No! You have no right to ask that of me.
Peter: Ahhh, that shows what he loves most of all -- money and his social position.
Rich Young Man: I'm leaving, and I must say that I'm sorry to have wasted my time talking to one as radical as you.
Jesus: How difficult it is for rich people to be saved.
Peter: I always thought wealth was a reward from God.
Jesus: For many people it becomes a tool of the devil. When a person lives for money, loves it, trusts his wealth instead of the Heavenly Father, it becomes a curse.
Peter: Well, we twelve are certainly not like that fellow. We don't live for money. We left everything to follow you, our homes, our families, our businesses.
Jesus: I promise you that any sacrifice you make for God will be rewarded many times over in this life or in the next.
Read the questions again, and prompt answers from the children.
Narrator
Rich Young Man
Peter
Questions
1.
What question did this wealthy, young man ask Jesus?
2.
What did Jesus ask this young man to do?
3.
Why did Jesus give this particular man that particular answer?
4.
How did the young man respond to Jesus' demand?
5.
How did Jesus respond to Peter's bragging about making a sacrifice?
Narrator: Jesus and his disciples were heading to Jerusalem. As they walked along, a young man, expensively dressed, comes running up to Jesus.
Rich Young Man: (calls out from a distance) Jesus! Jesus! I must speak to you. It's desperately important.
Peter: Lord, there's a young man running toward us, calling your name. Oh, my, he's kneeling down before you.
Rich Young Man: (puffing slightly) Good master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?
Jesus: Friend, you called me "good." Why?
Rich Young Man: Why ... ah ... I ... I'm not sure. It's ... ah ... a term of respect for a good man such as you.
Jesus: No person is really good when compared to God.
Rich Young Man: Well, yes, I agree, but certainly we must all do many good deeds to deserve heaven. But I've often wondered, exactly how many, and which good deeds are essential?
Jesus: If you want to be "good" enough for heaven, then you must keep "all" the commandments.
Rich Young Man: Oh, is that all? Well, I've keep all the laws, from my childhood right up to the present.
Peter: (aside) What a self-righteous snob. No one keeps "all" the commandments "all" the time.
Jesus: The scriptures tell us, "Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not commit adultery. Do not murder. Love your neighbor like you love yourself." You've kept all of those?
Rich Young Man: I've kept every single one of those commandments, and lots more.
Peter: (aside) I've never heard anyone so confident of their own goodness.
Jesus: If you've kept all those commandments, then why are you asking me how to inherit eternal life?
Rich Young Man: (a little worriedly) It's just that I feel I'm still lacking a little something, that I still need to do more. But then I'm certainly better than the miserable poor who say they have to work on the sabbath to survive and claim they can't afford to journey to Jerusalem on the high festival days. However, I can truly say I do a little something for the poor, probably more than they deserve.
Jesus: Young man, if you want to be perfect, if you want to "earn" eternal life, then give up all your wealth to the poor ...
Rich Young Man: (gasps) What?
Jesus: Then come, join my disciples. Follow me.
Rich Young Man: Give up my possessions? my home? my beautiful clothes? my chariot? my summer home in the mountains? my business? my friends of good social standing? That's preposterous! Absolutely unheard of! Completely unreasonable! No! You have no right to ask that of me.
Peter: Ahhh, that shows what he loves most of all -- money and his social position.
Rich Young Man: I'm leaving, and I must say that I'm sorry to have wasted my time talking to one as radical as you.
Jesus: How difficult it is for rich people to be saved.
Peter: I always thought wealth was a reward from God.
Jesus: For many people it becomes a tool of the devil. When a person lives for money, loves it, trusts his wealth instead of the Heavenly Father, it becomes a curse.
Peter: Well, we twelve are certainly not like that fellow. We don't live for money. We left everything to follow you, our homes, our families, our businesses.
Jesus: I promise you that any sacrifice you make for God will be rewarded many times over in this life or in the next.
Read the questions again, and prompt answers from the children.
