5th Sunday after Pentecost
Pentecost Proper 10
From “Saving the Ants” (click at left to purchase ebook)
Scripture Reference: Matt. 13:1-9 and 18-23Â
The Gospel lesson for today is a wonderful story, and I thought it would be fun to act it out. Could you help me tell the story? I’ll need hungry birds, the bright sun, tough thorns, and some seeds.
Who would like to be a hungry bird? You birds stand over here. (Place birds stage right.) Who would like to be the bright sun? (Place sun at center.) Who wants to be the tough thorns? (Place thorns stage left.) And will the rest of you be my seeds? You seeds stand next to me. This big blanket will be the good soil. We’ll spread it out down here in the middle.
This is a story that Jesus told to a huge crowd of people, and it is called “The Parable of the Sower.” A sower is someone who plants seeds. Many of the people in the crowd listening to Jesus were farmers. They knew a lot about seeds and soil and planting, so they were very interested in this story. I’m going to tell the story and play the part of the sower and together we can act it out.
(Here you may paraphrase the parable of the sower, adding your own words and actions as needed. An example follows.) A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path. I’m going to move these seeds over that way. (Guide seeds stage right, over by birds. Continue with the story, guiding children in acting it out.)
Thank you for acting out the story with me. Let’s all gather on the good soil here and listen to what this story means. (Gather the children together onto the quilt.) The seeds are the good news about Jesus Christ. Some people hear the good news, but before they get around to really thinking about it and understanding it, Satan comes like a big hungry bird and snatches it away.
Others may hear about Jesus and get really excited, but if trouble comes along like a blazing hot sun, they may decide that they really don’t believe in Jesus after all, and their faith seeds just wither away.
Then there are some people who want to give their lives to Jesus, but so many other things spring up around them like choking thorns; things like money, new clothes, cool toys, and expensive cars. Those things, like the thorns, take over until there’s no room left for the seeds of Jesus to grow.
And, thankfully, there are the seeds that fall on the good soil. Those are the folks who hear the good news and believe in Jesus with all their heart and they love the Lord for the rest of their lives.
Prayer: Â Lord help us to be good soil and to love and serve you all of our lives.
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