The Parable of the Shrewd Manager (Luke 16:1-13)
Gospel ConversationsAnother gem from the Diocese of Dunedin. We've gone from the beloved story of the lost sheep last week, to the frankly bewildering story of the dishonest steward being praised by Jesus this week! What do we do with this? Do we simply avoid preaching on it? Kelvin, Alec and Peg are here with Michael to share both their insights and bafflement, and to help us to understand a little more clearly what Jesus might have meant.
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Visio LectioAnother great print illustration from Rev. Sarah West, from Visio Lectio (shared with permission)
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The Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31)
This is another challenging passage! You may need to do some thinking/reflecting in order to unpack this on an appropriate level for your children.
Input for leadersThe Same Lazarus?
Is Lazarus in today's gospel passage the same as Lazarus in John 11? Quick answer - no. The Lazarus in John 11:43-44 refers to the brother of Martha and Mary. Jesus visited the sisters, Mary and Martha, and resurrected their dead brother, Lazarus. The Lazarus in today's story is a poor man who sat outside the city gates. Gospel Conversations 2025: This week we have yet another of Jesus' parables that leaves many of us puzzled and rather disturbed: the rich man and Lazarus. Squirm as we might, we cannot escape the challenges this story gives us. But those challenges might be more varied than we think at first.
Gospel Conversations 2022: There should possibly be a warning attached to this discussion: do not listen if you're not ready to be faced with Jesus at his most challenging! The discussion this week recognises that Jesus did not tell stories for our entertainment, but to transform us and the way we live. Go on - give it a go.
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The Rich Man and Lazarus This [is] the only parable where a character is named (Lazarus), but that’s part of the point. Lazarus, meaning “God is help,” shows that God is on the side of the poor. It’s the poor man who is remembered by his name, but the rich man’s name is forgotten. The thrust of this parable is about how the listener responds to Jesus and his message. [bibleproject.com] Visio Lectio
Thanks to Visio Lectio for sharing this image today. Copyright Rev Sarah West, shared here with permission. PNG Download Terms of Use 
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Intergenerational worship
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A collection of resources and ideas (Intergen Australia)
Written and compiled by Rev Sandy Brodine. Bible references: Luke. 
Questions to ponder
Pray it!How it works: Kids trace their hand on paper and inside each finger draw/write one way to help someone (share, smile, food, invite, pray).
Prayer: “God, help us use our hands to notice and care for others.” 
TalksThe Rich Man and Lazarus (RFour) - great object lesson on these verses.
The Big Switcheroo (Gary Neal Hansen) - a retelling of the story with some questions to think about. First Things First: The Rich Man and Lazarus (Ministry to Children) Rich Man and Lazarus (Sunday Children's Focus) - short and simple talk. Money can't get us close to God. Rich Man and Lazarus (Missio Dei Communities) - full lesson plan for younger kids. |
ActivitiesCoin Stack (Missio Dei Communities)
Place piles of change on the table and allow the kids see how many coins they can stack on top of each other before it tips over. Talk with them about: people they see or know who are in need. Brainstorm Encourage kids to come up with ideas on who might be in need in your wider community and how they can help them. Choose one or two that you can work on together as a group. This could be bringing a food item from home for a Foodbank, making some baking for neighbours, all sorts of things. Be aware that some of your own kids' households may be in situations of need. Sharing Relay Split kids into teams. Each team will need 2 containers - one full of sweets, and one empty. Get kids to race in teams to carry items across the room to “share” with the empty basket. When finished share out the lollies and make sure everyone gets one. Blessing Bags Jar Materials: Jars or boxes - one for each family, plus things to decorate them with - felts, or paper, scissors and glue, stickers etc. For each jar attach a sticker that says something like "Thank you God for all your blessings. Help us to share them with others". Aim is for households to fill the jar with paper slips during the week of God's blessings / what they are thankful for. Once a week as a household - discuss how you can share your blessings with others. 
Preschool PlayTell the story - try some ideas from the following...
Set up Shop - Little one's love to play shop. Why not set up a table with items for sale and play money and see what happens. Talk about what do we have lots of? Who do we know that doesn't have lots? How could we share some of what we have? Building Spaces - Use blocks, Duplo, or cardboard boxes to build “a house” and “a gate.” Kids can place toy people inside/outside. Talk about: I wonder who is welcome to come in? Dress-Up Contrast - Provide fancy fabrics (scarves, shiny clothes) and rags/blankets. Let kids dress up dolls or themselves as “rich man” or “Lazarus.” Talk about: I wonder how it feels to wear this? I wonder what God sees? Caring Station - Soft toys with bandages, plasters, tissues, little blankets. Kids can look after the toys. Talk about: I wonder how it feels when someone takes care of you? Collage Houses & Gates - Tape a large piece of paper with a big house or a gate drawn simply on it. Then provide paper, glue, scraps of fabric, shiny paper etc. Talk about: I wonder who lives inside? I wonder who is outside? I wonder how it feels to be at the gate? |
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