Session 8: Humility & Generosity
What really matters, according to God? Sometimes we think that things we want will make us happy.
Commercials for products send this message to us all the time. What does Jesus want us to know
about having riches?
Let’s take a look. Together with a parent, read:
Here is a dramatization of the parable:
Think about it and discuss with a parent: What did the rich fool do when he ran out of space to store
his harvest? What was the rich man focused on and why was his attitude foolish?
Look below at the famous oil painting by Spanish Baroque artist Juan De Valdes Leal. Here we see an
artistic depiction of a grim reaper. In "Ictu Oculi," which means "in the blink of an eye," shows the grim reaper carrying a coffin and scythe, extinguishing a candle and standing on the possessions of
a now dead, but a formerly powerful and rich person. Look closely at the picture
and re-read the Scripture passage.
Think about it and discuss with a parent: How does this classic piece of
artwork reflect the message the Parable of the Rich Fool?
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| "In the Blink of an Eye" by Juan De Valdes Leal |
Look up Exodus 20:15, 17. Discuss with a parent: How does greed (wanting limitless riches) and
envy (being sad from wanting for yourself what belongs to others) oppose the two Commandments
in the Scripture passage?
Next let’s look at: Luke 12:22-34
Discuss with a parent: How is the attitude that Jesus tells us to have in this Scripture passage
different from the attitude of the rich man in Luke 12:16-21? Who does the rich man trust most?
Who does Jesus tell you to trust most?
Caring too much for things can lead to disappointment and unhappiness. The 7th and 10th
Commandments require us to be generous with others. What is the opposite of envy, (wanting the stuff
of others)? The opposite of envy is humility! Humility is knowing that everything good comes to us
as a gift from God, and trusting that God will give us what we need, so we don’t have to wish
we had what others have.
Discuss with a parent: Has there ever been a time when you felt envious of someone else?
Say a prayer asking God to forgive you and give you the strength to resist envy.
Read: The Poor Widow’s Contribution Mark 12:41-44
Discuss with a parent: Why was the poor widow’s contribution worth more than the others?
Look back at the stories of the rich fool and what Jesus said about trusting God to give us all we need.
Why was the widow able to part with more money than the rich people?
(Remember the rich man’s attitude of “I might need that later,” which led to his hoarding his harvest.)
Activity: Complete the following question on this digital worksheet here.
I discussed why the rich fool wanted to get rich by doing something sneaky.
ReplyDeleteGavin Armstrong completed this assignment
ReplyDeleteThe rich fool wanted to be greedy and wanted to just care about himself.
ReplyDeleteI learned that that rich snob only cares about himself not others!
ReplyDeleteThe farmer didn’t have enough room and was greedy by building another farm which was MUCH bigger and because of this his farm burned down.
ReplyDeleteThe rich person was greedy
ReplyDelete