Lesson 12: Matthew 13; Luke 8; 13

March 18-24
Matthew 13; Luke 8; 13
"Who Hath Ears to Hear; Let Him Hear"

Materials: Puzzles, video, copy of chart

Opening Song: "Teach Me to Walk In the Light" (Children's Songbook, 177)
Opening Prayer:
Scripture: Matthew 13:15 "For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them."

Attention Activity: Show your family the puzzle below printed on a piece of paper. Ask them to find the message that is hidden among the numbers.


Explain that when Jesus taught the people, he sometimes taught in parables, which are short stories that have hidden spiritual messages.

Lesson:

Jesus liked to teach people in parables. One day he was teaching by the seaside and he told a story about a wheat field. 

One day a man went out and planted wheat seeds in his field. While he slept at night his enemy came and planted tares or weeds out in the field. The wheat grew, but so did the tares.  The servants came and asked the man, "Didn't you plant good seeds?" And he answered by saying, "I did but my enemy planted tares."

The servants asked if they should pull the weeds but the man said, "No, if we pull the weeds the wheat will come up too. They should both grow together. And when it is time to harvest them, we will separate them. We will bundle and burn the tares, and put the wheat in the barn." 

Explain that the wheat and the tares are symbols. They represent something else. Use the chart below to help your children understand what each thing in the parable represents. (The owner/sower--Jesus, the field--the world, the enemy--Satan, the tares--followers of Satan, the wheat--followers of Christ, the servants/reapers--angels, the harvest--the second coming.)
 
Now they understand the symbols of the wheat and the tares, show your family the following video. Ask, what will happen to the tares at harvest time? What will happen to the wheat? Do you want to be like the tares or the wheat?

Watch Video "Jesus Declares the Parable of the Wheat & Tares, Mustard Seed, and Leaven"

One of the reasons Christ like to use parables is that only the people who were ready to learn would understand the parable. Those who aren't ready to receive God's message might hear the parable, but they won't understand it in their heart. 

"What do you do with your ears? eyes? heart? Have the children read Matthew 13:15. What did Jesus say we should do with these parts of our bodies? Apply this verse to the parables and to the gospel. If we really hear the word of God, see the truth in it, and do what Jesus wants us to do, whom will we be like in the parable of the wheat and tares?" (Primary 7: New Testament Manual, Lesson 17.  Found here.)

As we read the parables this week, I hope our eyes, ears, and hearts will be open so that we can understand the messages Christ is trying to teach us, willingly receiving the word of God. 

Closing Song: "I Know Heavenly Father Loves Me" verse 2 (Children's Songbook, 228)
Closing Prayer:


Refreshment: Cup of Dirt

Ingredients:
2 cups milk
1 (4oz) pkg instant chocolate pudding mix
8 oz cool whip (thawed)
1 (16oz) pkg Oreos
gummy worms to garnish

Beat milk and pudding mix together in a bowl until well blended and slightly thickened; let stand to thicken, about 5 minutes.

Stir whipped topping and 1/2 of the crushed cookies into pudding. Spoon 1 tablespoon crushed cookies into each serving cup. Fill each cup 3/4-full with pudding mixture and top with remaining crushed cookies. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Top with 1-2 gummy worms.