This past week in Level I we began to look at the Kingdom Parables. I had one little boy in my class that had been interested in the Pear of Great Price material for many weeks, so that’s were we began. The children learn that parables are special stories that Jesus told, they are special because they have a deeper meaning. In these parables Jesus wanted to help us understand what His Kingdom would be like.
Throughout the three years in level I, the children receive five Kingdom Parable presentations.
· 3 Parables of Growth
-The Mustard Seed Mk. 4:30-32
-The Grain Mk. 4:26-29
-The Leaven Matt. 13:33
· 2 Parables of Value
-The Pearl of Great Price Matt. 13:45-46
-The Hidden Treasure Matt. 13:44
The parables of growth focus on the transformation from small to great. The mustard seed is the smallest of all seeds, yet it grows into the largest of all shrubs. When the leaven is added to the flour, a total change takes place. The grain grows while the farmer sleeps, producing an entire ear. We reflect on where this power of growth comes from, (God), and whether or not this transformation can be reversed once it has begun. We wonder with the children what these parables can tell us about the Kingdom of God?
The two remaining parables focus on the great value of the kingdom. The merchant would sell all of his fine pearls when he finds the one of great value in order to buy it, and the man would buy the entire field in order to obtain the hidden treasure therein. We again wonder, what these parables can tell us about the Kingdom of God? As adults, we might ask ourselves, what are we willing to do or give up in order to be worthy of the great gift of the Kingdom?
~Liz Stone, CGS Catechist and Assistant Director of Faith Formation
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