A Children’s Sermon on Luke 12:13-21

Preface for Pastors and Parents

A children’s sermon on Luke 12:13-21 is more challenging than usual. It’s the Gospel assigned by the Revised Common Lectionary for “Proper 13(18) in Year C. I wrote a “Monday Meditation” on it a while back but this is the first time I’ve done a children’s sermon on it.

It is tough because it is a two-part passage, and because neither part is especially kid-friendly.

First there’s a bit of conversation with Jesus and a couple brothers. Jesus has a clear mission and firm boundaries. He knows what he’s not there to do. He’s not super polite.

I’m trying to make my children’s sermon on Luke 12:13-21 kid-friendly in my usual ways. Instead of random strangers, I have Jesus talking with lunkhead disciples behaving childishly. And I retell the parable with a few imagined details — which makes me wonder how you will respond.

I had to imagine a way for the rich man to find out that he died without knowing where his wealth went, and that he was not rich toward God. Jesus did something like that in another parable: he pictured Lazarus in Abraham’s embrace in heaven, looking across a chasm to the rich man suffering in Hades. Jesus didn’t say it was going to be exactly like that — but it made a great story.

I’d love to hear whether you think I pulled it off in this children’s sermon on Luke 12:13-21.

A Children’s Sermon on Luke 12:13-21

Good morning, kids! I’m so glad to see you here in worship today. Thanks for coming up to hear the children’s sermon.

I wonder if you’ve ever noticed how much Jesus liked to tell stories. I think telling stories was one of Jesus’ favorite things to do.

Sometimes when people asked him questions, Jesus wouldn’t really answer. People wanted Jesus to say “Yes!” or “No!” but instead he would say “Let me tell you a story…”

That’s what happens in today’s story from the Gospel of Luke.

Two Brothers Arguing

One day Jesus was talking with two brothers. The Bible doesn’t say their names. Let’s pretend that it was Peter and Andrew. We know they were brothers. And we know they were with Jesus a lot.

Andrew said “Jesus! You need to help me. Peter is being really mean.”

“Oh” said Jesus, “I’m sorry to hear you’re having an argument.”

“I’m not being mean!” said Peter. “Andrew is being unreasonable.”

Jesus said, “I sure hope you guys can work out your problem.”

“But Jesus,” Andrew said, “I need you to help. You need to make Peter share with me.”

“See,” said Peter, “our grandmother sent us a big box of really cool toys. Some were from when she and grandpa were little. Some were from when our dad was a boy. Now their all mine!”

“I see,” said Jesus. “Well, good luck.”

“No wait!” said Andrew. “You haven’t heard the whole story. Peter found the box first and now he won’t share with me.”

“It’s only reasonable,” Peter said. “It was addressed to me, and I found it, so it’s mine.”

Andrew stomped his foot. “It was addressed to me too! Its no fair!”

Peter crossed his arms and looked out at the mountains, with a little smile on his face. “Finder’s keepers,” he said.

“Jesus!” said Andrew, “you have to make him share!”

“You guys,” Jesus said, “I think you made a mistake. I might have to make Peter share if I was a judge and you came to my courtroom. But I’m not a judge.”

Then Jesus said, “Let me tell you a story.”

“What good will that do?” asked Peter and Andrew at the same time.

“I wonder,” Jesus said.

A Story

Once upon a time there was a rich man.

He had a big farm with lots of fields. He grew lots of vegetables, and lots of wheat. And he had lots of trees that bore lots of beautiful juicy fruit.

All summer long he filled big trucks with what his fields had grown. He drove the trucks to market.

On the way he went past people who struggled to grow food in tiny rocks fields.

He drove past people who were waiting in line to apply for jobs.

He drove past an old neighborhood where the houses were falling down.

Then he got to the market and he sold all the food on his truck. And he drove home with a big bag of money — past the old neighborhood, past the people needing jobs, past the little rocky fields.

When he got home, he put his big bag of money with all his other bags of money. Then he looked out at his fields, all of them still full of grain and vegetables and fruit.

And he said to himself, “Wow! I’m so rich! My barns are way too small. I’d better tear them down and build some new buildings. I’ll build big new barns for my grain and vegetables and fruit, and I’ll build a strong building with a big lock on the door to keep all my bags of money in.”

And so he built all those new buildings. And the night they were all done, he died.

Rich with God

Well after he died, he found himself in a long line of people waiting to get into heaven. When he was almost to the front he saw that everyone had to stop to talk to a clerk at a table just outside the gate.

When the woman right in front of him reached the table, she gave her name. The clerk had a great big book, and he looked up her name. Then he got a huge smile on his face.

“Wow!” said the man at the table. “You sure made a lot of deposits here! You are totally rich with God.”

“I’m not sure what you mean,” the woman said. “I never had much money — not even enough put some in a bank.”

“It’s all in the book,” said the clerk. “Here’s one: You brought meals to a neighbor who was sick. Boy, looks like you did that a bunch of times. Here’s another: You gave some of your kids’ clothes to a family that couldn’t afford to buy any. And it looks like when your friends were having a hard time you were very gentle and kind to them. There’s a whole lot of other deposits written in here. Ma’am, you are rich! Welcome home.”

When the rich man heard all that, he thought “I didn’t do any of that stuff.”

The woman walked on through the gates, looking sort of surprised and confused.

Not So Rich

“Next!” said the clerk at the table.

The man who had been very rich stepped up. He told the man his name.

The clerk looked in his book. “Oh, there’s your name. Hmm…” he said. “No deposits?”

“Deposits?” asked the rich man.

“Yes,” the clerk said. “This book tells us what kind of investments you made with God. It looks like you didn’t make any.”

“There must be a mistake,” the rich man said. “I had a huge farm! I had enormous barns! I had a whole building just to hold my money! What do you mean ‘no investments’?!”

“Sure,” the clerk said, “you did make a lot of money. But then you died. Where’s Your money now?”

“I don’t know, actually,” said the formerly rich man.

“Oh,” said the clerk, with a worried look on his eyes, “did you think you could bring it with you?”

“I — I don’t know,” said the no longer very rich man.

“Oh well,” said the clerk. “Welcome home.”

And he followed the rich woman through the gate.

Wondering

I wonder why Jesus didn’t just make Peter share the box of toys?

I wonder how the rich man might have become richer with God?

I wonder what you and I can do to be rich with God?

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You are, of course, free to use this children’s sermon, or adapt it as you find most useful. But, if you use it, please do one (or more!) of the following.

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