There are two retellings of this story, and if you’ll forgive the simplification. The telling in Luke mostly sticks to the bare bones of the story, the idea that there was a banquet where everyone uninvited was welcomed. The Matthew one, by contrast, puts in some deep symbolism. It ‘ups’ the banquet to a wedding, talks about the servants being killed when they went to collect the guests, and ends with a puzzling passage about a man being thrown out for dressing incorrectly. All these are great to explore further with older groups, but I’ve stuck to the simple form for this retelling.

This retold version of the Bible passage is supplied for inspiration, feel free to omit or embellish to give it your personal voice.

Main Passage : Luke 14
Additional Passage : Matthew 22

Parable of the banquet guests. Luke 14 Matthew 22

This is part of a single lesson pack, all ready to print and go.

It was hard to explain quite what God’s kingdom would look like to Jesus’ friends, so Jesus told stories instead. One of his favourite images was a big party, a banquet with many guests.

“A man prepared a huge party” Jesus told his friends, they settled down to listen, they all loved Jesus’s stories.

“The tables were set with huge platters of food, the room was decorated, and the smell of freshly roasted meat hung in the air as the servants made sure every place had plates and goblets for wine.

Then the man shouted everything was ready, it was time to go fetch the guests he had invited. The hall went quiet as many servants left and the man waited.

Slowly the servants started to arrive back, but they were alone.

“Where are the guests, the man questioned, tears in his eyes”

“The one I went to collect has a new field he must tend” said one servant.

“The one I went to collect is newly married and will not leave” said another.

“Mine has 5 new oxen and would like to try them out” said a third.

Slowly each servant reported their excuse to the man until he shouted in anger “stop” for not a single invited guest had arrived.

The man stood up and looked at the wonderful party he had prepared.

“It seems those I invited did not deserve to come.” he said to himself. Then, raising his voice, so the servants could hear, he gave them new instructions “Go out to the town, go into the city, go to the backstreets where the poor and the lame and the blind lay and invite all you find.”

And so the servants went. They brought everyone they met, the good, the bad, the poor, the rich, the young, the old, everyone who could come did. But there was still room, so the man sent his servants to the country roads, the tiny villages, the footpaths, and the hills until the hall was bursting with people enjoying the banquet.”

Jesus’ sat back and looked at his friends. He could see them picturing the hall full of all those different people — some looked horrified that they were all mixed together, others delighted. The kingdom of heaven was going to be noisy and smelly and chaotic and joyful, and this was just a whisper of what was in store.

Some stories seem innocent enough until you get into them, this is such a parable. It wouldn’t have taken long for the listeners to start switching out ‘servant’ with ‘prophet’, to wonder if the vineyard was Eden’s glory or the promised holy kingdom of heaven on earth. The process was thinly veiled even by Jesus’ standard, there would be no explaining this one to the apostles later. For the religious leaders, clearly painted as the worst of tenants, it was a threat that couldn’t be more direct if it physically slapped them, but their hands were tied by the other ears that heard. As if adding insult to injury, Jesus then sets himself up as the cornerstone, the very foundation that the new kingdom would be built upon.

This retold version of the Bible passage is supplied for inspiration, feel free to omit or embellish to give it your personal voice.

Main Passage : Matthew 21:33-46

Biblical retelling of The Parable of the Bad Tenants, Matthew 1 for youngsters.

This is part of a single lesson pack, all ready to print and go.

 
Jesus was telling stories: again. Stories about vineyard owners: again. And annoying the religious leaders: again!

“There was a vineyard owner” said Jesus, a small smile playing on his lips. “This vineyard owner bought a plot of land and planted his vineyard, he built a press, he built a fence, it was a fine vineyard. But the owner was old, the long days in the vineyard made him tired, he missed the place he used to live before he bought the vineyard and made a plan to go back there.

“Some men would look after the vineyard, they would be his tenants and once all the grapes had been harvested he would send a servant to collect his share.

“So the vineyard owner left, and many months went past until the day came for him to send 3 servants. Some weeks later, one of the three servants arrived back at the master’s house. He was bruised and his clothes torn. He told the vineyard owner that the tenants had refused to give them anything, they had beaten him, thrown stones at the other servant and killed the third. He alone was strong enough to travel back home.

“Angry, the vineyard owner sent a bigger number of servants, but they returned with the same story. Unsure what to do to communicate with his tenants, he decided to send his son, his only son, who he loved. When the tenants saw the son coming, they made a plan. If they killed his son, there would be nobody to take over the vineyard, and they could keep it forever. So they took the vineyard owner’s son and killed him.

“What would the Vineyard owner do? Well, he threw out those tenants and had them punished, then he gave the vineyard to other men who would share the harvest.”

The crowd went quiet. They knew this wasn’t really a story about vineyards and servants, it was a story about God’s kingdom, about the prophets God sent to his people, how the people of God had treated God’s messengers so badly. The religious leaders knew it too.

“Have you never read in the scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’” said Jesus, that smile back on his lips again. He was teasing them. Even if they rejected him, he was going to build a kingdom and right now, they wouldn’t be in it.

This little parable packs a punch, here we have the vineyard owner again, but instead of looking for hired workers he’s asking his sons to help out. The two sons both react very differently, one says no (or perhaps ‘I won’t’ or ‘I don’t want to’ dependent on your translation) but the other obeys. At that moment, the good son is obvious. But as we see, the words are empty, much like the religious leader’s faith in the encounters. The challenge of this parable goes two ways, to act on your convictions and to be willing to recognise your errors and put them right. If you have older kids, do delve into the question that the religious leaders hit pass on and why they may be afraid to stand behind John the Baptist.

This retold version of the Bible passage is supplied for inspiration, feel free to omit or embellish to give it your personal voice.

Main Passage : Matthew 21:28-32

A Biblical retelling of the parable of the two sons s found in Matthew 21

This is part of a single lesson pack, all ready to print and go.

The religious leaders were trying to trap Jesus, but Jesus kept asking them questions they were too scared to answer. When they had hit pass on yet another question, Jesus decided to tell a story.

“There was a vineyard owner” said Jesus – Jesus liked to tell stories about vineyard owners, there were lots of vineyards about as lots of people drank wine!

“This vineyard owner had two sons, two sons who were sitting near the house, not doing anything to help!

“Oi” shouted their father as he spotted them. “The vines need tending, go help the workers!”
He marched right over to where the elder son was sitting.
“Will you go and help?” asked the father.
The son looked down at the ground. He really didn’t want to help today, he was hoping his friend would call soon, and he would rather not lie to his father.
“I’m sorry Father, but I don’t want to today” he said.

The father looked sad but decided to go ask his younger son
“Will you go and help?” asked the father again
“Yes sir” replied the younger son, knowing that was what his father wanted to hear. He thought that he would go and help as soon as he finished the game he was playing.

Hours later, the younger son was still playing. He knew he should be in the vineyard, but he was having too much fun, and his father didn’t seem too upset when his brother had said no. He didn’t move all day until the evening meal was called.

Meanwhile, the older brother felt terrible. When his friend arrived, he sent him away so he could do what his father had asked. He changed his clothes and went to work to make up for the time he’d sat at home.

Which of the two did what his father asked?” said Jesus.

It was an easy answer: the older son. Because the older son saw that his choice had been wrong and changed. The religious leaders didn’t want to change their minds, even when they realised they might be wrong. Jesus said that because of this, they would be the last to enter God’s kingdom.

Jesus was a storyteller, and this powerful small story goes against the grain of so much that is taught to kids. It doesn’t matter how many followers or likes you can score, Jesus will love you the same. Equally, it doesn’t matter how many bible verses you can recite or how much muck your sin has created, God’s going to take you in as his chosen child.

This retold version of the Bible passage is supplied for inspiration, feel free to omit or embellish to give it your personal voice.

Main Passage : Matthew 20:1-16

Biblical retelling of the Parable of the Vineyard Owner, Matthew 20, for youngsters

This is part of a single lesson pack, all ready to print and go.

Jesus was a storyteller, the crowd loved his stories and the Bible records many of them for us. One day, he was trying to explain the kingdom of heaven and told a story about a man who owned a vineyard, where they grow grapes.

It was picking season and the grapes were round and fat and juicy and needing to be collected, so the man went into the town to find some men to help pick them. It was morning, and soon he found the men waiting to be offered work. He agreed to pay them the standard daily wage and took them back to the vineyard.

The men started working, and soon the quiet vines were full of men chatting and singing and moving huge bunches of grapes into baskets to be collected. Their fingers were stained purple and their backs hot from the heat of the sun. There was too much work and not enough men.

In the middle of the day, the owner went back to the town to find more men. He found a crowd of men who had not been hired and brought them back to help. Then he went back to town at 3 in the afternoon and brought more men, and again at 5. When it reached 6, and evening started coming, the owner told the manager it was time for everyone to stop working.

The manager handed the men who had worked 1 hour the full daily wage, then he gave the exact same amount to those who had worked 3 hours, 6 hours and those who worked all day. The men who had worked all day were not pleased, why had they worked hard in the baking sun when those who came at the end got the same pay?

They confronted the owner, grumbling. The owner told them to take the wage they had agreed, it was his choice to pay the last men the same as the first. Were they really angry he was being generous?

Jesus’ story was telling the crowd an important message. Jesus put it this way: “The last will be first, and the first will be last.”

In God’s kingdom everyone is valued, there isn’t the best and the worst, everyone is loved. Not because of what they do, or how hard they work, but because God chose them and loves them. Those who think they should be first will end up at the back, and those who think they should be at the back will find themselves at the front.

This parable of Jesus is probably not the most popular with many, especially not bankers, but the kind of radical forgiveness it displays is sorely needed in today’s world. The idea of burning your last bridges, squandering your last chance, and ‘no way back’ are rife and yet, God never shuts that door to us and asks us to not shut that door to others. If you have older kids, it’s worth reminding them that forgive means not to hold it over someone’s head, but also not to necessarily forget. The king would have been wise to hesitate before lending the man more. Equally, forgiveness is granted when requested on our knees, acknowledging our shortcomings, not given automatically.

Tell this story or a similar one of your choice from a favourite bible translation or storybook. This version is supplied for inspiration, feel free to omit or embellish to give it your personal voice.

Main Passage : Matthew 18:21-35
Extra reference : Acts 1

This is part of a single lesson pack, all ready to print and go.


Peter and Jesus were chatting. Peter knew when people did something wrong he should forgive them, but how many times should he keep forgiving? He wondered if 7 times was enough, 7 was the number of completeness, it seemed a good number of times too.

Jesus shook his head, “not 7, but 77!” Jesus said, imagining Peter trying to count them all up.

“Let me tell you a story about forgiveness in the kingdom of heaven” Jesus said and moved, so everyone could hear him.
“There was once a king who had many servants. When a servant was in need, the king would lend him money, but if the servant did not repay the money, he would be thrown into the jail.

One day, the king decided to sort out those debts and called one of his senior servants. The man had borrowed one hundred thousand denarii.

When the servant came he had nothing to give back to the king and so the king ordered the man thrown in jail and everything the man owned to be sold. Even his wife and children could be sold as slaves so the king may be repaid.

The senior servant fell on his knees and begged the king for mercy, for more time. The king had compassion on the man and decided he would be generous. He didn’t give him more time, he cancelled the debt.

The man walked out of the room, owing the king nothing.

He left the king and walked out so excited he was almost dancing. He would celebrate tonight. But then he saw a servant who owned him a hundred denarii. He walked over to the man and reminded him of his debt.

This servant also fell on his knees and begged for mercy, for more time. What did the senior servant do? Did he have mercy like the king and forgive this man his debt? Or did he throw the man in jail, until he got his money?

When the other servants saw the poor servant in jail, they were angry. They went back to the king and told him all the senior servant had done, and the king became angry too. The senior servant found himself in jail.

God forgives you, forgive each other, from the heart, not because you are counting a number.”

There are two quite distinct teachings in this short 6 verse section from Matthew 18: the teaching on resolving arguments and the teaching on corporate prayer. To capture both, this retelling weaves a fictional story about one of the crowd of extra’s. We know from Acts 2 that many men were with Jesus throughout his time but not chosen to be one of his disciples, one called ‘Justus’ is mentioned and this is an imagined story of his. Which of the two elements you decide to stress is entirely up to you.

This retold version of the Bible passage is supplied for inspiration, feel free to omit or embellish to give it your personal voice.

Main Passage : Matthew 18 15-20
Extra reference : Acts 1

This is part of a single lesson pack, all ready to print and go.

Jesus was teaching his followers, but today he wasn’t speaking to a large crowd, he was speaking to those who already knew him. To Jesus’ right, he saw Justus, one of the men who followed Jesus and the apostles. Justus wasn’t looking at him but at another man, his face was angry. The two men had argued the day before and clearly hadn’t made friends again. Jesus paused for a moment, he didn’t want arguments to pull apart his followers.

“Are you listening?” Jesus said loudly into the air, in the corner of his eye, he saw a few faces turn back to him, including Justus.

“When somebody wrongs you, this is what you should do.

First, go and talk to the person. If they do not listen, then ask 1 or 2 people to join you, not to take your side but to listen to you both. If that does not work, then ask the church to speak to him or her.”

“But what if they still don’t listen?” Justus called out, hoping that this argument would not go so far as the last one.

Jesus looked down at the ground. His heart broke because he knew there would be people who wouldn’t listen.

“They will be like one who has never known the church.” he sighed. “Love them, pray for them, but walk away from trying to get them to apologise.”

Justus looked at the man who was once his friend. He couldn’t imagine this journey without him,

“Will they never come back?” he asked.

“Pray they do” said Jesus, a smile forming on his lips “Pray, pray together, for when your prayers are in agreement then the father will answer them. Gather to pray with other believers.”

“How many others?” Justus asked.

Jesus paused, raising his voice again, this was important.

“Where two or three are gathered, together, in My name, I am there with them.”

“Just two or three?” shouted another voice.

“Oh yes! You need no great crowd, I will be with you.”

Justus pushed through the crowd to his friend, they were both apologising at the same time. Days would come when they would pray together, praise together, and remind themselves that they gathered because of Jesus and when they did… He Was Always There.

A massive part of understanding scripture comes from understanding the context that it’s played out in. In passages like this, where Peter challenges Jesus’ planned schedule as absurd, we have to see the wider picture to understand the actions of the characters. This shift in Jesus’ teaching is totally incompatible with the expectations and teachings of a coming Messiah, and Peter putting his foot in it is a very predictable response. It’s easy to make Peter look like a fool or a man of weak faith in this conversation, but neither is true. By understanding why he had trouble grasping this concept, we also shed light on why the religious leaders lead Jesus to his death.

This retold version of the Bible passage is supplied for inspiration, feel free to omit or embellish to give it your personal voice.

Main Passage : Matthew 16

This is part of a single lesson pack, all ready to print and go.



Everything seemed to change after that conversation, the one where Simon had said he thought Jesus was the messiah, the Christ, the long-awaited saviour…. and Jesus had said yes! Simon had been given a new name – Peter – because he was going to be the rock Jesus built his new church on. He walked around like he was king for a few hours with his new-found importance. Peter knew who Jesus was, even if Jesus told them to keep it a secret for now.

They had been waiting for a messiah for hundreds of years. The Messiah was going to take back the crown of David their ancestor, be the new king. He would save them from the Romans who ruled over the Israelites so they could be independent again. He would bring in a new time of peace and prosperity and worship to God. Every child, man and woman longed for the messiah to come and Peter had found him!

But the next day, Jesus started teaching the disciples something new. He started to teach them that a time was coming when Jesus would be arrested and killed. The Messiah killed? Peter was outraged. The messiah wasn’t going to be killed. He was going to be a great leader, he was going to unify the people, bring back the temple as the focus of peoples lives, make the nation strong. Not get arrested like a common rebel and die. But Jesus kept saying the same thing again and again and again.

Finally, Peter took him aside.
“No Jesus, God won’t allow this, it must never happen!”
Now Jesus looked mad, he shouted at Peter,
“Get behind me deceiver, don’t be something I’ll fall over”
Peter stepped back in amazement – what was going on?

Jesus looked deep into Peter’s eyes, he wanted to make sure Peter understood he wasn’t going to be the Messiah Peter expected, his kingdom wasn’t going to be like the one Peter wanted.

“Peter, you look through human eyes, not God’s eyes. If you want to save your life, you must be willing to lose it. If you want to follow me, you need to take up your cross.”
Peter thought about the thick wooden crosses they used to kill prisoners, they were so heavy to carry, it was a horrible way to die.

“Peter,” said Jesus softly now, “It does not work like you think. If you lose your life for me, you will gain so much more!”

Peter looked at Jesus, he didn’t fully understand, but he knew that Jesus was worth risking everything for, even dying on a cross.

This short conversation with Jesus’ tired followers is a pivotal moment. For Peter to speak out with such assurance is surely a divine revelation, but he probably wasn’t the only one thinking it. Peter’s boldness is richly rewarded, not only does he get a new name, he is also given the keys to the kingdom. This passage lends itself well to being acted out, and this retelling would work as a narrated script.

This retold version of the Bible passage is supplied for inspiration, feel free to omit or embellish to give it your personal voice.

Main Passage : Matthew 16

This is part of a single lesson pack, all ready to print and go.

It had been a long day. Jesus and his disciples had crossed the lake but forgotten to bring any food with them, and now they had to walk to the town to get something to eat. Jesus had used the time to teach them. Everyone was getting tired and hungry and struggling to understand the things Jesus was teaching them.

Jesus could see they needed a break, so he paused walking and turned round so he could see everyone. “I have a question for you” said Jesus and those chatting among themselves went quiet.

“What do people say about the Son of Man?” that’s what Jesus called himself.

“Some people say you are John the Baptist” – said one voice,
Another voice came in “some say you are Elijah or Jeremiah”
“or a new prophet” shouted someone further back

“Really. Interesting.” said Jesus, a small smile playing on his lips.
“And what about you? Who do you say I am? ”

The disciples went quiet. They all knew who they wanted Jesus to be. They all knew his teaching, his wisdom, his miracles. They all wanted to dream that he was the long-awaited Messiah, but did they believe he really was and would anyone be brave enough to say it? The silence dragged as they looked at each other.

It was Simon who spoke. Simon always rushed into things.
“You are the messiah,” he said into the stillness “You are the son of God”

Other men gasped in shock, but Jesus smiled the biggest smile of the day. Jesus grabbed Simon and hugged him.

“Simon, You didn’t discover this on your own. It was shown to you by my Father in heaven.” said Jesus loudly. “I’m going to give you a new name ‘Peter’, which means ‘rock.’”

Jesus put his hand on Simon-Peter’s shoulders and looked around at the followers.
“On this rock I will build my church, and death itself will not have any power over it.” he said loudly
“Peter, I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven”

Peter looked rather impressed with himself, but Jesus’ face had gone serious

“Tell no one” Jesus warned loudly.

Today’s heroes is Simon-Peter because he shows us the gift of Foundation

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