We should avoid telling the same stories / parables / cures and using the same teaching techniques year after year, as the children change cycles. We recommend the teacher to separate the stories / parables / cures to be given at each cycle. Since the children usually stay 2 years in a cycle, it is important to have 2 alternatives for each cycle, so that the content does not repeat very much. Below you can find a suggestion on how to approach Jesus’ Life for each cycle, based on the Brazilian Spiritist Federation curriculum.
a - The Life of Jesus
Tell the story of Jesus’ life with drawings. Topics:
1. Mary and Joseph lived in Nazareth.
2. When Mary was pregnant, they had to go to Belem for the census.
3. Jesus was born in a very simple place; in a horse stable.
4. The news spread that the Saviour was now born. The little boy was visited by shepherds and magus.
5. Jesus grew up in Nazareth and learned to be a carpenter just like his dad. He was a well educated boy who helped his mom with their house duties.
6. When he was already a grown up man, Jesus started to travel to other towns, talking about love, peace and forgiveness.
7. He invited 12 men to help him in this mission: the apostles.
8. He talked about charity and taught us that the spirit lives after the death of the body.
9. Jesus taught us through parables (stories), sermons and dialogues, always using simple words.
10. Some of his parables are: The Good Samaritan and the Widow’s Mite.
11. People viewed him as a good, wise and honest man.
12. Jesus liked to be around adults and children, and to talk to them.
13. One day, he climbed a Mont and found many people waiting for him. It was in this occasion that he delivered the Sermon of the Mont.
14. He also taught us how to pray the Lord’s Prayer.
15. Jesus had lots of friends and people who followed him everywhere.
16. However, many of them did not understand his message. Some thought he wanted to be king and wanted him dead.
17. Jesus’ body died on the cross.
18. Jesus reappeared in spirit later on, for this apostles and friends, proving that life continues after the physical body’s death.
19. Jesus’ lessons are still valid nowadays and should be followed by all of us.
20. Jesus is our friend and our brother. He is our master and the example of perfection that we should always aim at.
b - Jesus’ Cures
Tell three stories:
The cure of the curved woman;
The cure at distance;
The cure of the leprous man.
Jesus didn’t perform any miracles, because he didn’t disobey God’s law. He cured people by manipulating fluids and energies.
The needy people had faith on Jesus’ healing powers as well as merit to receive the blessings, because they sincerely wanted to change their own attitudes.
Jesus said to paralytic at Bethesda: “See how you have been cured now; do not commit any more sins in the future, in order to prevent something worse to happen.” With this warning, the master shows us that most of our misfortunes have origin in our own past, that is, they are the result of mistakes we incurred in this life or in other lives. In this particular example, the disabled man was being tested. In order to stop his sufferings, he needed to change this actions and thoughts, making effort to do goodness.
While curing a blind man, Jesus warned us that “there will be always a reason for the existence of pain, but we should remember that not every pain is a sign of guilt”.
Once Jesus passed by a man who had been born blind, his disciples asked:
Who committed the sin in order for him to be born blind – himself or his parents?
Jesus replied: Neither of them. It is just to facilitate the manifestations of God’s goodness. While I’m still on Earth, I’m the light of Earth.
Having said that, he spit on the soil, made a mud, and applied that over the blind man’s eyes. He then told:
Go wash up in the pool. The blind man obeyed, washed himself up, and returned with perfect vision.
This passage clarifies that the blind man was a spirit who volunteered to contribute to Jesus’ mission. He was going through a test for his own spiritual progress.
What are the spiritual remedies available nowadays? Prayer, healing energy, magnetised water, vibrations and the Gospel at home.
When someone gets sick, they have to look for the appropriate medicine resources, do not rebel, and change their thoughts and attitudes for the better.
What should be the attitude of someone who receives cure? To thank God and to continue making efforts to become a better person every day.
c - Jesus’ Followers
1. Jesus is a master – the best master that ever existed on Earth. What is a master? It is someone who has lots of wisdom and acts according to their teachings.
2. Talk about Jesus to the children. He transmitted peace, calmness, love, care. He taught us through parables (stories that featuring situations which people were very family with). His looks were not important. It doesn’t matter if he was blond, tanned, tall or short. What really matters is that he is the most progressive spirit who has ever incarnated on Earth. He is the governor of planet Earth. He lived what the preached.
3. Jesus had many followers. He attracted large number of people. Some were just curious: they listened to him and went away. Others only wanted to be cured by his powers. But there were many who were deeply touched by the master’s teachings, by his words and his sincere way of life. They followed Jesus on his travels, seeking to learn even more and to be better people.
4. Some of them were women:
a. Mary Betania (Lazarus and Marta’s sister)
b. Mary of Magdalene (Jesus cured her from an obsession)
c. Mary ( Alfeu’s wife and mother of the apostle Tiago Menor)
d. Salome (Zebedeu’s wife and mother of Tiago Maior and John)
e. Joana (Cuza’s wife, from Herodes)
5. Jesus had 12 apostles. Jesus didn’t select the most intelligent or rich men to follow him. He chose ordinary people, who had difficulties and misfortunes, but with strong and sincere will to learn and transmit his teachings. He taught his apostles many things. Cite personal characteristics of each apostle:
- Mathew: publican, tax collector. He was social and enjoyed parties.
- Tome: insecure, he only believed in what he could actually touch. He was suspicious.
- Peter: determined and sincere. He was uneasy, temperamental and short-sighted.
- John: the youngest, the most helpful and altruist. He was sincere and patient. He wanted to be the best of the disciples.
- Judas: Moderated, discrete, balanced. He knew accounting and therefore managed the group’s finance. He was the most polished amongst the disciples.
6. The evangelists: the people who wrote the four holy books: Mathew, Marcus, John and Lucas. Mathew, Marcus and John lived with Jesus and wrote the books many years after his death. Lucas was a doctor and did not live with Jesus. In these books, they tell about many situations of Jesus’ life. They also mention his teachings and parables.
7. Those who believe in Jesus and follow his teachings are called Christians. Spiritism tells us that Jesus is our whole model and guide – the most perfect being who has ever lived on Earth.
Suggested Material suitable for: first cycle (7 to 8 years old).
Translation: Paula Melo, London, BUSS - The British Union of Spiritist Societies.
