Lesson Objective: make the adolescents aware that Jesus was the greatest teacher that we know of. He was so wise, balanced and kind that captivated everyone around him. He demonstrated the way to truth and life with his love for God and humanity. And he continues to invite us - yesterday, today and forever - to walk the pathway of love, following his footsteps.
Greetings and Opening prayer
Jesus is the Light of the World, the brilliant sun that warms our souls. We must seek Jesus now and forever, because it’s only then we will be reaching peace. We must always strive to assimilate the lessons that Christ taught us, living His teachings through correct procedures at home, at work and in society, always using his phrase: "Love one another as I have loved you."
Begin this class saying: - Today we’ll talk about the teachings brought by the most evolved Spirit that ever walked on Earth. I ask you all to pay close attention to these teachings, because soon we’ll be doing an activity in which questions will be asked that are related to this subject. You will be allowed to ask questions to each other and these questions will be worth points for those who answer them correctly.
First: suggestions for group dialogue:
Present Jesus as most perfect type that God has offered to man as his guide and model. He’s the way for happiness, by living his teachings.
Jesus summarized his teachings in the commandments: "Love one another as I have loved you, and do unto others as you would like others do unto you." .
Jesus lived next to people who didn’t understand his message of love, like all great and generous Spirits who came into this world to enlighten mankind. He was cruelly persecuted and condemned to death.
The last example he gave us, before he disincarnated, was to ask our Merciful Father to forgive his persecutors as he forgave them.
Jesus’ enlightened Spirit guides humanity on the path of progress and perfection; so it’s only Jesus that we should call "Master".
Jesus gave us two important lessons: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your Spirit"; this is the biggest and first commandment. The second is like this: "Love your neighbour as yourself”.
Jesus was called Master by his followers because they recognized his authority to teach things that concerned the Spirit. He was called Rabbi, which means "My Master".
The Master taught and experienced forgiveness, peace, love, friendship, respect, honesty...
He also explained that God is a just and loving Father. He said we shouldn’t fear God, but trust and love him.
Many people have taught about God and love, but Jesus is the most important Teacher, because of the moment in which he lived, the strength of his lessons and the fact that he experienced his sermons. It was common for people to talk about love, forgiveness, charity, tolerance and respect when he came into the world. None of the Master’s attitudes contradicted what he said; quite the contrary, he exemplified his teachings with his actions. In addition, everything he did had indisputable moral authority. One must remember that the teachings of many people who came after Jesus are based exactly on his message. Spiritism itself is rooted in Christian morality.
Jesus taught the people speaking in sermons filled with parables, which were also told in other situations. He also taught through questions, dialogue and especially through his life example.
Parables: Parables are stories that Jesus used to tell. The purpose of these stories was to transmit true messages in a way that could be easily understood by the people at the time. Jesus used them to facilitate the understanding of the people who were listening to him. Jesus' parables are simple and memorable stories, but the messages they convey are deep and central to His teachings. If these stories would not have been told in this way, they would not be understood or even listened to at that time. Many of Jesus' parables refer to simple everyday things, such as grape vines, marriage, the prodigal son, the sea, fish, bread, etc. These stories enabled the listener to come up with his own conclusion. This comparative method makes the process of understanding spiritual matters easier.
(Questions/dialogues: he questioned and got us thinking about daily life attitudes and situations).
(Example: Jesus gave his example in day-to-day situations. He was a role model in all cases since his actions were always loving, respectful and charitable).
(Sermons: longer speeches, where Jesus was aimed at the moral/spiritual evolution of his listeners, through the reflection of his teachings). The Sermon on the Mount is the most famous one. It contains many of his most important teachings.
Second: ask the adolescents what Jesus meant by the phrase "Let the little children come to me, because the Kingdom of Heaven is for those who resemble them". The Gospel According to Spiritism, chap. VIII, ITEM 18.
(Listen to their answers and ask them to leave comments for after the story is told).
Third: tell the story A true Friend and then ask the question above, once again.
Fourth: exposure through dialogue:
Jesus wants to transform our life and this is independent from external circumstances; it depends only on our inner changes. Thus, each day we’ll become more and more alike with our beloved Jesus. The Sermon on the Mount is the reference for our change in our attitudes when we find ourselves lost and/or disoriented. It was given in a mountainside. At that time Jesus was addressing the disciples, but the sermon was heard by a large number of people who had come to Capernaum to meet Jesus. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus shows us the moral basis of his doctrine through various topics in an easy way to be understood. In this sermon Jesus presents the Beatitudes, because Jesus began every sentence with "Blessed"...
The Beatitudes are the list of qualities, virtues that we all have to develop to achieve happiness and for. We should follow these nine steps. Jesus said at the "Sermon on the Mount": "Blessed are...
Resources for the Spiritist Teacher: Sermon on the Mount - The Beatitudes.
Fifth: ask what Jesus meant when he said "Blessed are..." Wait for the answers. Then explain that blessed means happy; very happy.
The spiritist teacher should remember that this concept of happiness is quite different from the world in which we live. Happiness, according to the world, is the result of material prosperity; the accumulation of material wealth, individualism, etc. Therefore, Beatitudes point to a state of happiness that’s independent from all this. Jesus has a recipe for happiness: it relies on our inner self; not on external circumstances. It’s an inner joy, so that external situations are handled differently, with faith and certainty in justice and God’s goodness. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus describes nine internal characteristics that we must have so that happiness is present in our lives.
Sixth: group activity. Later suggest that the adolescents should reflect his inner life this week, in accordance with the nine Beatitudes. It’s important to note the beatitudes that each one can more easily experience and those that are more difficult. Search this inner happiness in God.
Click here to see the activity.
Seventh: Remember that from the moment teachings for our moral improvement are brought to our attention and we choose not to put them into practice, we’ll become conscious about it in the future/spiritual world.
Eighth: launch the challenge for all following classes: "Renewing Attitudes".
Jesus encourages the practice of good; leading man to realize that he shouldn’t t do any of those actions prohibited in the Decalogue, by fear of being punished by God. We are encouraged to see others as individuals who have the same rights and duties as we do. It’s good to highlight that Jesus saw only the positive side of people.
Propose the following challenge: the adolescent/child who pronounce more positive phrases and sees only the positive qualities of his companions will be the Secretary of the next class.
Ninth: activity called Easy Way.
Tenth: comment on the activity.
Lead the children/adolescents to consider that the easiest ways are not always best ones to be followed. We always need help from others to live. We can ask for help from other people (like our parents) when we can’t overcome an addiction or frustration alone. We should always strengthen ourselves by following Jesus’ teachings.
Eleventh: conclude the study.
Ask: Do you follow the footsteps of the Master? Then conclude:
The influence of Jesus on the lives of people has never been surpassed throughout history. No other human being has inspired so many positive changes in people's lives. We won’t hesitate to confront the difficulties if we remain steadfast in our faith.
The world is full of all sorts of people - young, old, rich and poor, educated, uneducated, loving, violent, etc. All people have the same basic needs, despite all these differences - forgiveness, love, guidance and hope. Here are two steps that will help us meet those needs:
1st Step: Turn to Jesus:
Some people turn to vices, to entertainment and to material possessions to fulfil in their most intimate needs. But anything that is mundane can satisfy us completely. Jesus is the only one that knows our past, present and future. When the sorrows of this world weigh us down, He is just a prayer away. He is our great therapist.
2st Step: Believe in Him:
Jesus promised to never leave us nor forsake us. He is our brother, our friend and guide. We’ll always have hope with Jesus on our side.
Once, a soldier showed three figures to a chaplain in France. The first picture had a man standing in the middle of a city destroyed by war. The figure’s caption said: "The past cheated on me." The second picture showed a snake trying to climb a slippery pole - an impossible task. The caption reads: "The present overwhelms me." The third showed a cannon and a man looking inside. This figure’s caption said: "The future frightens me." The three legends are true, if we don’t know Jesus.
We can feel alone sometimes in the middle of a situation. We must then remember that God never abandons his children; so he sent Jesus to be always with us. We are sure of where we are going and the blessings we receive, when we follow his footsteps.
Closing Prayer
Suggested Class suitable for: 3rd cycle (11 to 12 years old) and Youth.
Lesson received from Sandra Ramos Medeiros from Spiritist Centre ‘Fé, Amor e Caridade’.
Translation: Carolina von Scharten, London, linked to BUSS - The British Union of Spiritist Societies.
