Sincerity Wears No Mask

Transcription

1 Copyright 2016 by Elizabeth L. Hamilton All Rights Reserved. Sincerity Lesson 4 of 4 Sincerity Wears No Mask (Sincerity is totally transparent, never hiding behind a mask or facade. What you see is what you get.) Scripture: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. Matthew 23:27 Preparation Print on cardstock one copy of each illustration page. Print one copy of the age-appropriate assignment for each child involved. Review and Introduction Ask: Can you finish this sentence? I show sincerity when I. What other words can you put in the blank? (Ask the question three times to review Lessons 1 through 3.) Hold up the pictures from Lessons 1, 2, and 3, reading the captions. Say: When you show sincerity, you are real. You always speak truth. You show real interest in others. Today s story gives one more way to show sincerity. Listen. Tell this story in your own words, changing it to fit your listeners culture and ages. Peter, the new boy in town, stared into the mirror. He turned to his father. Pathetic, Dad, he groaned. First day at a new school and I m pathetic! He looked again, staring at the blue and black costume. I can t be the Blue Ranger Samurai with freckles and red hair. He s strong and brave. I m weak and afraid of other kids. I m Pathetic Peter and that s what they ll call me. Before Dad could answer, a squawky voice spoke. Good afternoon, Peter, said the squawky voice. Peter kept staring at his freckled, red-head in the mirror. Nothing good about it, he muttered. He turned to the right and saw a tall pink pig. Who are you? Peter asked rather rudely. I m a sales clerk, squawked the pig, but that isn t why I m wearing a costume. I wear masks all the time: pig mask, monkey mask, sheriff, astronaut all kinds of masks. That way, people never see the real me. But why don t you want people to see the real you? Peter scowled at his own mirror self. I don t like the real me, said the pink pig. The real me s a skinny, bald-headed wimp. No one wants to be friends with a skinny, bald-headed wimp but everyone likes a mystery man. The pig laughed. It s fun being someone I m not. Here! You try it! The pig put a big Blue Ranger Samurai mask on Peter and turned him to the mirror. Can t see the real you! Display illustration of warrior and pig costumes as you continue. Peter stared at the warrior with black hair. Thanks, Pig! Now I m glad my first day at school is costume day. The next day, Peter arrived at his new school just as the bell rang. Everyone was in costume, each trying to guess who the others were. When they asked Peter, he didn t tell his real name. He just said, in a big voice, I m the Blue Ranger Samurai. Then he pretended a karate chop, and everyone laughed.

2 The class wore masks during history and science classes. Then the teacher said they must remove them. Take turns standing and letting the class guess who you are. When they guess correctly, you must take off your mask. She looked toward a desk near the door. Let s start with our mad scientist, she said. One by one, each student was guessed and had to remove the mask. And then it was Peter s turn. The students looked at the Blue Ranger Samurai. They d unmasked all 25 students in their class. So who was this? They guessed and guessed, but they didn t know who was behind the mask. Well, said the teacher, let s ask yes-or-no questions. For example, do you live near the school? No, Peter said in his strongest samurai voice. Someone guessed he had just moved to town. They guessed he liked soccer. They guessed his favorite subject was mathematics, but when the teacher asked if there was anything they hadn t guessed, Peter nodded. Let s let him wear the mask everyday until we guess, said one boy, and call him Blue Ranger Samurai. Let s make him our class warrior. He s strong. He can protect us all. The teacher laughed, but agreed to let the Blue Ranger Samurai wear his mask until the class guessed who he was. She also agreed to call him Blue Ranger Samurai instead of his real name. At recess, the boys let him captain the soccer team. They all tried to sit at his lunch table. They laughed at his jokes. They invited him to their homes. Peter stopped wearing the samurai suit, but he still wore his mask. Day after day he wore it, and soon became the most popular boy in the class, but nobody saw the real Peter. One day, the teacher said, Class photos tomorrow. Blue Ranger Samurai, it s time for the mask to come off. Peter nodded silently, and the next day, he left the Blue Ranger Samurai mask on his bed. He walked to school slowly, waited until the last minute to take off his baseball hat, and hurried into his classroom. The students stopped talking. Are you the Blue Ranger Samurai? This is the real you? asked one boy. Peter nodded as he slipped into his seat. He kept his eyes down, and said nothing. Cool! I wish I had red hair like that. I like the real you way better than the masked you. NEMO! said the class clown. Nemo the clown fish. How cool is that! Everyone laughed and Peter lifted his eyes. What you see is what you get, he said with a huge grin. Bible Story: Hypocritical Scribes Luke 20:45-47 Jesus often spoke of people who did not show sincerity. He spoke of them wearing masks. The word Jesus used for these people was hypocrites. Hypocrites do not show sincerity. Hypocrites do not want others to know what they really are inside. The dictionary tells us that a hypocrite is a person who puts on a false appearance of character or religion. It is someone who wears a mask of character or religion to look like a good person when they are not good. Jesus warned strongly about these people. Listen to His words. Read Luke 20:45-47 aloud. And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation." Beware! Watch out! It s like saying Beware of dog! Jesus says, Beware of the scribes! Why? The scribes pretended to be good men. They tried to look good, but they were not good. They didn t wear real masks, but they might as well have worn masks. They hid their real selves.

3 Imagine with me. Hold up the illustration of a scribe as you continue the lesson. Do you see the mask? They dressed in beautiful long robes such as good men would wear. They loved to walk down the street of the marketplace and have people greet them as though they were important men. When they went to church, they loved to sit in the best seats. When they went to feasts, they loved to recline on the best sofas at the table. They wanted everyone to think they showed real sincerity in their religion. But wait! What else does Jesus tell the disciples about these scribes? They devoured widows houses! That s when the mask came off! That showed who they really were! When a man died, they would go to his house and tell his wife she couldn t live there anymore. They would take her house for themselves and leave her homeless. That s the kind of men they really were ~ evil, selfish, wicked men! Oh but then, Jesus said, they would put the mask back on and go to the temple to stand and make long prayers where everyone could see them and think how holy they were. The scribes were hypocrites. They put on a mask of strong character ~ a mask of true religion. Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites right to their faces. Our memory verse for today tells us about that. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. Matthew 23:27 Jesus was telling the scribes and Pharisees that they were not showing sincerity. They were wearing masks. The Israelites painted their tombs white so they would look bright and sparkly in the sunshine. That way, people would think the cemetery was beautiful and forget that it was full of death. That, said Jesus, was the way the Pharisees were. They acted as though they had built beautifully good character ~ as though they were holy men who truly loved and obeyed God ~ but on the inside, their hearts were ugly, and as dirty as the inside of a tomb. Jesus demands sincerity. Display picture of mask. Jesus demands that we take off every mask and let people see who we really are on the inside ~ let them see our hearts as they really are. Jesus warns that God will punish us greatly if we, like scribes and Pharisees, hide our real hearts. God demands sincerity that wears no mask. Apply the two stories in age-appropriate words. Holding up the illustration of costumes, read the caption: Sincerity Wears No Mask. Peter did not show sincerity. He pretended to be someone he was not. He did not want people to know the real Peter. Many people pretend to be someone they are not. You may pretend to be rich. You wear a rich mask. You may pretend that you like someone. You wear an I like you mask. Some people wear a respect mask around teachers or other adults, but when the adult is not around, the mask comes off and you see a nasty, disrespectful person. Hold up the illustration of costumes again, reading the caption: Sincerity Wears No Mask. Everyone likes a person who shows sincerity. Everyone likes to see you as you really are. People like to know that what they see of you is what they get always. No one likes to be fooled into thinking you are something you are not. Don t try to be someone else. Be yourself. Hold up the illustration of the scribe / Pharisee, reading the caption: Sincerity Wears No Mask. God says that you are to be sincere you are to let people see who you really are you must wear no mask. You must not pretend to be good while in church and then disobey your parents at home. You must not act in class as though you really want to build character, and then show no respect to your classmates. God says you are to show sincerity be who you really are in your heart. Hold up the mask picture. Who are you today? Are you hiding the real you? God tells you to take off the mask. You show sincerity when you let everyone see who you really are. Sincerity never, ever wears a mask. Close by handing out assignment sheets.

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7 First and Last Name: I show sincerity when I wear no mask. Talk to an adult about sincerity. Talk about what it means to wear no mask. How will you act if you wear no mask? Will you be yourself or try to be someone else? Learn your Bible memory verse so that you can say it without help. Matthew 23:27 Let s make a mask to help us remember. You may ask for help. What you need: cat mask on the next page a paper plate and construction paper markers or crayons paste or glue scissors elastic about 1 foot long What you do: Cut out the cat mask on the next page. Carefully, cut the ears off the mask and save them. Paste the cat head on a paper plate. Cut out the eye holes in the paper plate. Open the two small gray side holes for elastic. Decorate the face as you like. Cut ears out of construction paper and glue them on the mask. Add construction paper whiskers. Write your name on the back of the mask. Thread elastic through the side holes and adjust to fit head. Christian Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program Sincerity #4 Ages 3 to 7 Copyright 2016 by Elizabeth L Hamilton For more information, visit

8 Christian Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program Sincerity #4 Ages 3 to 7 Copyright 2016 by Elizabeth L Hamilton For more information, visit

9 First and Last Name: I show sincerity when I wear no mask. Think about sincerity ~ hypocrisy. How will you act if you wear no mask? Write your Bible memory verse on the back of this page. Now make a mask to help you remember. What you need: the mask on the next page a paper plate and construction paper markers or crayons paste or glue scissors elastic about 1 foot long What you do: Cut out the mask on the next page. Paste the mask on a paper plate. Cut out the eyeholes in the paper plate. Open the two small side holes for elastic. Color the face as you like. Write your name on the back of the mask. Thread elastic through the side holes and adjust to fit head. Christian Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program Copyright 2016 by Elizabeth L Hamilton Sincerity #4 Ages 7 and Up For more information, visit

10 Christian Character-Trait-of-the-Month Program Copyright 2016 by Elizabeth L Hamilton Sincerity #4 Ages 7 and Up For more information, visit