In this module we are going to consider HONESTY & FAIRNESS - what it means, how it can affect your behaviour and the behaviour of others.

Transcription

1 1 In this module we are going to consider HONESTY & FAIRNESS - what it means, how it can affect your behaviour and the behaviour of others. First of all what does Honesty & fairness mean? Honesty is much more than truthfulness and sincerity. It is not just how you speak to and deal with others, but also how you speak to and deal with yourself; it is your integrity. While humility and modesty is a good thing, being too harsh on yourself is not being truthful. Also, thinking too highly of yourself is a sin. Thus, it is important for you to find a balance of knowing your blessings and shortcomings so you can continue to grow. What does the Bible say about honesty & fairness? "Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us." Romans 12:3 While your honesty level is a reflection of your character, it is also a way to show your faith. In the Bible, God made honesty one of his commandments. Since God cannot lie, He sets the example for all of His people. It is God's desire that we follow that example in all that we do. Being honest and fair is not always easy. As Christians we know how easy it is to fall into sin. Therefore, you need to work at being honest and fair. The world does not give us easy situations, and sometimes we need to really work to keep our eyes on God in order to find the answers. Being honest and fair can sometimes hurt, but knowing that you are following what God wants for you will make you more faithful in the end. Does the Bible give us any examples of honesty & fairness? The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (This story can be found in Matthew 20:1-16) Here are some interesting facts about this story.

2 2 1. Jesus said, For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. 2. About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right. So they went. 3. He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 4. About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing? Because no one has hired us, they answered. He said to them, You also go and work in my vineyard. 5. When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first. 6. The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. These who were hired last worked only one hour, they said, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day. 7. But he answered one of them, I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous? 8. So the last will be first, and the first will be last. So what did Jesus mean by this story? As Christians we are called to be labourers in God s vineyard. He calls us to work for Him faithfully and honestly in all that we do. Whether our life is short or long, we must remain faithful and true. At the end of our life He has promised that we can be with Him and share in His riches forever. So whether our life is long or short, our reward will be the same.

3 3 The warning to each of us from this story is not to be proud of what we have done and expect more than those whom we think have done less. After all, if we have done more, or done it longer, it is only because by God s grace He made the opportunity available earlier for us. The word here drives us back to the instruction that whether He gives us a whole day, or just an hour, we must serve Him faithfully and trust that we will enter into the reward that He has in store for those who are faithful. That God chose any one of us for His vineyard is amazing. We should rejoice in that, and rejoice in the fact that He is still inviting other boys, girls, men and women to join. Activity Get the children to discuss a time when they were not treated with honesty and fairness. Let them recount how that made them feel. There is a true story that shows how honest ordinary people can be. If they do not know the story of the Honest Rickshaw Driver, then you will need to recount it to them. Here are the main facts: In an exemplary gesture of honesty, an auto-rickshaw driver returned a purse containing valuables and cash to a tourist couple. The tourists had hired an auto-rickshaw and left the purse in it. However, after finding the purse missing, the couple thought that they had left it at their houseboat. The purse contained valuables, cash and life-saving medicine. After searching a number of areas in vain they thought about the autorickshaw. In the meantime, the auto-rickshaw driver found the purse and handed it over to the police. The police then began to search for the tourist couple and after ascertaining their identity handed over the purse to them. They said that they would never forget the honesty of the auto-rickshaw driver. The auto rickshaw driver said that soon after seeing the purse, he started to look for the tourists. I thought that the couple would be worried about the purse and made all efforts to trace them. After I failed, I contacted the police, he said. As a token of appreciation, the Divisional Police Officer gave a money reward from his own pocket to the auto-rickshaw driver. The tourist couple also gave a cash reward to the driver.

4 4 How easy it would have been for the rickshaw driver to have kept the purse, but his honesty shone out and he went out of his way to make sure the purse was returned to the rightful owners. Activity Ask the children to think of a situation to act out which demonstrates honesty and fairness. The skit should involve as many of the group as possible and explore all the feelings and emotions that underlie honesty and fairness or the lack of it. Here is another story from the Bible that demonstrates honesty and fairness. The judgment of Solomon (You can find this story in 1 Kings Chapter 3 verses 16-28) 1. Two young women who lived in the same house and who both had an infant son came to Solomon for a judgment. 2. One of the women claimed that the other, after accidentally smothering her own son while sleeping, had exchanged the two children to make it appear that the living child was hers. 3. The other woman denied this and so both women claimed to be the mother of the living son and said that the dead boy belonged to the other. 4. After some deliberation, King Solomon called for a sword to be brought before him. He declared that there was only one fair solution: the live son must be split in two, each woman receiving half of the child. 5. Upon hearing this terrible verdict, the boy's true mother cried out, "Please, My Lord, give her the live child do not kill him!" However, the woman who had lied in her bitter jealousy, exclaimed, "It shall be neither mine nor yours divide it!" 6. Solomon instantly gave the live baby to the real mother, realising that the true mother's instincts were to protect her child, while the liar revealed that she did not truly love the child.

5 5 7. The reputation of the king greatly increased when all the people of Israel heard of this wise judgment. King Solomon was renowned for his wisdom and fair judgments and it was this wisdom that came up with an ingenious way of determining which mother was the real one. Activity Here are two scenarios which explore honesty and fairness. Read each situation out to the children and the three possible solutions and ask them to decide which is the most honest and fair solution, and give their reasons. Scenario One: The owner of a vegetable store is selling out of potatoes. His last customer comes along and wants to buy 2 kilos, but when the vegetable seller weighs them out he only has 1.5 kilos. Should he: a) Pretend he has 2 kilos b) Refuse to sell them any at all and close his shop c) Tell them exactly how many he has and charge them accurately. Scenario Two: A farmer asks three boys to dig his vegetable patch. Each boy has to dig up 10 rows of cabbages and for this the farmer promises them 170 rupees each. Two hours later the farmer goes along to see their progress. Two of the boys have completed their task but the third boy has only managed to dig up 7 rows of cabbages. The handle of the spade he has been using has broken, and although he has tried to mend it by tying his belt around it, it isn t as strong as before and it has slowed his progress down. Should he: a) Pay two of the boys 170 rupees each and only give a proportion to the third boy b) Reproach the other boys for not helping the third boy when his spade broke c) Pay each of the boys 170 rupees, as they have all tried their best. In the book of Leviticus Chapter 19 verse 36 the Lord says to His people:

6 6 Use honest scales, honest weights, and honest measures. I am the Lord your God and I brought you out of Egypt. God is an all-seeing God and knows our thoughts and sees our actions. He treats us with honesty and fairness, and so as His people, we should do the same to others. Old Bailey, London, England One of the most famous Law Courts in the world is the Old Bailey in London, England, where many famous and infamous people have been tried for crimes over the centuries. On the dome above the court stands a bronze statue called Lady Justice, designed by F.W. Pomeroy. She holds a sword in her right hand and the scales of justice in her left. The sword is to represent Truth and the Scales of Justice represent Fairness. When anyone is asked to give evidence in a court of law they are always asked to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. So honesty is a crucial part of getting to the truth of a matter. Only then can Fairness be executed. The Judge and Jury cannot decide whether someone is guilty or not, or decide on a fair and appropriate punishment, without honesty and fairness. Personal testimony Share with the children about a time when you did not exercise honesty and fairness, or a time when someone did not show it to you. Discuss why it is important as a Christian to show honesty and fairness in all our dealings with others. Here is an up-to-date story about honesty and fairness Ayush ran across the field with the wind in his hair and the joy of the outdoors in his heart. He loved nothing more than spending as much time as he could outdoors. He told his parents when he was small that he wanted to work on the farm with his

7 7 father and eventually run the farm himself when his father was too old. That was quite fortunate as Dev, his older brother, had no interest whatsoever in the farm and had set his sights on working in the big city and making lots of money. Ayush s parents had gone into town in their old van to collect provisions. The van hadn t wanted to start, but after his father had turned the engine over time and time again, eventually it burst into life. He knew that his father couldn t afford a new motor, even though they desperately needed one, so they would have to make do. As Ayush got to the gate of the field leading to the track he saw something out of the corner of his eye. What looked like a rolled up bundle of paper with an elastic band around it lay on the edge of the path. He could easily have missed it, except for the fact that he had to be careful to miss the muddy puddle left by the rain which had fallen in a torrent the day before. Ayush bent down and picked up the bundle. The paper on the outside of the bundle looked very much like a rather muddy, soggy 100 rupee note, but as he removed the elastic band and uncurled the whole bundle of notes, he realised that the rest of the notes were actually 500 rupee notes. Ayush began to count the number of notes. There were at least 10 of them in his hand; two of them were 100 rupee notes and the rest were 500 rupee notes. He quickly did the maths in his head. My goodness there were 4,200 rupees in his hand. He had never in his life seen so much money. Once over the shock of the quantity of the money he had in his hand, Ayush began to consider what he must do now. Surely whoever had lost such an amount would be absolutely worried out of their mind having realised they had lost it. So Ayush did no more than turn tail and run all the way back home to tell his parents and ask for their advice what to do next. But as Ayush ran into the farmyard hoping to see his father s van, there was no sign of it. He ran breathless into the house and shouted his brother. Dev, Dev, come quickly I have something amazing to show you, Quick! shouted Ayush. Dev came clattering down the stairs. What on earth is going in?, said Dev. Anyone would think your tail was on fire. Wait and see what I ve found, said Ayush holding out the fistful of

8 8 rupee banknotes. Wow, exclaimed Dev, where on earth did you get that lot from? I found them on the track near the gate of the field. I ve counted them and there s 4,200 rupees in total, said Ayush. We must get them to the police as soon as we can because the owner must be worried sick about losing them, said Ayush. Dev looked puzzled. Hang on a minute, he said, Before we do anything we need to think things through carefully. What do you mean? asked Ayush. Surely, it is straightforward. We have to hand the money in. But Dev looked at Ayush and said, Not so fast, just think about it for a while. Perhaps the person who owned it didn t come by it honestly. Maybe they don t need it. They probably have a lot more money than this at home and don t need this, said Dev. Ayush couldn t believe his ears. Are you saying that we should keep this and not tell anyone?, he said disgustedly. No I m not saying that at all, said Dev defensively. That amount of money could make a big difference to us. Dad could have a new van, and you know only too well how much he needs a van. In fact mother could have some help with the animals. Ayush couldn t believe his ears. He loved his parents and brother very much, but this was stealing and nothing could justify that. Sorry, said Ayush in a determined voice. Stealing is stealing in my book. This money is being handed in to the police and that s that. With that he grabbed the money and ran out of the house. He ran into the barn, took the creaky old bicycle and peddled for all he was worth along the track into town. By the time Ayush, red-faced and almost entirely out of breath, cycled into town, he was more determined than ever to do the right thing and hand the money in so that the rightful owner could be found. As Ayush approached the town centre where the police station was located, to his surprise he saw a crowd of people surrounding a man who was looking very distressed. The man was being comforted by a policeman and Ayush s parents. Ayush ran straight up to them. Look who s here, said Ayush s mother. Mother, mother, Ayush cried, Look what I ve found. The crowd parted as Ayush ran through the middle holding out a hand that contained the bundle of money. Oh what a miracle, shouted the distressed man. You ve found my money. I can t believe it. Where was it? Ayush could see all the faces looking at him. I found it on the track next to the gate of the field. It had dropped near a muddy puddle. It s all here

9 9 though I swear it! he cried. Our son is very honest, said his father, I know he would want the money handed in straightaway. The policeman patted Ayush on the back. We could do with more people being as honest as you, the policeman said. Well I m a Christian said Ayush. The Bible tells me to be honest and that s what I try to be. The stranger said to him, well I m a Christian too and the Bible also tells us to be fair as well as honest, and I want to be fair with you. You have done a wonderful thing for me today and I want to reward that deed. You have no need, said Ayush. I didn t hand it over just to get a reward, he said. No, said the stranger, but I, as the owner of the money, want to reward your honesty and integrity. What is it that you really need? he asked. Well I don t need anything for myself, but my father s van is very old and keeps breaking down. He needs it repairing but we all think that it s pretty much beyond repair said Ayush. Well now, let s see. I think I have just the solution. My son owns a garage in the city, I m sure he could find you a van that would suit your requirements. How about we all drive over there now and see what we can do? A big cheer went up from the crowd. Two hours later, Ayush, his father and mother were driving down the track leading to their farm. The van gleamed in the evening sunshine and the engine purred like a big cat. Father tooted the horn when he pulled up in the farmyard. Dev came out of the house to see what all the fuss was about. Look son said father. You ll never guess what has happened to us today. See this van, it s ours, yes ours! Wow, said Dev. As father recounted the events of the day Dev didn t say anything, but neither did Ayush. When it was time for bed, Dev came into Ayush s bedroom to say goodnight. Thanks for not telling mother and father about me wanting us to keep the money, Dev said. There are more important things in life than money said Ayush wisely. If we live our lives honestly and fairly, the Lord will bless us with all we need. Not necessary all we want, but all we need! Prayer Time Pray with the children that God will help them to exercise honesty and fairness with themselves and with others.

10 10 Activity Ask the children if they can crack the code below. Each letter of the alphabet is represented by a number, so see if the children can decipher the following: CODE: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

11 11 TEACHING NOTES TO ACCOMPANY THE MODULE ON HONESTY & FAIRNESS These notes are to be used in conjunction with the teaching module on Honesty & Fairness. The Bible Stories used in this module are from the Gospel of Matthew, and the First Book of Kings. The module demonstrates the importance of Honesty and fairness as demonstrated in the parable of the labourers in the vineyard and the judgment of Solomon. It will be useful to familiarise yourself with these stories before presenting the module to the children. Honesty and fairness is not just how you speak to and deal with others, but also how you speak to and deal with yourself; it is your integrity. While being humble and modest is a good thing, being too harsh on yourself is not being truthful. Also, thinking too highly of yourself is a sin. Thus, it is important for you to stress to the children that they need to find a balance between knowing their blessings and their shortcomings so that they can continue to grow in the Christian life. Labourers in the vineyard At first sight this parable Jesus told appears in our human understanding to be rather unfair on those who had laboured all day in the heat of the sun. However, when you understand the real meaning of the parable the importance of its message becomes clear. As Christians we are called to be labourers in God s vineyard. He calls us to work for Him faithfully and honestly in all that we do. Whether our life is short or long, we must remain faithful and true. At the end of our life He has promised that we can be with Him and share in His riches forever. So whether our life is long or short, our reward will be the same. The warning to each of us from this story is not to be proud of what we have done and expect more than those whom we think have done less. After all, if we have done more, or done it longer, it is only because by God s grace He made the opportunity available earlier for us. The word here drives us back to the instruction that whether He gives us a whole day, or just an hour, we must serve Him faithfully and trust that we will enter into the reward that He has in store for those who are faithful. That God chose any one of us for His vineyard is amazing. We should rejoice in that, and rejoice in the fact that He is still inviting other boys, girls, men and women to join. This parable is a crucial lesson to us in our Christian life and, therefore, very important for the children to understand its real meaning.

12 12 Judgment of Solomon King Solomon was renowned for his wisdom and fair judgments and it was this wisdom that came up with an ingenious way of determining which mother was telling the truth. There are many occasions in our Christian journey when we really wish we had wisdom. Wisdom means to have knowledge, insight, perception, good judgment and there are many occasions when we are faced with having to make difficult and challenging decisions and it is wisdom that can help us to make the right ones. Real wisdom, though, comes from God and teaches us to lay aside personal desire and selfishness and put the needs of others before our own. Honest rickshaw driver This is a true story and is a wonderful illustration of how a man s honesty brought its own reward. How easy it would have been for the rickshaw driver to have kept the purse, but his honesty shone out and he went out of his way to make sure the purse was returned to the rightful owners. No one in the story lost out. The owner of the purse got it back and the rickshaw driver got a reward for his honesty. It is important for the children to understand though that we shouldn t be honest just for the chance of getting a reward, but that we know it is God s will for our lives to be honest and fair with others. Old Bailey, London, England The Old Bailey in London, England is one of the oldest law courts in the world, where many famous and infamous cases have been tried. When anyone is asked to give evidence in a court of law they are always asked to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. So honesty is a crucial part of getting to the truth of a matter. Only then can Fairness be executed. The Judge and Jury cannot decide whether someone is guilty or not, or decide on a fair and appropriate punishment, without honesty and fairness. Encourage the children to talk about their experiences of honesty and fairness. Activities Think of a few scenarios which demonstrate the importance of honesty and fairness and get the children to act them out and discuss them later. Sometimes telling the truth is not easy, particularly if it is to someone we are afraid of. Being fair can sometimes result in us losing out, but explain to the children that God sees everything and will reward us for being honest and fair.

13 13 Conclusion All these stories demonstrate the need to show honesty and fairness to ourselves and to others. Be prepared to share your experiences with the children. Share with the children about a time when you did not exercise honesty and fairness, or a time when someone did not show it to you. Discuss why it is important as a Christian to show honesty and fairness in all our dealings with others.