Bible Edition Your Job Is Easy Summary When Jane, the farmer s wife, complains to her husband Sam about the crooked rows he has plowed, they decide to switch jobs for a day. Both Sam and Jane expect to have lots of free time after each finishes the other s easy job. But Sam and Jane encounter one calamity after another doing each other s chores. After having the hardest day of their lives, they meet each other and end up laughing at their misconceptions. In this hilarious adventure, Carl Sommer teaches the importance of respect for others, responsibility, and forgiveness. Main Virtues Respect for Others/Responsibility/Forgiveness Other Virtues Appreciation, Cheerfulness, Peacefulness, Respect for Work, and Tolerance Respect for Others Responsibility Students Responsibility Planning Ahead Forgiveness and Repentance Being Joyful A Life of Peace Learning to Be Thankful World s Problems Things to Be Thankful For Questions Contents
Respect for Others The problem began when Jane looked at the newly plowed fields and asked, Sam, why do you plow the rows so crooked? What difference does it make, answered Sam, if the rows are perfectly straight or a little crooked? Well, said Jane, if you re going to plow, you might as well do it right. It s not as easy as you think, said Sam. Come on! laughed Jane. How hard can it be to plow a straight line? Jane doesn t respect what Sam is doing; she thinks his job is easy. Sam doesn t respect the work Jane is doing; he thinks her job is easy. We should respect and be thankful for what others do for us, and be especially thankful for everything the Lord has done for us. Luke 18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Romans 12:10-13 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; [11] not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; [12] rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; [13] distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. Ephesians 5:18-21 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, [19] speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, [20] giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, [21] submitting to one another in the fear of God. Philippians 2:3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 1 Peter 5:5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Additional verses: Psalm 107:1; Romans 1:8, 1:21; Ephesians 4:1-3; Colossians 3:17; 1 Thessalonians 3:9, 5:16-18; 2 Thessalonians 1:3; Hebrews 12:28 * The check is a recommended scripture to teach the particular lesson. All verses are from the New King James Version. Responsibility Notice that both before and after the incident Sam and Jane were responsible parents. They each did their job well. The farm, animals, house, and children were well taken care of. The problem started when Jane criticized Sam s work in plowing the field. They finally learned their lesson, and did the work they knew best. They appreciated each other much more. We should become responsible for the things we do. Parents and teachers need to be responsible to train their children in the way they should go. One of the important things for parents and teachers to do is to model the behavior they want their children to display. Modeling desired behavior is the most powerful teaching force that parents and teachers have. 2
Genesis 18:19 For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him. Deuteronomy 6:6-9 And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. [7] You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. [8] You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. [9] You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. Ephesians 6:1-4 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. [2] Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise: [3] that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth. [4] And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. 2 Timothy 3:15 And that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Additional verses: Joshua 24:15; Ephesians 6:1-4; Deuteronomy 4:1-9; Psalm 71:17-18, 78:4-7; Proverbs 1:8, 4:1-9; Malachi 4:5-6; Colossians 3:21 Students Responsibility Have students list things that they should be responsible for. Students should: Listen to teachers and parents Do assigned lessons Do homework Follow instructions Bring required materials to school Be clean and properly dressed Obey school rules Participate in class Refrain from talking in class Be present in school every day Do household chores Take care of their bodies 3
Planning Ahead When Sam and Jane went to sleep that night, they had many happy thoughts about the next day. Because they thought their work would be so easy, they dreamed of all the fun things they would do with their spare time. In planning your future, make plans for unexpected difficulties. Things don t always turn out the way you think they should. But with the Lord as your shepherd and guide, you can be assured that everything will turn out for the best. Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. Proverbs 21:30 There is no wisdom or understanding or counsel against the Lord. Your Job Is Easy John 10:14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. [2] And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. James 4:13-16 Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit ; [14] whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. [15] Instead you ought to say, If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that. [16] But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Additional verses: Proverbs 16:9; Proverbs 19:21; John 10:27-29; Romans 8:28 Forgiveness and Repenting Sam and Jane laughed over what had happened. Then Sam gave Jane a hug and apologized. I m sorry for what I said. I ve learned my lesson. I ll never again say that your job is easy. Jane gave Sam a kiss and said, I m also sorry for what I said. The work you do sure isn t easy! When we do something wrong to someone, we need to apologize to that person. When someone apologizes, we need to forgive that individual. Also, since everyone has sinned against God, we need to repent of our sins to Him. And the good news is God will always forgive us when we repent of our sins. Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Luke 24:45-47 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. [46] Then He said to them, Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, [47] and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 4
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 17:30 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent. Acts 20:20-21 I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, [21] testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Additional verses: Luke 5:31-32; Acts 3:19, 5:31, 26:20; Romans 2:4; 2 Corinthians 7:9; James 5:16; Revelation 3:19 Being Joyful Jane happily went back to her job which pleased the kids. Sam gladly went back to his job which pleased the animals. To be joyful in our work is something to be treasured. Jesus wants us to have His joy and the joy He gives us to overflow in our lives. John 15:11 These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. John 16:24 Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. Acts 20:24 But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Jude 1:24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, Additional verses: Psalm 32:11, Isaiah 12:3, Nehemiah 8:10, John 17:13, Acts 13:52, Romans 14:17, Romans 15:13, 1 John 1:4 5
A Life of Peace Life went back to being peaceful and pleasant. And that pleased everyone! Since Sam and Jane both went back gladly to their jobs, their life was pleasant and peaceful. God also wants our lives to be filled with peace. John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Philippians 4:7-9 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. [8] Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy meditate on these things. [9] The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. Titus 3:1-2 Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, [2] to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. Hebrews 12:14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. Additional verses: Psalm 4:8; Psalm 37:37; Psalm 119:165; Isaiah 26:3; John 16:33; Romans 5:1; Romans 8:6; Romans 12:18; Romans 14:17-19; Romans 15:13; 2 Corinthians 13:11; 2 Timothy 2:22 Learning to Be Thankful We should be thankful for the things we have. Think of people in other places who would be more than grateful for the things we take for granted. Psalm 107:1 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Your Job Is Easy Luke 17:15-19 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, [16] and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. [17] So Jesus answered and said, Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? [18] Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner? [19] And He said to him, Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well. Ephesians 5:19-20 Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, [20] giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 6
Colossians 3:15-17 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. [16] Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. [17] And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, [17] pray without ceasing, [18] in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Additional verses: Psalm 30:4, 95:2, 100:4; Luke 17:11-19; Romans 1:21; Philippians 4:6; Hebrews 12:28, 13:15 World s Problems Have students make a list of some of the world s problems. Broken homes Lack of shelter Loneliness Persecution No schools Floods Storms Starvation Wars Diseases Have students make a list of things to be thankful for. Parents Home Brothers and sisters Friends Teachers Place of worship School The country you live in Health Food Things to Be Thankful For 7
Questions 1. What did Jane ask Sam when she looked at the newly plowed fields? Jane asked, Sam, why do you plow the rows so crookedly? 2. What did Sam and Jane think about each other s work? Sam and Jane thought each other s job was easy. Jane didn t appreciate the kind of work Sam was doing; she thought his job was easy. Sam didn t appreciate the kind of work Jane was doing; he thought her job was easy. We need to learn to respect and appreciate each other s work. The Bible says, Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality (Romans 12:10-13). 3. When they went to bed that night, what did they dream about? Sam and Jane dreamed of all the fun things they would do with their spare time. In your planning of your future, make sure you always put the Lord in your plans. Things don t always turn out the way you think they should. With the Lord as your shepherd and guide, you can be assured that everything will turn out for the best when He is your leader. The Bible says, Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit, whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that. But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil (James 4:13-16). 4. What happened in the middle of the night? In the middle of the night, Baby Timmy became hungry and began to cry. 5. What did Jane do when the baby began to cry? Jane poked Sam in the ribs and called sweetly, Sam! 6. What kind of day did Jane say she would have as she got dressed that day? Jane said, This is going to be such an easy day. 7. What was Jane s better idea about feeding the animals? Jane s better idea was to use the tractor to feed the animals. 8. What did Sam say he would do in the afternoon because he had fed the baby in the middle of the night? Sam said, I ll just take a nap this afternoon. 9. As Sam was cracking the eggs for a special breakfast, what kind of day did he think it was going to be? Sam said, This is going to be such an easy day. 10. When Rover spotted Kitty, what did they both do? Rover and Kitty dashed across the floor between Sam s legs. 8
11. What happened to the bowl of eggs when Rover and Kitty dashed between Sam s legs? The bowl of eggs fell on the floor. 12. What happened to Sam as he hurried to get the oatmeal? Sam stepped into the eggs and banged his nose into the kitchen cabinet. 13. What did Sam do when Jane turned the water faucet on outside? Sam turned the faucet on in the basement. 14. What happened to the oatmeal while Sam was in the basement waiting for the bucket to full up with water? The oatmeal was bubbling onto the stove. 15. What did the water in the basement do when Jane turned off the sprinkler system and the outside faucet? The water in the basement came out full force. 16. What happened in the basement? The basement became flooded. Your Job Is Easy 17. What happened when Jane drove the tractor too fast over the rocky road? The trailer hit a rock and overturned, spilling everything onto the road. 18. What happened to Jane as she tried to hold Mama Pig back? Jane slipped, and Mama Pig dragged her through the mud on her face! 19. What did Jane say after she chased the baby pigs, carried them into the pen, and fed all the animals? Jane said, Am I ever glad that s done! That was a lot of work. 20. What did Sam say when he saw the clothes that needed to be washed, dried, and ironed as he was busy scooping up pails of water from the flooded basement? Sam said, How will I ever get everything done? 21. Sam had planned to prepare a special lunch for the children, but since he was so busy, what did he say he would feed them? Sam said, I m going to feed you cold cereal and milk. 22. With all the animals happy and full, and things in the field beginning to settle down, what did Jane say as she walked over to the tractor? Jane said, Now I ll show Sam how to plow! 23. What happened to Jane as she was looking back to make sure she was plowing a straight line? Jane drove the tractor into a large mud puddle. 24. What happened to the tractor as the tires spun in the mud? The tractor sank deeper into the mud. 9
25. What did Manny do when he saw the carrots? Manny jumped up and followed Jane to the tractor. 26. What happened to Jane when she yelled, Go, Manny! Go? Jane was yanked off her feet and dragged through the mud on her face. 27. What did Jane say while she was spitting out mud? Jane said, That s it! I m going home. I don t care if the field is crooked or straight! This is the hardest day of my life! 28. What did Sam say as he was toiling in the basement? Sam said, This has been the hardest day of my life! 29. After Sam and Jane laughed over what had happened to them, what did: A. Sam do and say? Sam gave Jane a hug and apologized, I m sorry for what I said. I ve learned my lesson. I ll never again say your job is easy. B. Jane do and say? Jane gave Sam a kiss and said, I m also sorry for what I said. The work you do sure isn t easy! When we do something wrong to someone, God wants us to apologize to that person. Also, since everyone has sinned against God, we need to apologize to God by repenting of our sins. Peter on the day of Pentecost said to the people, Then Peter said to them, Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). 30. What reaction did the kids have when Jane went back to her job? The kids were pleased. 31. What reaction did the animals have when Sam went back to his job? The animals were pleased. 32. What happened when Jane and Sam went back to their regular jobs? Life went back to being peaceful and pleasant. And that pleased everyone. Since Sam and Jane both went back gladly to their jobs, their life was pleasant and peaceful. Jesus also wants our lives to be filled with joy and peace. Jesus said in John 15:11, These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. And in John 14:27 Jesus said, Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 10