Today's lesson in Kindergarten was about the Wise and Foolish builders. The kids have been singing "The Wise Man Built His House on The Rock" since they were babies so this story was familiar to most of them. We talked about what a parable is and the reason Jesus told parables. We did this activity as we talked about why we should build our houses (lives) on a solid foundation (Jesus) and not on the sand! They loved this and thankfully it worked like it was supposed to. I did reinforce the house on the rock by taping the popsicle stick to the bottom of the pan before stacking up the rocks! We couldn't have that house falling too! The last time I tried this some of the rocks wouldn't stay put and the house leaned a little! I wanted it to stand firm this time. Before the storm came! The rains came down! The house on the rock stood firm! A very simple craft. Find pictures of houses and have the kids glue one on a rock and the other sideways on some sand! Another wise and foolish builders song! Found this song here I printed off some coloring pages to use as visuals to go along with the song. I put the words on the back of each picture Tune: This Old Man This wise man, he built well he built well up on a rock When the rains came down And the Floods came up This man's house stood firm and strong! Foolish man, he built wrong he built wrong up on the sand When the rains came down And the Floods came up This man's house came tumbling down!
SONG VISUALS for this song to teach children in Primary and family home evening, choir practice. Sample verse 1: ?The wise man built his house upon the rock,The wise man built his house upon the rock,The wise man built his house upon the rock,And the rains came tumbling down." (and more)
For Jr. Church Sunday I planned on teaching about the wise man and the foolish man. Sunday morning I awoke to a fresh layer of snow covering everything. Of couse, although I had my lesson planned out, I had not gotten my rock or sand for my illustration. So in my Sunday shoes I went out and trudged around the church playground to get sand and then went looking to find a big rock. I looked everywhere and could not find one rock that was bigger than a pebble! Finally as I went back in the house I saw one sitting under the tree only few steps from the front door of the parsonage. I was thrilled to find a rock but aggravated I hadn't seen it before. I used simple paper cups for houses and told the kids the story as I poured water on the houses. Of course the house built on the solid foundation stood while the house without the foundation fell. We then talked about how God is the strong foundation that we needed to build our lives (houses) upon. I took a plate and wrote God on it and then took pretzels and frosting and started building a pretzel house. As I laid each piece of the house in place, we talked about how reading our Bibles, obeying, trusting, praying, attending church, ect. all help us to build our strong lives centered on God. I then let each of the kids build their own pretzel houses. It was so much fun to watch their serious little faces as they concentrated so hard on building their houses. I heard several comments later from parents that their kids came home and retold the story and told how they need to build their lives on God. Amen! So nice to know that the kids are listening!
TESTIMONY – CHOICES: Activity Days – Learning and Living the Gospel – Goal 10, learn and live the gospel, wise man and foolish man
The parable of the wise and foolish builders has many practical applications kids can easily understand, and lots of fun activities to do with it.
Our continuing Exploration through the Life of Jesus Has brought us to the time when Jesus is Preaching the Sermon on the Mount. We did a previous lesson on the Beatitudes, Letting Our Light Shine, The Golden Rule and now we are learning about THE WISE AND FOOLISH BUILDERS. . This is always a "fun" lesson to teach KIDDOS. They seem to really understand the point JESUS is making in the story. We added NEW CARDS to our DO You Know? Wall. My Expectation is for the KIDDOS to be able to answer each of these by the end of the lesson. Our VISUAL Aid for this lesson was an easy choice. I used rocks and sand for our foundations and placed a laminated paper house on each. During the lesson, when we got to the part of the storm, I poured water over both houses. As you can see the house on the sand fell. I ended up moving the visuals into a glass casserole dish...that way I could really pour a lot of water all over the houses and not worry about water getting all over the table. I did laminate my houses...so, I can reuse them in the future. It worked out perfectly. We had three new words to add to our WORD WALL. I chose STORM, BUILDER, & FOUNDATION. Those are important words for the KIDDOS to understand for this lesson to make more sense to them. We Added a NEW Card to our GOD'S AWESOME PLAN FOR MAN Timeline!! This is the SONG we learned with this lesson. The KIDDOS really enjoyed singing this one. I like that it teaches the message about WHO we need to build our life on!! The song can be heard by clicking the following link. The WISE BUILDER SONG....BY RONDA DUVALL Our MEMORY VERSE was Matthew 7:24! To hear the MEMORY VERSE song click on this link. Matthew 7:24 Memory Verse The Kiddo's made a "HOUSES BUILT ON A ROCK" for their TAKE-HOME project. I was excited for the KIDDOS to get to make this TAKE HOME project. It's a great visual reminder for BUILDING OUR LIFE ON THE LORD!! We want to be WISE BUILDERS! This week our REVIEW Game was a FUN one!! The KIDDOS had a paddle with both a well built house and a crumbling house on it. We would read a circumstance card to the KIDDOS...they would have to choose if the person on the card was building their life on JESUS or not. If the person on the card was building their life on JESUS, they would hold up the strongly built house. If they person was NOT building their life on JESUS, the KIDDOS would hold up the house that was crumbling and falling down. The KIDDOS did REALLY well with this game and enjoyed spinning their houses!! As you know, the second week of the LESSON is when we REVIEW. It gives me opportunity to correct any misunderstandings. It also, gives opportunities for the KIDDOS who missed class the first week to "CATCH UP." This is the Week we SAY our MEMORY VERSE from MEMORY and We do an ACTIVITY we add to our EXPLORER JOURNAL. This LESSON'S EXPLORER JOURNAL ACTIVITY was simple one...ON one side the page had a ROCK foundation that the KIDDOS added. On the other side the KIDDOS spread glue and added sand. Then the KIDDOS built a good strong house from nicely cut craft stick upon the ROCK and a HOUSE in pieces (I broke several craft sticks to give them the broken down look) upon the sand. The KIDDOS LOVED making this EXPLORER JOURNAL ACTIVITY. I am thoroughly enjoying teaching through the Life of Christ. The KIDDOS are learning so much about JESUS our LORD. Blessings, Ronda
Use the Wise or Foolish? Coloring Page as a fun activity for your next children's sermon.
Click on the preview image below to download this free coloring sheet in print-friendly PDF format. We've also uploaded the JPEG version if you need to Coloring Pages "Wise and Foolish Builders" Coloring Page Matthew 7:24 House on the Rock
Looking for some entertaining and wise words to brighten up your day? Check out these 20 funny chinese proverbs that will right your wong.
The Wise and the Foolish Virgins From a Picture Bible French (St. Omer), c. 1190-1200 The Hague, Koninklijk Bibliotheek MS KB 76 F 5, fol. 31v “Jesus told his disciples this parable: "The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight, there was a cry, 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise ones replied, 'No, for there may not be enough for us and you. Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.' While they went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked. Afterwards the other virgins came and said, 'Lord, Lord, open the door for us!' But he said in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.' Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour." (Matthew 25:1-13, Gospel for the Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A) The Gospel reading for this Sunday, the thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time in the Year A cycle, is the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. In it the Gospel writer, Matthew, is issuing a warning for those with ears to hear. This rather amusing story seems on the surface to describe a situation akin to one during an emergency in the modern world, in which one neighbor discovers that he is out of batteries and begs his more prudent neighbor to give him some of his. However, what Matthew is actually describing is the end of things, both at the personal level of each person’s life and at the universal level of the end of the world. The season of Advent is approaching, with its reminders of the end of time and its urgent calls for personal change of heart and mind. The last sentence today reminds us to “stay awake, for you know neither the day not the hour”. This is, indeed, the theme of the next few weeks as the liturgical year ends and a new one begins. We must "stay awake". Hopefully, each person will imitate the wise virgins, who were ready when the bridegroom arrived, and not the foolish ones who found themselves wanting at the decisive moment and, arriving late to the party, were denied admission. For the Bridegroom is Christ and the wedding feast is eternal life and the oil for the lamps represents our level of preparation for the moment of our death. Master of Edward IV, The Wise and the Foolish Virgins From the Vita Christi Flemish (Bruges), c. 1487-1490 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M 894, fol. 233v Here the wise virgins are shown already in the banqueting house, with their lamps alight, while the improvident foolish ones find themselves locked out. Artists have been depicting this parable since medieval times, but over time there has been a subtle change in what the works of art are saying. In the earlier centuries, the women are simply presented as having lighted lamps or having lamps that are empty of oil. Quite often the division is reinforced by showing the wise virgins wearing crowns, while the foolish ones are bare headed. Also, the lamps of the foolish are frequently shown pointing down, indicating that they are empty. The Wise and the Foolish Virgins Single Leaf from a Psalter English (Canterbury), c. 1155-1160 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M 521v, Zone 1 The Foolish Virgins German, c. 1245 Magdeburg, Cathedral The foolish virgins lament their empty lamps. I particularly appreciate the gesture of the second from the left. The Wise Virgins German, c. 1245 Magdeburg, Cathedral Meanwhile, the wise virgins appear to be happy with their situation. Christ with the Wise and the Foolish Virgins From a Bible Byzantine (Constantinople), c. 1250 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Grec 54, fol. 91r Christ in Heaven with the Wise and the Foolish Virgins and a Bishop Preaching From the Bestiaire divin by Guillaume le Clerc English, c. 1250-1300 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Francais 14969, fol. 17r The Wise and the Foolish Virgins From the Speculum humanae salvationis Swiss (Basle), 15th Century Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Latin 512, fol. 42r Claes Brouwer, the Alexander Master, The Wise and the Foolish Virgins From a History Bible Dutch (Utrecht), c. 1430 The Hague, Koninklijk Bibliotheek MS KB 78 D 38 II, fol. 184v Hektor Mullich and Georg Mullich, The Wise and the Foolish Virgins From s German Textual Miscellany German, c. 1450-1460 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M 782,fol. 75r The Foolish Virgins Beg for Oil from the Wise Virgins From the Egmont Breviary Dutch (Utrecht), c. 1435-1445 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M 87, fol. 331r Jean Colombe, The Wise and the Foolish Virgins From the Vita Jesu Christi by Ludolph of Saxony French (Bourges), c. 1475-1500 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Francais 178, fol. 174v However, in the fifteenth century, artists began to focus more on the implications of the story for the foolish virgins, those who were unready for the arrival of the bridegroom. In a page from a collection of manuscript pages associated with the Carthusian order now in the British Library and dated to around 1425, we see the bridegroom, Christ, in His castle with His bride (the Church). Angels lead the wise virgins, with their lighted lamps, to heaven, while one of the angels bars the foolish, with their empty lamps, with a sword. The Wise and the Foolish Virgins From The Carthusian Miscellany English, c. 1425-1475 London, British Library MS Additional 37049, fol. 80v Other illustrators picked up the same theme. The Wise and the Foolish Virgins From the Speculum humane salvationis Unknown Origin, First Half of the 15th Century Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Latin 9585, fol. 46r Master of Edward IV, The Foolish Virgins From the Speculum humanae salvationis Flemish (Bruges), c. 1485 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Francais 6275, fol. 42r These implications are made even more explicit in a Flemish painting from about 1450 which combines the story of the wise and foolish virgins with the Last Judgment. Each group stands in front of the group to which they will belong. The wise virgins are placed below the group of the saved and are being guided by an angel to reach that group. The foolish virgins are placed in front of the damned and turn sadly away as they realize where they must go. Last Judgment With the Parable of the Wise and the Foolish Virgins Flemish, c. 1450-1480 Berlin, Staatliche Museen A 1469 manuscript depicting the wise and foolish virgins flanking a scene of the Crucifixion is a bit more ambiguous, implying that the foolish ones might still have a chance at salvation through the Blood of Christ. Workshop of Diebold Lauber, Crucifixion with the Wise and the Foolish Virgins From the Tale of Barlaam and Josaphat Alsatian, 1469 Los Angeles, J. Paul Getty Museum MS Ludwig XV, fol. 90v An engraving made by Philips Galle after a design by Pieter Bruegel the Elder sometime around 1550 continues the theme of the parable related to the end of times, but also looks forward to what would become the central theme of painters in the future. In the foreground the two groups spend their waiting time in very different activities. The wise diligently work hard at activities related to the wool trade. They card and spin and embroider, while their foolish counterparts spend their time idly in dancing and playing music, while their lamps lie empty. In the middle ground an angel appears holding a banner which says "Behold, the bridegroom is coming! Go out to meet him!” (Matthew 25:6). In the background Christ, the Bridegroom, welcomes the souls of the wise to heaven, while on the other side of the image, the souls of the foolish face a closed door. On the side of the steps leading to the closed door are the words “I do not know you” (Matthew 25:12). At the bottom of the image are the words with which the foolish begged the wise for some oil, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out”, as well as the reply of the wise “'No, for there may not be enough for us and you”. (Matthew 25:8-9) Phillips Galle after Pieter Bruegel the Elder, The Parable of the Wise and the Foolish Virgins Flemish, c. 1550-1563 New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art Bruegel’s reference to the end of times is a bit of an outlier at this point, for around 1500 the favored scene had changed for artists. They no longer pointed openly to the eternal implications of the parable, but seemed to assume that it was understood. Instead, they began to focus first on the acceptance or rejection of each group by the Bridegroom and then on the ways in which the two groups spent the hours during which they waited for the Bridegroom. Lambert Zutman, called Lambert Suavius III, The Parable of the Wise Virgins Flemish, c. 1530 Paris, Musée du Louvre, Cabinet des dessins Ceramic Plaque with the Parable of the Wise and the Foolish Virgins Austrian, c. 1550-1600 Boston, Museum of Fine Arts Jacopo Tintoretto, The Wise and the Foolish Virgins Italian, c. 1546 Banbury, Warwickshire (UK), Upton House The foolish plead for admission and are refused by the Bridegroom/Christ, who stands looking down from the balcony. These themes were particularly popular in the Netherlands, both Southern (under Spanish rule at the time and now known as Belgium) and Northern (provinces which had broken away from Spain and had formed the Dutch Republic). Several families of artists made this one of their frequent themes, such as the Francken family and the Lisaert family. Jan Collaert I After Ambrosius Francken, The Wise and the Foolish Virgins Thesaurus Novi Testamenti elegantissimis iconibus expressus continens historias atque miracula do[mi] ni nostri Iesu Christi Flemish, 1585 London, British Museum On the left side of the image, the wise virgins diligently concentrate on keeping their lamps filled with oil as they wait. On the right side, the foolish spend their waiting time in idle pursuits, their lamps empty and time forgotten. In the background, Francken still included the ultimate fate of each group. The wise welcomed by the Risen Christ, while the foolish face a closed door. Hieronymous Francken II, The Wise and the Foolish Virgins Flemish, c. 1600 Private Collection In this image the foolish are given more prominence than the wise, who remain in the right background. Once senses that this Francken may have felt more friendly toward the foolish virgins than usual as their pursuits are given more of the picture surface. Hieronymous Francken II, Parable of the Wise and the Foolish Virgins Flemish, c. 1616 St. Petersburg, State Hermitage Museum Pieter Lisaert III, The Foolish Virgins and the Wise Virgins Flemish, c. 1590-1600 Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado Pieter Lisaert IV, The Parable of the Wise and the Foolish Virgins Flemish, c. 1600 Private Collection Jan Saenredam, Parable of the Wise and the Foolish Virgins Dutch, 1605 London, British Museum While the Bridegroom welcomes the first three wise the last two tell the foolish to go to the merchants for oil. Jan Saenradam, The Foolish Virgins Refused Entry Dutch, 1606 Chicago, Art Institute The foolish return from their buying trip to find the doors closed and the terrible words of the Bridegroom issuing from the window above it "Amen dico vobis, nescio vos". In the far right background we can see the scene of welcome created by Saenradam in the engraving above. Other artists depicted the moment of conflict in which the foolish begged the wise for some of their oil and the prudent wise refused to share in case they too would be unready for the arrival of the Bridegroom. Harmen Janszoon Muller After Gerard van Groeningen, The Wise Tell the Foolish to Get Oil from the Merchants Dutch, c. 1565-1572 Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum In France the subject was treated in a new way by the engraver Abraham Bosse, who published a well-known series of engravings called Les Vierges sages et les vierges folles in 1635. In this series Bosse published scenes showing the manner in which each group spent the time awaiting the Bridegroom. The foolish virgins play cards, or play musical instruments or study their reflections in the mirror. They snooze before the fire. Abraham Bosse, The Foolish Virgins Conversing From Les Vierges sages et les vierges folles French, c. 1635 New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art Abraham Bosse, The Foolish Virgins Sleeping From Les Vierges sages et les vierges folles French, c. 1635 New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art Meanwhile, the wise virgins spend their time in earnest discussion of religious topics and are, therefore, alert to the arrival of the Bridegroom. Abraham Bosse, The Wise Virgins Conversing From Les Vierges sages et les vierges folles French, c. 1635 New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art In another image from the series, the two groups meet and the wise refuse to give their oil to the foolish, telling them to go away and buy it. Abraham Bosse, The Wise Virgins Refuse Oil to the Foolish Virgins From Les Vierges sages et les vierges folles French, c. 1635 New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art It is interesting that Bosse underlines the differences between the groups in terms of fashion. The wise virgins are modestly dressed, the shoulders and bosoms of their dresses are covered by large, plain white linen collars. The foolish follow the current court fashion of exposed shoulders and low cut decolletage. While the foolish are trying to make up for their oversight, the Bridegroom arrives and welcomes the wise to the wedding feast. Abraham Bosse, The Wise Virgins Before Christ From Les Vierges sages et les vierges folles French, c. 1635 New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art The final image in the series shows the disconsolate foolish virgins, returned from their errand, only to find that they are locked out of the banqueting hall. Abraham Bosse, The Foolish Virgins Denied Admission From Les Vierges sages et les vierges folles French, c. 1635 New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art These interpretations remain the standard images associated with this parable until well into the nineteenth century. Robert de Baudous After Pieter Feddes van Harlingen, The Wise and the Foolish Virgins Dutch, c. 1650 Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum Domenico Piola, The Wise and the Foolish Virgins Italian, c. 1680-1700 Edinburgh, Royal Scottish Academy of Art and Architecture On Loan to the Scottish National Museums Caspar Luyken, The Wise Virgins and the Bridegroom Dutch, 1708 Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum Godfried Schalcken, The Wise and the Foolish Virgins Dutch, c. 1700 Munich, Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, Alte Pinakothek Jan Luyken, The Foolish Virgins Beg for Oil from the Wise Dutch, 1712 Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum Francesco Zuccarelli, The Wise Virgins Are Ready to Greet the Bridegroom Italian, 1728 New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art Francesco Fontebasso, The Bridegroom and the Foolish Virgins Italian, c. 1760 Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado William Blake, The Parable of the Wise and the Foolish Virgins English, c. 1799-1800 New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art William Etty, The Foolish Virgins English, c. 1830-1849 Dundee (UK), University of Dundee Fine Arts Collections Wilhelm von Schadow, The Parable of the Wise and the Foolish Virgins German, c. 1850-1862 Frankfurt-am-Main, Städel Museum The last few images made, shortly before 1900, have a different outlook. They tend to depict the scene stripped of its relation to the end of the world and are, instead, more focused on the natural level of the story. James Tissot, The Wise Virgins French, 1886-1894 New York, Brooklyn Museum James Tissot, The Foolish Virgins French, 1886-1894 New York, Brooklyn Museum In the pictures by Tissot we see the wise virgins who, though they have fallen asleep, have sufficient oil to keep their lamps brightly lit and the foolish virgins rushing back to the house with the oil they have purchased. We know they will be too late, but they do not. William John Wainwright, The Parable of the Wise and the Foolish Virgins English, 1899 Birmingham (UK), Birmingham Museums Trust Wainwright presents his picture from the point of view of the Bridegroom. The wise virgins are shown with their lighted lamps and the additional jug of oil they had prudently brought with them. In the back, the foolish react to the discovery that they are unprepared for His arrival. Interest in the story has continued into the twentieth- and twenty-first centuries, although interpreted in ways that represent the era in which they were made, being more abstract than the earlier images. However, copyright issues prevent me from including some of these images. © M. Duffy, 2017, additional images added 2023. Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No portion of this text may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
9 February 2012 My kids and I spent the night at my sister's house last night and so there is not a whole lot on the agenda today. My mom...
In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus teaches us how to build our lives on solid ground so that no matter what comes our way, we can be unshakeable.
Being coachable is the key to growing in any area of life, because it allows you to advantage of someone else’s wisdom, experience, and expertise.
A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.
King Solomon used wisdom to lead Israel, but his accomplishments became meaningless when he turned from God. Learn the message his life holds today.
Much has been said of the loneliness of wisdom, and how much the Truth seeker becomes a pilgrim wandering from star to star. To the ignorant, the wise man is lonely because he abides in distant heights of the mind. But the wise man himself does not feel lonely. Wisdom brings him nearer to life; closer to the heart of the world than the foolish man can ever be. Bookishness may lead to loneliness, and scholarship may end in a battle of beliefs, but the wise man gazing off into space sees not an emptiness, but a space full of life, truth, and law.
The Wise man that built his house on the Rock Matthew 7:24-27 The Wise and Foolish Builders Everyone who hears His words an...
