Story telling with coloured cards: the calling of Levi (Luke 5: 27-32)

We're always trying different ways to tell stories in visual ways, so here is what we tried today in our scaled down summer group!


You will need: small square shaped cards- 1 gold, 5 double sided cards, green one side and red on the other
4 green cards with red stripes

Jesus (Gold card)

...met a tax collector called Levi.  In Jesus day people thought that Tax Collectors were not good people and, like everyone, Levi had done things that he was sorry for doing.  Jesus said to Levi "Follow me!"

Levi got up, left his things and followed Jesus.  Jesus, forgave his sins and helped him to change his life and come closer to God (turn card over to become green).

That night, Jesus had dinner at Levi's house with other tax collectors (red cards).

Some Pharisees (stripy cards to show that, though they are following the law, they are not changed in the way that Levi and Jesus' followers are) saw what Jesus was doing and said "Why are you having dinner with these people?  They aren't good people!"

Jesus told them: "I did not come to help the people who think they are good, but to help those who have done wrong things to say sorry and to change their lives"  (turn the red cards over and take the stripy cards away).  We then discussed how we can say sorry to Jesus for the wrong things we have done and he will forgive us and help us to follow him like Levi did.

Using the cards, there was then discussion in the group about the fact that the 'Pharisee' cards could be turned over to a purely green side so there was hope for the Pharisees to join in Jesus' life changing, but they were not willing to do so.  We also led on to discussions about how Jesus loves everyone, including people we might look on as being 'bad'.  Everyone has the potential to say sorry and let Jesus change their lives.