OPENING ACTIVITY: Finding Servants
After students arrive, ask them to think of people who serve them in some way. These may be individuals who serve them regularly (such as a grocery store clerk) or who only serve them occasionally (such as a bank teller). Make a list on a board or sheet of newsprint.
This week we will look at how Jesus gave His disciples some key truths that help define the job description of someone who serves God.
OPENING STORY: [Read aloud or hand out copies for students to read]
‘THE LEAST OF THESE’ MOVIE ABOUT MARTYRED MISSIONARY SET FOR EARLY 2019 RELEASE
An upcoming Stephen Baldwin movie based on the life of an Australian missionary martyred in India in 1999 is slated for release in early 2019.
Titled The Least of These, the plot centers on the life of Graham Staines, who along with his two young sons was killed while ministering to lepers. Director Aneesh Daniel said, “It is the nature of the parable that said, what you have done to the least of these, you have done to me also. Graham cared for the lepers because he was caring for Christ.”
Skypass Entertainment, which oversees production, announced that the film will be released early in 2019 to mark 20 years since Staines’s martyrdom.
Victor Abraham, head of Skypass and executive producer for the film, said in a statement that the movie “beautifully illustrates the power of love, hope and forgiveness to overcome hate.”
“It is the very edict of the commandment to love your neighbor as you love yourself,” he added.
Originally titled “Staines,” the film was shot on location near Hyderabad, India, and tells the story of the missionary through the perspective of a fictional young journalist named Manav Banerjee.
“When speculation mounts that Graham Staines [Stephen Baldwin] illegally proselytizes [shares the Gospel with] leprosy patients, Manav agrees to investigate undercover for the newspaper,” Skypass says. “What Manav finds is a series of revelations that are difficult to fathom and even harder to explain, forcing him to make a choice between his own ambition and the truth.”
The film stars Baldwin as Staines, Bollywood star Sharman Joshi as Banerjee, and is directed by Aneesh Daniel, with a soundtrack that includes songs by Michael W. Smith, Nicole C. Mullen, and TobyMac.
In an interview with The Christian Post earlier this year, Stephen Baldwin explained that he believed that God called him to do the movie, adding that it was an answer to prayer and “empowered by the Holy Spirit….He is the never-ending, immeasurable power of God, and we just need to be reminded of that.”
Now have your students form small groups to discuss their answers to these questions.
- Who comes to mind when you think about serving “the least of these”?
- Why would serving “the least of these” be controversial?
- When have you served another Christian brother or sister in need at home, in the community, or at church?
- Would you serve others if doing so was dangerous or even life-threatening? Explain your answer.
News Sources
Michael Gryboski,
https://www.christianpost.com/news/stephen-baldwin-movie-the-least-of-these-martyred-missionary-early-2019-release-228116/
Watch the movie trailer here:
https://theleastofthese.movie/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/261391.stm
