LeSSon 19 Jesus Heals the Sick This lesson contains several stories and can be divided into two or more lessons. Summary of Today s Story In chapters 8 and 9 in the Gospel of Matthew, we hear many stories of Jesus healing people: A leper (Matthew 8:1-4) A Roman centurion s servant (Matthew 8:5-13) Peter s mother-in-law and others (Matthew 8:14-17) The Gadarene demoniacs (Matthew 8:28 9:1) A paralyzed man (Matthew 9:2-8) A dead girl and a hemorrhaging woman (Matthew 9:18-25) Two blind men (Matthew 9:27-31) A mute man (Matthew 9:32-34) Where You ll Find Today s Story In the Bible We recommend the New Revised Standard Version Bible. Matthew 8 9 In Children s Bibles If you plan to use a children s Bible for storytelling, write the page numbers of today s story in the space below. In our Sunday Lectionary Today s stories are told in church from the other gospels, not from Matthew.
2 LeSSon # TITLe WeavIng our FaITh, Year 1 Weaving our Story with the Biblical Story Both Jewish (Talmudic) and early Christian sources agree that Jesus performed miracles and healing during his lifetime. In Matthew, Jesus healing ministry follows his preaching of the Sermon on the Mount in which he proclaims the kingdom of God. Then he brings the kingdom to earth by bringing people to wholeness, which is the beginning of bringing all of creation to wholeness. Having shown Jesus as Messiah of the word, Matthew now presents Jesus as the Messiah of the deed. Jesus healing power does not prove that he is the Son of God. He is not the Son of God because he healed the sick. Rather, his healing is a sign of God s presence in him, God working in him as in no other person. The healings are a sign that God, through Jesus, is healing God s creation, which God promised to do in the fullness of time. Jesus is God with us. Remember, in the Old Testament, we learned that God stays with us no matter what. Here, Jesus shows himself as the abiding presence of God, making us whole. The episcopal Thread Episcopalians take a holistic approach to healing. We ask for healing, not curing, knowing that God s way of healing may not be our way. When praying for someone and confused about what to ask for, we often say, We entrust all who are dear to us to your never-failing care and love knowing that you are doing for them better things than we can desire or pray for (BCP, p. 831). However, the church also recognizes the need to ask God for healing, following Jesus ministry of healing. The sacramental rite of Unction of the Sick, also called Ministration to the Sick (BCP, p. 453-461), involves anointing the sick with holy oil or the laying on of hands to summon God s grace in healing the spirit, mind and body. This suggests a holistic approach to healing, asking God not so much to cure our disease but to make us whole. Many Episcopal churches also offer anointing or laying on of hands at regular services, including Sunday services. Special services of prayer and healing are also offered at times of critical need. For prayers for the sick or for use by a sick person, see The Book of Common Prayer, pages 458-461. And who are those that are healed? In these stories, they are often the outcasts those who are by Jewish law unclean because of their illnesses. There is the leper, a demoniac, a woman with a hemorrhage. There is also the servant of a Gentile soldier, a nod to Jesus reaching out to the whole world. Jesus allows access to salvation to all, including those we consider to be outcasts. As we follow Jesus, we, too, can offer our hospitality and open our arms to all people.
3 LeSSon # TITLe WeavIng our FaITh, Year 1 gathering As children begin to arrive have them share stories about hurts that they have had or that other people whom they know have had. This will be a lesson on compassion, so be gentle with this sensitive topic. Primary children are often eager to talk about illness and injury. Preschool children would enjoy a box of play medical equipment. If an additional activity is needed, have them draw a get-well card for the homebound in your church or for someone they know who is sick or injured. Older children may also use this time to catch up with each other on the past week s events and enjoy a brief time of fellowship, which is important for building friendships and community. When everyone has arrived and you are ready to begin the lesson, gather the children together and say a simple opening prayer, such as: Dear God, bless those who are here today [add names], and those in our class who are absent. And bless this hour that we have together learning about you, Lord, and with your Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Telling the Story Today s stories there are nine or ten of them are wonderful stories about healing miracles. Read them aloud from a children s Bible, showing the pictures, tell the story in your own words, or read from the version of the stories we provide, found on pages 8-14. people whole and curing the sick, so feel free to expand on this lesson. Here are a couple of different ways you might tell these stories. Drama: Pick the stories you want to focus on and write the titles in large letters on separate pieces of paper. You might also add a short summary of each story under its title. At the beginning of each story, hold up the title, then tell the story and invite the children to act it out. Assign the parts or ask for volunteers. Give the children who will be playing the parts the paper with the story title to use as a guide and/or as an opening marquee. You ll find several suggestions of ways to dramatize a story on pages 6-7 in the Appendix at the end of this document. Expressive storytelling: Put yourself in the place of the afflicted people. Imagine and express their sense of gratitude and awe at being made well! The Story of the Gadarene Demoniacs (Matthew 8:28-9:1) is a good story for a different kind of expressive storytelling. This story is the closest the Gospels come to comic storytelling and could be told with great fun and imagination! To the Israelites, pigs were not only unclean but funny. To Gentiles (non-jews), the Jews horror of pigs was a subject for laughter and teasing. Some people jokingly call this the story of deviled ham! A few props might make this story even more lively. For ideas, see Storytelling Enhancements on pages 2-3 in the Appendix on the Website. After telling the stories, proceed to Prayer, saving any discussion for later, while having snacks or doing an activity. You may pick a few stories to tell or you can spend two or more weeks on this lesson and tell all the stories. Jesus healing ministry is an important part of his work and reflects the importance of making
4 LeSSon # TITLe WeavIng our FaITh, Year 1 Prayer Set up a small worship center in your classroom. Materials small table with a cloth to cover it 2 candles or a single large Christ candle matches Bible cross optional: flowers (real, fake or handmade by the children) Have the children set up a simple altar with the materials listed above. Invite them to place on the altar any drawings or crafts that they created during Gathering time. Then light the candles. Read one or two verses from today s scripture to help the children connect the story that they just heard with the Bible. If working with older children, you might expand the reading to several verses. Suggestions for the reading: For younger children: Matthew 8:14-15 ( Jesus heals Peter s mother-in-law) For older children: Choose a story of a single healing. See the section Summary of the Story for Bible verses. Help familiarize the children with our liturgy by doing the reading as it is done in church. Read as follows: Reader: A reading from the Gospel of Matthew: (Read the selected passage.) Reader: The word of the Lord. All: Thanks be to God. Invite the children to sit in a circle and join in prayer. Say a brief prayer yourself then invite prayers from each child in the circle: Invite prayers for those who are sick or injured. Encourage the children to offer prayers for anyone they know who is sick or injured. Add your own prayers for members of your church who you know are not well. Invite prayers of thanks for God s work in our lives during the past week. Ask children to remember when God has guided them or helped them, whether in school or at home, with friends or family or strangers. Encourage praise and thanksgiving! Ask if anyone has had a birthday or celebrated a special day during the past week and give thanks for these special times. End the prayer time by praying together the Lord s Prayer. Carefully extinguish the candles.
5 LeSSon # TITLe WeavIng our FaITh, Year 1 Sharing Pass out snacks and say a simple grace, such as: Give us grateful hearts, O Lord, for all your gifts, and make us mindful of the needs of others, in Jesus name. Amen. Or: For this good food and for the people who made and brought it, let us thank the Lord. Amen. Or invite children to share favorite table graces from camp or home. This is a good time, while sharing a snack, to discuss the stories that were read or told or acted out today. Remind children that the people in the stories had long-lasting or permanent illnesses. Encourage children to put themselves in the places of those people. You might ask: How does it feel to be sick for so long? How do you think it felt to be made well? What would you do if you were made better by someone? Children can easily connect these stories of illness and healing with their own lives. Jesus heals our hearts and our minds as well as our bodies. Ask: What are times that we have felt sick in heart (heartbroken), in mind (anxious or worried, afraid), or in body? How can Jesus make us well? Can we trust him in the way that the hemorrhaging woman or the centurion did?
6 LeSSon # TITLe WeavIng our FaITh, Year 1 activities: arts, Crafts, games, Drama, etc. After Sharing, begin an activity to supplement and enhance today s story. While the children are doing an activity, talk about the story so that they make the connection. activities For ThIS Week S SeSSIon Suggested story-related activities are provided at the end of this lesson on pages 15-22. Additional activity ideas can be found on pages 3-6 in the Appendix where we ve provided suggestions and directions for a variety of general activities that can be adapted to any lesson. Also included are outreach and service projects that can be done at any time. Take-home Paper At the end of this lesson you will find a two-page take-home paper for families called Threads. Threads provides parents with a briefer version of the information on scripture and Episcopal faith found in the introduction to the lesson, as well as multiple suggestions for household activities and prayer. Parents can use Threads to continue each child s classroom experience at home throughout the week. We suggest duplicating and distributing these two pages to children and/or their parents at the end of each lesson.
7 LeSSon # TITLe WeavIng our FaITh, Year 1 Memorization Encourage the children to continue to memorize the Lord s Prayer and the Beatitudes. You ll find suggestions for ways to help the children with their memorization on page 15 in the Appendix on the Website. Weaving our Faith As the class draws to a close, help the children weave together the lesson and say what they learned today by asking questions such as: What were today s stories about? Who was in all of these stories? What did he do for all of the people? Closing Prayer Before the children leave, say a closing prayer to send them into the church worship service or back to their homes with God s love and blessing. The prayer can be very simple, such as this one: Thank you, God, for being with us when we are sick and when we are well. Be with us this week and guide us in whatever we do and wherever we go, in Jesus name. Amen. End the class with a dismissal that is used in church, such as: The peace of the Lord be always with you. The children respond: And also with you. Encourage the children to recall key words or phrases from today s stories such as: healed, miracle, thankfulness.
MaTTheW 8 9, especially 8:1-4; 8:5-13; 8:14-17; 8:28 9:1; 9:2-8; 9:18-25; 9:27-31; 9:32-34 Everybody s sick! We need a doctor! Who will come and make us well? Pleas for help I am a leper. I have sores all over my body and everybody stays away from me. They are afraid they will get these sores, too. In fact, I can t even live at home. I live in an old dump with other lepers. I will live here all my life, unless unless somebody comes and makes me well. I am a Roman soldier. I am called a centurion because I am in charge of a hundred soldiers. My servant is very sick. He is paralyzed he can t move. So I am seeking help for him. Please help my good servant! I am lying in bed with a fever. I am very, very hot. I don t know if I have the flu, or scarlet fever, or something a lot worse. I can t serve dinner to my son Peter and his friends when I am this sick. I wish I could afford a doctor to make me well. They call me a demoniac. That means I have a demon inside me. I spend my time with another demoniac, because we are fierce and mean, and nobody else can be with us. We might hurt somebody. We can t get rid of these demons! My friend is paralyzed. He had a bad accident and now can t walk. He lives and sleeps on a mat all day. But he is my friend, and I want to help him. I wish he could use his legs so we can take walks together again. I bet a man of God could heal him. Help me find this man of God! 8 LeSSon 19 JeSuS heals The SICk WeavIng our FaITh, Year 1 STorY
I have been bleeding for 12 years! I am weak from losing all this blood, a little at a time. And Israelites believe that when you are bleeding, you are unclean and need to stay away from people. So I have been all by myself for all these years. No one will be with me. No doctor has ever been able to stop me from bleeding. Is there a doctor who can help me? At least you are alive! My daughter just died! Can somebody bring her back to life? My friend and I are blind. We can t do anything but beg in the streets. Can somebody give our eyesight back to us so we can see again? I am a demoniac, too. The demon inside me stops me from talking. I have not been able to say a word for many years. Please take this demon from me, somebody! Jesus is this somebody. When he is here, people are healed of their sicknesses. Here are their stories. Jesus heals a leper Jesus has just taken a hike in the mountains. When he comes down, a huge crowd is there waiting for him. At the back of the crowd is a poor leper, dressed in old rags, sores all over him. He runs through the crowd. The people back away from him. Eew! A leper! Get away from him! Don t touch him! The leper runs up to Jesus and kneels before him. Lord, if you choose, you can make me well. Jesus touches the man. No one dares to touch a leper, but Jesus does. Jesus says to him, I do choose. Be well! Suddenly there are no more sores. The man is healed! He runs through the crowd. They are amazed, but they don t back away from him anymore. Jesus heals a roman centurion s servant A Roman soldier comes up to Jesus. Usually the Romans stay away from him. He has come to serve his people Israel mostly, and they know it. But this one knows about Jesus and believes in his healing powers. He says to Jesus, Lord, 9 LeSSon 19 JeSuS heals The SICk WeavIng our FaITh, Year 1 STorY ConTInueD
my servant is lying at home sick. He is paralyzed and can t move, so I come to you for him. He is suffering and I can t bear to see him suffer like this. Jesus says, Show me where your home is. I will come and make him well. But the soldier says, No, Lord. I do not deserve to have you come to my house. All I ask you to do is speak the word, and my servant will be well. I know that you have the power to make things happen just by speaking the word. I too am a person with power over my soldiers. When I say Go over there, he goes over there. When I say Come over here, he comes. When I say to my servant, Do this, he does what I tell him. I know that you can do the same thing, for you also are a man with power. Jesus is surprised. This man really believes in him, without needing special signs! No one else that Jesus has met has such faith in him! Jesus says to him, Then go home. You have such faith, and what you wish will be done. When the soldier goes him, the servant is well again. Peter s mother-in-law is sick Jesus decides to visit Peter s house. Peter s mother-in-law (his wife s mother) is a good hostess and always welcomes Jesus into their house for meals. But today she is very sick. She has a high fever. Now she is lying in bed. Jesus goes to say hello to her. When he touches her, her fever goes away. Her face is not hot anymore, and she feels strong and well. She gets up from her bed and does what she wants to do most to welcome Jesus and all of Peter s friends, and to make them a nice meal. The news has spread. Jesus is at Peter s house, and he just made Peter s mother-in-law well, just by touching her! Soon, many sick people come to Peter s door. They too want Jesus to heal them. They have diseases, demons and all sorts of sickness, and Jesus makes them well, too. Then he goes to bed. It has been a long, long day. Demons! The next day, Jesus decides to go to some towns on the other side of the sea. He gets into a boat with his disciples. When they land on the other side, who 10 LeSSon 19 JeSuS heals The SICk WeavIng our FaITh, Year 1 STorY ConTInueD
should meet them but two men and two demons! The demons are within the men, so the men are called demoniacs. No one comes near to them because they are strong and fierce and dangerous. They live in the tombs, where people bury their dead. There is no other place they can live. The men are just coming out of the tombs when Jesus comes to the shore. The demons inside them make them speak to Jesus. They shriek, What do you have to do with us, Son of God? When we are evil and you are holy, your presence torments us! Jesus looks at them. Here are men on the outside, but demons on the inside. The men need help. They need help just being human again. Jesus looks around. Way out in the distance, he sees a herd of pigs, eating. The demons inside the men see the pigs, too. They say to Jesus, If you throw us out of these men, at least send us into those pigs. Jesus says, Go! The demons rush out of the men and with a loud swoosh, they go into the bodies of the pigs. The pigs, now filled with the demons energy, rush down a steep hill and right into the sea. Then they die in the sea, along with the demons. The two men are free from their demons! Now they can go find a home in the town. Now they are well. Jesus has made them well. a paralyzed man gets his legs back Now Jesus wants to go back to his own town. He gets into his boat with his disciples, crosses the sea, and gets out. He sees a little knot of people gathered around a bundle. The bundle is a man, lying on a bed. The people are his friends. They have brought this man to Jesus. The man is paralyzed. His legs do not work. He lies on this bed all day and all night, and his friends take care of him. Now, they are taking care of him in the best way they know how by bringing the man to Jesus. Jesus has made many people well! Maybe Jesus can make him walk. Jesus looks at the friends, then at the man. He looks at Jesus with hope in his eyes. 11 LeSSon 19 JeSuS heals The SICk WeavIng our FaITh, Year 1 STorY ConTInueD
Jesus says to him, Take heart, son. Cheer up. Your body, mind, spirit are all well now. Even your sins are forgiven. Some of the strangers around Jesus mutter, What does he mean? How can he forgive sins? Only God can do that? But Jesus says to them, Just so you know that I tell the truth, let me know say to this man Then he turns around and bends down to the man lying on the bed. He says to him, Stand up. Take your bed and go home. The man looks at Jesus and sees the truth in his eyes. Slowly he wiggles his toes, then he moves his legs. They can move! He can walk! He stands up straight and tall. Then with his friends around him, hugging him, he goes home. a bleeding woman and a dead girl The Jews worship God in a synagogue, just like we worship God in a church. The leader of the synagogue has a little daughter, and she is very sick. Suddenly she dies. The leader hurries to find Jesus. Maybe he can help. The man is crying. My little daughter just died, he says. Please, come and lay your hand on her. If you just touch her, she will live again, I know it. Please, please help me! The man turns to go home. Jesus is following him, with his disciples walking behind him. Suddenly Jesus feels something strange. Somebody has just touched his cloak. Now, there is a huge crowd around Jesus, all jostling around each other to be near him. A lot of people are touching his cloak as they get near to him. But this one is different. Jesus feels his healing power get drawn out of him. Who just touched me? he asks as he turns around to where the touch was. A woman is kneeling on the ground in front of him. She has been bleeding for 12 years. Doctors cannot stop the bleeding. She is weak from losing a little blood every day. But most of all, she is lonely. When you are bleeding, according to the law, you can t be with other people. You have to go off by yourself. But she believes no, she knows that Jesus can make her well. She thinks, If I only 12 LeSSon 19 JeSuS heals The SICk WeavIng our FaITh, Year 1 STorY ConTInueD
touch his cloak, I will be well again. He is so powerful, all I need to do is touch his cloak. Nothing else. Just touch his cloak. He won t even know what I did, but I will be well. But Jesus does notice. When he sees her, fallen on her knees, afraid that Jesus will scold her, he says to her, Take heart, daughter. Cheer up. Do not worry. You have had faith, and your faith made you well. It is true. She has stopped bleeding. She runs from Jesus, praising God and jumping for joy. Back to the dead girl Now Jesus has to be on his way. The synagogue leader is impatient. His daughter is dead! Please hurry! Jesus comes to the man s house and goes inside. He sees people playing flutes and other people crying and moaning. They do this whenever somebody dies. But Jesus has another plan in mind. Go away, he says to these people. The little girl is not dead! She is just sleeping! The people are puzzled. Of course she is dead! They laugh at what Jesus is saying. But they go outside anyway. Jesus goes into the girl s room and sees her lying on the bed. He takes her by the hand and lifts her up. She opens her eyes, squeezes Jesus hand, and gets up. When her father sees her get up, he cries. When she sees him, she cries. And they hug for a long time. She is not dead! Two blind men need their eyes back Jesus leaves the house where the little girl is now sitting with her father and mother. They are happy. As he walks a little way down the path, two blind men come out from the shadows of the bushes and start to follow him. Both men cry out loudly, Have mercy on us, Son of David! They say this over and over again. Have mercy on us, Son of David! 13 LeSSon 19 JeSuS heals The SICk WeavIng our FaITh, Year 1 STorY ConTInueD
Jesus knows what they are asking for. They want to be able to see again. They want their eyes to work again. Jesus turns around to look at them. Then he says, Do you really believe I can do this for you? He never tells them what this is. But they know. Both men say together, Yes, Lord. They are sure. Jesus says to them, As you have faith, let it be done to you. And they have faith! Their eyes open up and they can see. They run off telling everybody how Jesus gave them back their eyesight, even though Jesus told them not to tell anyone. How can you keep such a secret anyway? now, a man who cannot talk As humans, we have parts of our body that let us see, and hear, and walk, and talk. Jesus has helped blind people to see, deaf people to hear, paralyzed people to walk. Now, somebody brings to him a man who cannot talk. There is a demon inside him, his friends say, that keep him from saying any words. He has not opened his mouth to say any words for a long, long time. Jesus orders the demon, Get out of this man! Leave him, now! Suddenly the man opens his mouth and speaks. What does he say? We hope he says, Thank you! 14 LeSSon 19 JeSuS heals The SICk WeavIng our FaITh, Year 1 STorY ConTInueD
STICk PuPPe TS for Preschool, Primary Children make stick puppets. Materials: People Patterns (p. 16) or make up your own craft sticks crayons or markers scissors glue Preparation: Make a copy of the People Patterns for each child. Directions: Invite each child to make a stick puppet. Help the younger children as needed: 1. Let the children color the people as they wish, and then cut them out. 2. Glue the people onto the craft sticks. 15 LeSSon 19 JeSuS heals The SICk WeavIng our FaITh, Year 1 CraFT
P eople PaTTernS 16 LeSSon 19 JeSuS heals The SICk WeavIng our FaITh, Year 1 CraFT ConTInueD
C L ayworks for Primary, elementary Children discover what it s like to create with clay, without the benefit of sight. Materials: clay, either air-drying or nondrying markers Directions: 1. Give each child a lump of clay. Ask the children to close their eyes and keep them shut. Have them fashion a bowl or other utensil. A coil bowl can be made by rolling a long rope-like piece and winding it around. 2. Alternately, you might want to have them divide their clay into two equal pieces, making one item with eyes closed and the second with eyes open, and then comparing the differences. 3. If using Crayola Model Magic air-drying clay, let the finished items dry until the following week, and then children can decorate. 17 LeSSon 19 JeSuS heals The SICk WeavIng our FaITh, Year 1 CraFT
Children learn about and use the Braille alphabet. Materials: copies of Braille Alphabet, (p. 19), 1 per child safety or straight pins stiff paper rulers pens or pencils black markers BraILLe e xercise S for elementary, Intermediate Directions: 1. Have the children write one of the following scripture verse in Braille. Show them how to use a pen or pencil to make dots before pricking the holes with a pin. Your eyes are healed because of your faith. Love one another. 2. Here s a tip: Write the verse on the paper, leaving enough space between the letters and an inch above each word, to fit the Braille. Then make dots of each letter, following the guide on the next page. The dots need to be able to be seen on the back side. Note that the dots for the letters are in grids of two columns across, and three rows down. Students may use a pencil and ruler to make light dividing lines above the printed letters, which will make it easier to get the dots straight. 3. Turn the paper over and mark the dots again, so they re easy to read. 4. Have children turn the paper over to the back side and push the pins through the paper at each dot marked, so the dots will be raised on the front side. 5. Have students write something else of their own in Braille on another piece of paper. Encourage them to share their creations. 18 LeSSon 19 JeSuS heals The SICk WeavIng our FaITh, Year 1 activity
BraILLe alphab e T Courtesy of www.thinkstockphotos.com 19 LeSSon 19 JeSuS heals The SICk WeavIng our FaITh, Year 1 activity ConTInueD
F LIP PeoPLe for Preschool Children make people that appear alternately sad and then happy, according to Jesus healing touch in their lives. Materials: craft sticks (large ones work well), 1 per child small pieces of fabric, 1 per child pens or markers glue scissors Directions: 1. Give each child a craft stick. 2. Let them decorate both ends of the craft stick with faces one happy, the other sad (see illustration). 3. Cut a piece of fabric to fit over and cover half the craft stick (like a skirt, such that it can cover one face, and then the other, when flipped back and forth). Glue this on the stick halfway down. Let dry. 4. When telling a story of Jesus healing a sick person, show the puppet with a sad face when the person is sick. When he s healed, turn him over and show him with the happy face. 20 LeSSon 19 JeSuS heals The SICk WeavIng our FaITh, Year 1 CraFT
Book of PraY ers for Intermediate Children each make a Book of Prayers to give to the homebound or sick in the congregation. Materials: copies of various prayers for different occasions, including the Twenty-Third Psalm (King James Version); prayers for the sick (The Book of Common Prayer, pp. 458-459); prayers for morning and evening (look in the Prayer Book under Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer); other prayers (Prayer Book, pp. 810-841); any other prayers/meditations you may find poster board, cut in 6" x 9" rectangles for the book cover markers assorted decorative elements, especially jewels, sequins and glitter glue hole punch (3-hole works best) thin ribbon, assorted colors, to match or complement the covers Preparation: Make copies of the selected prayers on half-sized white paper (that is, the top and bottom half of 8½" x 11" paper), enough so that each child has one of every prayer. Cut the poster board into 6" x 9" sections. Punch holes in the prayer papers for binding, and in the poster board covers, as well. Directions: Give each child two poster board covers and the selected prayers. Invite them to make a Book of Prayers they can give to someone in need: 1. Have children decorate the front cover with markers and decorative items. Let dry. 2. Assemble the book, starting with the front cover, followed by the selected the prayers in the order desired, and finishing with the back cover. 3. Align the holes in the book, and then tie firmly with ribbons. 21 LeSSon 19 JeSuS heals The SICk WeavIng our FaITh, Year 1 CraFT
BrI ng a FrI end To JeS u S for Preschool, Primary Drawing on the account of his healing the paralytic brought by caring friends, children cooperate to deliver a (balloon) friend to Jesus. Materials: towels, one for every 4 children balloons, one for every towel Directions: Invite the children to work together to help a pretend hurting friend experience Jesus healing touch. Assist the younger children as needed: 1. Divide the class into teams of four children, if possible. Give each team a towel and a balloon. 2. Tell the children that each child on a team must hold one corner of the towel, which serves as a stretcher. Explain that the balloon is their friend, who must be carried because he or she can t walk. Place the balloon in the middle of the towel. 3. At your signal, have each team carry their towel from one side of the room to the other, trying to keep the balloon from falling. If you want to make the game more challenging, you can have the team start over if the balloon falls. If there are enough children, you could even have a relay game with, for example, two teams going up against two other teams. 4. If time permits, mix it up and form new teams, and then play again. Variation: If you have enough children, or an odd number, select one child to play the part of Jesus. Have Jesus stand at the end of the room to touch and heal the balloon friend when each team reaches him. 22 LeSSon 19 JeSuS heals The SICk WeavIng our FaITh, Year 1 activity
Lesson 19: jesus HeALs THe sick We Believe... Episcopalians take a holistic approach to healing. We ask for healing, not curing, knowing that God s way of healing may not be our way. When confused about what to ask for, we often say, We entrust all who are dear to us to your never-failing care and love knowing that you are doing for them better things than we can desire or pray for (BCP, p. 831). The church also recognizes the need to ask God for healing. The sacramental rite of Unction of the Sick, also called Ministration to the Sick (BCP, p. 453-461), involves anointing the sick with holy oil or the laying on of hands to summon God s grace in healing the spirit, mind and body. Today s story: Matthew 8 9 Jesus healing power does not prove that he is the Son of God. He is not the Son of God because he healed the sick. Rather, his healing is a sign of God s presence in him, God working in him as in no other person. The healings are a sign that God, through Jesus, is healing God s creation, which God promised to do in the fullness of time. Jesus is God with us. Remember, in the Old Testament, we learned that God stays with us no matter what. Here, Jesus shows himself as the abiding presence of God, making us whole. And who are those that are healed? In these stories, they are often the outcasts those who are by Jewish law unclean because of their illnesses. There is the leper, a demoniac, a woman with a hemorrhage. There is also the servant of a Gentile soldier, a nod to Jesus reaching out to the whole world. Jesus allows access to salvation to all, including those we consider to be outcasts. As we follow Jesus, we, too, can offer our hospitality and open our arms to all people. Words of Faith Healing part of Jesus ministry was to heal people of illness and disease Miracle an event that cannot be explained by human power or natural law, usually ascribed to God Thankfulness our natural response to the goodness, grace and gifts of God God is with us, whether we are healthy or sick. 2014 by Joanna Leiserson. Published by Morehouse Education Resources, www.morehouseeducation.org. All rights reserved.
sharing In chapters 8 and 9 of the Gospel of Matthew, we hear many stories of Jesus healing people, all of them fascinating; choose one or more to read, either from a children s Bible or your family Bible: a leper (Matthew 8:1-4) a Roman centurion s servant (Matthew 8:5-13) Peter s mother-in-law and others (Matthew 8:14-17) the Gadarene demoniacs (Matthew 8:28 9:1) a paralyzed man (Matthew 9:2-8) a dead girl and a hemorrhaging woman (Matthew 9:18-25) two blind men (Matthew 9:27-31) a mute man (Matthew 9:32-34) Reinforce the idea that we can rely on God to help us through times of illness and suffering. This Week at Home Be the healing hands of Jesus for someone. Think of someone you know who is sick, perhaps someone suffering from a chronic illness. Help bring Jesus healing touch to them by visiting them, bringing a card, bringing food, helping with chores, etc. Roleplay one or more of the healing stories collected in today s lesson (found in Matthew 8-9). First pick a story, then read it and talk about what the different characters might have felt and thought, including Jesus. Then assign parts and improvise your own dialogue, expanding on the story. You might let your roleplays play on beyond the miracle itself to what happened later that day, the next day...or even years down the road. Talk about times when you ve been sick or hurt and others helped you. Maybe you fell off your bike, fell on the playground, got a bad case of the flu, were hurt in a car accident... Who was with you? What happened? Did anyone help you out? Can you see God in this incident? Each evening this week at dinner or at bedtime, read together one of the healing stories from this lesson, either from the Bible, or if you have young children in your home, from a children s Bible. Let the stories stand on their own or take time for reflection. What did you like in the story? What did you not like? If you were in the story, who would you be? What do we learn about Jesus from this story? Conclude the discussion by asking, If you could say something to Jesus right now, what would it be? Let this be your closing prayer. Household prayer We pray for all those who are sick or in any kind of trouble today people who are suffering in body, mind or spirit. Give them hope in their troubles, and make them whole again. And as we pray, we know that you are doing for them better things than we can ask or pray for. But we still pray, for we know that you see into our hearts. Amen. Research miraculous healing. Search for healing miracles or miraculous healing online. Read some of the stories. What do you think of these? Does God still perform healing miracles today? Some people think so, but others do not. What s your conclusion? (Note: Not everything you ll find online is reliable or trustworthy. How can you determine what has value and what does not? This is a challenge that has implications far beyond this discussion of healing!) Lesson 19 jesus HeALs THe sick WeAvInG GoD s promises, YeAR 1 2014 by Joanna Leiserson. Published by Morehouse Education Resources, www.morehouseeducation.org. All rights reserved.