Lesson Learned: Jesus heals the paralyzed man.
Materials Needed: piece of string, pipe cleaners, chair or string
Bible Verse:
Luke 5:17-26
17 One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. 18 Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. 19 When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.
20 When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
21 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
22 Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? 23 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 25 Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. 26 Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”
Talking Points: The man in this story couldn’t walk. He had 4 very kind and caring friends and they carried this man all the way to the house that Jesus was in so that he could see Jesus. When they got to the house, there were so many people there they couldn’t get through the door. So, they climbed up on the roof, made a hole in the roof, and lowered the man down to see Jesus.
When Jesus saw the paralyzed man and the faith they had that Jesus could heal them, Jesus said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven. Take your mat and get up and walk.” Immediately the man stood up and walked and praised God. It was a true miracle that demonstrated that Jesus was the Son of God!
Questions: Have you ever been sick before? How did you feel? Did you pray to God to heal you? Did you believe that He would heal you?
Activity:
Work with the child to fashion a person out of the pipe cleaners. Then, tie the string around the man’s waist. Reenact the story by letting the child stand on a stool or chair and let them lower them man down to the ground. Pretend to heal the man and praise God when he grabs his mat and is healed.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for everything You do. Thank You for all Your miracles, especially this one where You healed the man so he could walk again. Please heal us when we are sick so we can glorify You. Amen!