Scripture: Matthew 8:1-4 and 9:1-2, Mark 1:40-45 and 2:1-5 and Luke 5:12-20
Learning Objectives:
- Students will learn Jesus thought it was important to take regular breaks in his ministry to be alone and pray.
- Students will learn Jesus respected the faith of the men who loved their friend enough to do anything to get him to Jesus.
- Students will learn Jesus thinks having our sins forgiven is more important than healing someone of an illness.
- Students will complete a service project where they learn about empathy and make wheelchair bags for the disabled.
Guiding Question: How can students demonstrate empathy through their actions?
Materials: Materials for wheelchair bags
Procedure: Review the story of the Leper and the Paralytic from the scriptures above. Explain that while helping others is important, God wants to make sure that repenting of our sins is a priority. Explain that it is important to continually pray to God – whether that is about how to help someone, needing encouragement, or repenting of our sins. Talk about the meaning of empathy and how it is important to have empathy when talking to or working with people who are sick and/or disabled.
Have a speaker come who has a disability and talk with the students about how to show empathy and love to those with disabilities.(Make contact with this person prior to lesson and provide them enough time to prepare). Have the speaker explain how the students can meet different needs of those who are disabled. When the speaker is finished, have the students create wheelchair bags to donate to organizations serving those who are paralyzed.
Additional Questions: How can students show empathy and love to those who are sick in hospitals?
Supplemental Activity: Have the students work with a local hospital to arrange a time for the students to visit and provide for the children based on their needs.