JESUS
AIM: God shows us His character through Jesus
- God is UNDERSTANDING (Y3 T2 U1a)
Teaching Idea: God shows us He is UNDERSTANDING through Jesus treating the
deaf man as important and unique – God sees us as important individuals who are different from each other
Learning Tool: Bead with ‘UNDERSTANDING’ written on it for bracelet
Bible Verse: “LORD … you know everything I do; from far away you understand all my
thoughts.” Psalm 139:1, 2
Compare the facial difference of two children within the group. Compare their features – the different shapes and sizes. Try to choose two children who are not too sensitive and are willing participants. The aim is to highlight that each child is uniquely different. Ensure comments from the group are not insensitive.
God made each one of us different from the other. We are each special people to Him.
Hand out worksheets and pens. Fill in the worksheet with either small drawings or words. You’ll need a stamp pad to make a fingerprint and a damp cloth (or wet wipes) to clean fingers. As children work make sure that they understand that God knows all these things about them, and that He is glad that they are each different. God treats them as individuals. Encourage the children to take their worksheets home to show their parents or we could display them on the hall wall.
Imagine if one of the special things about you was deafness.
- Do you know any children who are deaf?
- If you were deaf what sort of things would you miss out on?
- When do you think that it would be hardest to be deaf?
- What do you think that it might be like in a crowd if you were deaf?
- If you were deaf, how would you make friends?
The Deaf Man
God knows us all as individuals, and He treats us as individuals. Today’s story is about how Jesus, God’s Son, treated a deaf man as an individual. He showed that He knew and understood that this man was different, and that he needed to be treated differently.
While I read this story from the Bible, listen for the answers to this question:
What does Jesus do for this man which shows that He was treating him as a deaf person with special needs?
Mark 7:31-37
“Jesus then left the neighbourhood of Tyre and went on through Sidon to Lake Galilee, going by way of the territory of the Ten Towns. Some people brought him a man who was deaf and could hardly speak, and they begged Jesus to place his hands on him. So Jesus took him off alone, away from the crowd, put his fingers in the man’s ears, spat, and touched the man’s tongue. Then Jesus looked up to heaven, gave a deep groan, and said to the man, ‘Ephphatha,’ which means, ‘Open up!’
At once the man was able to hear, his speech impediment was removed, and he began to talk without any trouble. Then Jesus ordered the people not to speak of it to anyone; but the more he ordered them not to, the more they told it. And all who heard were completely amazed. “How well he does everything!” they exclaimed. “He even causes the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak!”
What four things did Jesus do which show us that He was treating that man as a special person? (Encourage four different children to give answers)
Use the four small pictures to teach and discuss the ways in which Jesus treated the deaf and dumb man as an individual:
Picture 1
“Jesus took the man off on his own, away from the crowd” (verse 33)
It is likely that Jesus did this to avoid embarrassing the man, because deaf people often find it embarrassing to be in a crowd, not understanding what is going on. Or possibly to avoid the man being frightened of the sudden noise of the crowd when his hearing was restored. Jesus did not always remove people from crowds as He did this man – He was treating him as the individual he was, and meeting his special needs.
Picture 2
“Jesus touched the man’s ears and tongue” (verse 33)
Because the man could not hear, Jesus wanted to communicate with Him so that He would understand what He was going to do. Jesus used a kind of sign language so that the deaf man could understand. Jesus did not always do this. This is another exampled of how this man was treated as an individual. Jesus was going to heal his hearing and his speech and so He touched the parts of the body which were to be healed.
Picture 3
“Jesus spat” (verse 33)
Jesus’ spitting was another sign – people in those days thought that spittle had the power to heal. The deaf man would understand that Jesus meant to heal him when he saw Him spitting.
Picture 4
“Jesus looked up to heaven” (verse 34)
This was another piece of sign language to help the deaf man understand what He was going to do. It is likely that the deaf man would understand that Jesus was praying and looking to God for His help to heal him.
As you display each heading you may like to ask:
Why do you think Jesus did this?
In what way was Jesus’ action something especially for the deaf and dumb man?
They are very difficult questions, but give them the opportunity to think for themselves. Keep emphasising that this man was an individual with special needs, and that Jesus knew that and treated him as an individual.
Just as God saw the deaf man as important and unique – Gods sees us as important individuals who are different from each other.
Help children to use their worksheets as a basis for prayer. Any section of their worksheet may be turned into a prayer by adding the words, “Thank you God that you know …” eg.
“Thank you God that you know me, and that you made me different from other people.”
“Thank you God that you treat each of us as individuals.”
“Thank you God that you know that I am different from other people, and that you know
that … makes me laugh” |
