Session 1

Jesus heals a leper

Jesus showed us who God is by touching the untouchable and loving those who were
often feared and rejected. When we live upside-down we show God’s love to people
we might otherwise avoid.
Tip
Bible Text
Children may have fam-
Luke 5:12-15
ily or friends who are
ill. Some may recover
Faith Challenge and some might not.
Jesus shows love and compassion. Be sensitive in these
conversations and
Advance Preparation emphasize Jesus’ love
• Read through the entire session, and decide what you will do. and compassion during
• Set up the room/space for the various activities. difficult times.
• Prepare a bowl of water and several towels for Kids Cluster.
• Review the motions for the theme song.
• Practice the drama on page 31 with four characters: Jesus, Leper, Villager 1, Tip
Villager 2.
Children will have
• Gather supplies for the activities you choose to do.
some experiences that
• Prepare a snack (p. 14).
Jesus might have had.
During Kids Cluster,
Kids Cluster children will wash their
hands like people in
1. Plan an activity for early arrivals. Check page 6 for ideas. Jesus’ day did. Create
2. If the children do not know each other, make nametags and play some a nice washing area,
get-acquainted games (p. 6). using a large earthen-
3. Welcome the children and gather for a time of singing (p. 9). Be sure ware bowl and towel.
to include action songs, familiar songs, favorite songs, and new songs. Encourage a prayerful
4. Explain that in Jesus’ time, before Jewish people went into the temple to attitude. Explain the
significance.
worship God, they washed themselves to show their desire to be pure. Invite
children to wash their hands in a bowl of water before coming to the central
worship area.

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 Kids Live Upside-Down
1. Begin by singing the theme song, “We’re on an Upside-Down Mission”
Tip (p. 9). Use motions.
2. Introduce the theme of the day: Jesus shows love and compassion.
Using motions helps
the songs stick in chil-
3. Ask children to talk about a time when they were sick, or when a
dren’s minds. It is also family member or friend was sick. Ask questions such as, “Who cared that
a way for children to you were hurting? What did they do to help you?” Some children may give
participate when they examples of having a cold or the flu. Others may talk about cancer or a long-
don’t yet know the term illness.
words of the song. Take 4. Before reading the Bible story, explain that in biblical times leprosy was
time to teach the mo- a word for all kinds of skin diseases. These diseases were not like having a
tions so that they can cold! Some of them were contagious and eventually led to paralysis, loss of
be used and enjoyed body parts, and even death. In Jesus’ culture, people who had leprosy were
each week. viewed as filthy and unacceptable. They had to wear torn clothing and an-
nounce themselves whenever they encountered people. By law, they had to
be completely separate from family and the community.
Tip 5. Tell the Bible story using the drama on page 31.
6. Talk about the Bible story.
Because the drama
is fairly lengthy and
• Jesus could have said to the man, “Be made clean.” Why do you think
requires some practice, Jesus touched the man to heal him?
see if you can find • I wonder how long it had been since someone had touched the man
adults who are willing with leprosy?
to present the drama. • How do you think the man felt when he was away from his family?
This is a great way to • I wonder why Jesus ordered the man not to tell anyone that he had been
involve people in the healed. Do you think the man was quiet about what Jesus did?
church who may not • Can you think of other times that Jesus healed someone?
normally participate in • Have you ever prayed for someone who was sick? Has someone ever
children’s events. prayed for you?
• Have people ever acted like you were “untouchable?”
7. Sing “Teach Me Kingdom Ways” (p. 10).
Tip 8. Practice today’s Bible memory verse: “Then Jesus stretched out his
hand, touched him, and said, ‘I do choose. Be made clean.’ Immediately the
Use the questions/
leprosy left him” (Luke 5:13). Look on page 13 for creative Bible memoriza-
ideas as conversation
points during the craft
tion ideas.
time. It is not neces-
sary to sit quietly and
reflect on these points,
but do include them
during other activities.

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Kids Create
Caring for the Sick A Colorful Story
(group) (individual)
• Work together and identify a person or Materials: white paper, variety of art mediums
several people who are sick and in need (chalk, watercolors, markers, paint)
of encouragement. Perhaps it is a family • Give each child a piece of paper that has
member, a friend, someone in the church been folded into thirds. In the left third,
family, or someone in larger the commu- ask children to imagine the man who was
nity. covered with leprosy. What colors would
• Think of ways to bless and care for that they use to represent the feelings of that
person. What would be most meaningful? man? Fill that portion of the paper with
What would bring the most joy to that one or more colors, using any of the
person? available art mediums (chalk, watercolors,
• Come up with several ideas and then markers, paint, etc).
choose one or more ideas to do! Perhaps • In the middle third of the paper, have
you will make cards or paint pictures. children imagine the feelings Jesus may
Maybe you can make a snack to share. have experienced as he saw the man with
If the person enjoys nature, perhaps you leprosy. Use one or more colors to repre-
could go outside and gather nature items sent that.
for a collage. • In the right third of the paper, have
children choose colors that represent how
the man may have felt after he was healed
from the leprosy.
Upside-Down Banner
• Start the banner! See page 15 for materials
and instructions.
• Jesus touched the untouchable. Add a Olive Tree
handprint to the banner, representing the Materials: green construction paper, scissors,
loving touch that Jesus gave, and the love markers
we can offer to others. • Cut out leaves for the olive tree (p. 18).
• Write the name of someone who is sick on
each leaf.
• Say a prayer for that person as you add the
leaf or leaves to the olive tree.

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Kids Move
No Touching Allowed! The Word Spreads
(pairs) (group)
What if, like people with leprosy, we couldn’t Luke 5:15 says, “But now more than ever the word
touch anyone else? Our lives would be very differ- about Jesus spread abroad.” Play a game of whisper
ent, and sometimes quite challenging. down the lane/telephone.
• Have children stand in a line. Whisper
Materials: oranges (one per pair) a short story-related message to child 1,
• Pair children and give each pair an orange. who then passes it to child 2 as quietly as
• Have the pair place the orange between possible.
their foreheads and then try to walk to the • The last person in line will say the message
opposite side of the room without touch- out loud. Is it the same message that was
ing each other at all. initially given?
• Try other variations and see what hap-
pens (i.e., place orange between partners’
shoulders or knees).
• After the activity, share the orange as a Frozen Beanbag
snack. (group)
This is a friendship game that encourages children
to reach out and help each other.

Doctor DodgeBall Materials: bean bags (one per child)

(group) • Children will balance beanbags on their
Materials: several soft balls, dividing line/cones heads. At your signal, children will move
• Divide the group into two teams and have around the area at their own pace. You
them stand on opposite sides of the room. may then signal that the children need to
Provide each team with several soft balls hop or skip.
(not softballs). • If a beanbag falls off, that child is frozen.
• Make a dividing line in the middle of the A friend must then pick up the beanbag
floor that cannot be crossed. and replace it on the frozen person's head
• Choose someone to be the doctor. There without losing his or her own bean bag.
can be a doctor for each team, or one doc- Play for a specific period of time or until
tor for both teams. everyone is frozen.
• Teams begin throwing the balls at each • When the game is over ask the players
other and may run up to, but not over, the how many times they helped their friends,
middle line. When a player is hit by a ball, or how many times their friends helped
he or she needs to lie down on the ground. them. How did it feel to help someone?
The doctor needs to run out and tag the How did it feel to be helped?
player so that he or she can rejoin the
game. The doctor is immune to the balls.

Closing
For closing ideas, see
page 7.

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Drama

Characters
Jesus
Leper
Villager 1
Villager 2

Villager 1: He’s coming this way! My neighbor said so and, believe me, my neighbor knows everything about
everybody.

Villager 2: Who’s coming this way?

Villager 1: Jesus! The man who heals! Haven’t you heard of him? They say he casts out evil spirits.

Villager 2: That would be a miracle.

Leper: (Takes one step toward them.) Did you say miracle? Did you say someone is coming who can heal people?

Villager 1: (Screams.) A leper! Go away! Why didn’t you announce yourself?

Villager 2: Oh, how terrible! You are covered with leprosy! Get away. How can you put the rest of us at risk like
this? There ought to be a law.

Villager 1: There is a law. He’s supposed to stay with others of his kind. And when he’s in public he’s supposed
to announce himself. And we are not supposed to talk to him. What is he trying to do—make the rest of
us sick? How despicable!

Leper: (Pulls back slightly and calls halfheartedly.) Unclean. Unclean. Unclean. (Forgets himself and moves in
again. Reaches toward Villager 1.) But you said there is a healer.

Villager 1: (Screeches) Don’t touch me!

Villager 2: He won’t heal you. It would take a miracle to heal you.

Villager 1: He can’t heal you. Only God could heal you—maybe.

(Villagers pull away from the leper and slowly freeze with arms at side and heads lowered.)

Leper: (Addresses children.) “Go away,” they shout, “Don’t touch me!” they say. They speak with such disgust.
“Announce yourself,” they insist. “You have to call out whenever you’re near people.”

“Unclean! Unclean!” They want me to shout it wherever I go. My name is not unclean. I have a name,
you know. A name that my parents chose for me.

My parents. They’re mostly a vague memory now. I’ve lived apart from them so long that sometimes I
think it was only a dream. I do dream of them. Especially my dear, dear mother. The other night I
dreamed my mother put her arms around me (hugs himself). I saw her coming toward me, and like a
child I ran into her arms. Suddenly I was the little boy I used to be, and I sobbed. “I love you,” she said.

Permission is granted to purchasers of Kids Can Live Upside-Down to photocopy this page for use with this curriculum. 31
 I knew it was a dream. I knew it couldn’t last. When it started to fade, I cried out, “No! No! I won’t wake
up. I won’t!” But I did, and then I saw the face of Daniel—one of the other lepers that I’m forced to live
with. He was shaking me, “Wake up!” he said. “Stop crying. It’s just a bad dream.”

I wanted to strangle him. “How do you know I’m having a bad dream? You of all people should know
that even the worst nightmare is better than being awake.”

To be awake is to remember my horrible existence with Daniel and the others. We huddle, staring at
each other’s sores, wondering if we look as bad as our neighbors. Knowing that if we do, it’s no wonder
the others are repulsed by us. No wonder that even our own families are afraid to touch us. No wonder
that my mother brings food to the edge of our colony outside the city and waves pathetically—inching
backward as I go to pick it up.

They say a healer is coming this way. They say he does miracles. “But he couldn’t heal you,” they say.

But they say he does miracles . . .

(Leper slowly freezes. Jesus walks toward the leper. Villagers look up.)

Villager 1: It’s Jesus! That’s him! Maybe he’ll do a miracle. Let’s ask for one.

Villager 2: Yeah, let’s pick something really impossible!

Leper: (Looks up slowly and turns.) Impossible? Jesus? (Throws himself to the ground at Jesus’ feet.)

Villager 1: He’s unclean! Don’t touch him!

Villager 2: There’s a law against his kind. He has to announce himself. He’s unclean!

Leper: (Looks up at Jesus.) Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.

Jesus: (Reaches down to the man, touching his shoulder, urging him to his feet. Then gently touches leper’s face. With
his other hand, he takes the man’s hand as in a handshake.) I am willing. Be clean!

Leper: (Smiles. Looks questioningly at Jesus, then at his hand.) “You are touching me. No one touches me. But
you are touching me. (He touches his own face and arm, realizing that his sores have disappeared.) I’m clean!
I’m clean!

Jesus: Don’t tell anyone. Instead, go to the priests. Offer the sacrifice commanded by Moses so everyone will
have proof of your healing. But don’t tell anyone. (Jesus smiles as though he knows how impossible this will
be.)

Leper: He touched me! He healed me! I’m clean! I’m clean! (Runs off, past the children.) Clean! Clean! I’m clean!
I’m going home! I’m clean!

Villager 1: (Turns to Jesus with disbelief.) He was a leper. You touched him.

Villager 2: You healed him!

Villager 1: (Emphatically) Only God could do that. (Looks Jesus up and down, trying to understand. Speaks
uncertainly.) Maybe?

32 Permission is granted to purchasers of Kids Can Live Upside-Down to photocopy this page for use with this curriculum.