Bible Study

Divide the children into three groups. Assign a different passage to each group. Give the groups a few minutes to read their Bible passage together. Lead a discussion with the questions below to compare similarities and differences among the three Bible accounts. Write notes and comments on the board under the three columns during the discussion.

Today, each group reads about the same event as recorded in three different books of the Bible—written by Matthew, Mark and Luke. Though the accounts are different, each one describes details of the same event: Jesus healing a man with leprosy. The books include details that are the same and different. How is that possible? Each writer has his own writing style and personality. They also witnessed something themselves or were told about it by an eyewitness who saw the event as it happened. Yet each writer was inspired and led by the Holy Spirit. See 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21. The writer of the book of Luke was Luke, the Physician. He was the Apostle Paul’s co-worker. The writer of the book of Mark was John Mark. He was a companion of Peter the apostle. He recorded Peter’s preaching about Jesus’ ministry. The book of Matthew was written by the disciple Matthew who was also called Levi. He was the former tax collector who answered Jesus’ call to become an apostle. Now, let’s explore the story together.

1. Matthew 8:1–4:

¹ Large crowds followed Jesus as He came down the mountainside. ² Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached Him and knelt before Him. “Lord,” the man said, “if You are willing, You can heal me and make me clean.” ³ Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” He said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared. ⁴ Then Jesus said to him, “Don’t tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.”

2. Mark 1:40–45:

⁴⁰ A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If You are willing, You can heal me and make me clean,” he said. ⁴¹ Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” He said. “Be healed!” ⁴² Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed. ⁴³ Then Jesus sent him on his way with a stern warning: ⁴⁴ “Don’t tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.” ⁴⁵ But the man went and spread the word, proclaiming to everyone what had happened. As a result, large crowds soon surrounded Jesus, and He couldn’t publicly enter a town anywhere. He had to stay out in the secluded places, but people from everywhere kept coming to Him.

3. Luke 5:12–16:

¹² In one of the villages, Jesus met a man with an advanced case of leprosy. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground, begging to be healed. “Lord,” he said, “if You are willing, You can heal me and make me clean.” ¹³ Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” He said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared. ¹⁴ Then Jesus instructed him not to tell anyone what had happened. He said,“Go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.” ¹⁵ But despite Jesus’ instructions, the report of His power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear Him preach and to be healed of their diseases. ¹⁶ But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.

1. Have someone in the Matthew group read verse 1 aloud. Ask the other groups if they heard any details that were not listed in their book. Large crowds followed Jesus; He came down the mountainside.

Write the differences on the board under the Matthew column.

2. Have the groups each read the following verses aloud: Matthew 8:2–3; Mark 40:40–42; Luke 5:12–13.

• Did you hear any differences with how the man came to Jesus? Matthew said suddenly, Luke said bowed with face to ground, Mark and Luke said the man begged to be healed. Mark said Jesus was moved with compassion.
• What did Jesus say to the man in each account? Jesus said He was willing to heal the man.
• What did Jesus do to heal the man? He reached out and touched him.
• What was the result? Each account is the same. Jesus touched the man and he was instantly healed.

Write the differences on the board under the appropriate columns.

3. Have one person in each group read aloud Matthew 8:4, Mark 1:43–44, and Luke 5:14.

• What did Jesus tell the man not to do? Tell anyone what happened.
• What did He tell the man to do? To go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy.
• The book of Leviticus in the Old Testament contains a very long, detailed process that a person healed of a skin disease must go through before they are considered pure. See Leviticus 14:1–32.

4. Have the appropriate groups read aloud Mark 1:45 and Luke 5:15.

• Is this the same for all groups? Matthew doesn’t record this. Mark doesn’t say the man told anyone, just that the word got out. Luke adds that Jesus could not publically enter a town. He needed to stay in hidden places away from towns because of the crowds.

Write the differences on the board under the appropriate columns.

Conclusion: You just read three records of the same story from different writers. Although some details were different, is the main message the same or different?

What would you say the main message is in this Bible story? Jesus willingly touched the leper and he was healed!

There was not a disease in Elisha’s day, in Jesus’ day, or now, that God cannot or will not heal! He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases!