Leader Guide

Bible Activity

Bibles—one per person
Whiteboard and marker, or chalkboard and chalk

Write these 3 questions on the board near the top. Allow room underneath the questions to write Scripture references:
1. How did others respond?
2. How would you respond?
3. How did Jesus respond?

Give a Bible to each child who doesn’t have one. Pair children who are unfamiliar with using the Bible with those who can assist them. Do as many scenarios as time allows.

Note that the suggested answers are from the New Living Translation. If children are using different translations, their answers will vary.
Point to the questions on the board.

In this activity, we will look at some Bible stories and discuss the character’s responses.
I will write a Scripture reference on the board for you to look up. If you need assistance, please ask. This is not a competition or race. We will make sure everyone has found each Scripture before we begin the discussion. I will then select volunteers to read a verse of the Bible story.

1. Matthew 19:13–15:

¹³One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so He could lay His hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering Him. ¹⁴But Jesus said, “Let the children come to Me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” ¹⁵And He placed His hands on their heads and blessed them before He left.

1. What did the parents do to cause a response from the disciples? They brought their children to Jesus for Him to lay hands on (bless) them and pray for them.

2. How did the disciples respond? The disciples scolded the parents for bothering Jesus and wanted to stop them.

3. How do you think you would have responded? Children answer.

4. How did Jesus respond? He scolded the disciples and told them not to stop them from coming to Him. He laid His hands on the children and blessed them.

5. In verse 14, what do you think Jesus meant by saying the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like the children? Children come to Jesus and openly receive what He has for them; children trust Him and love Him; they are humble.

Sometimes children can be viewed as less important than adults. However, Jesus set the disciples’ thinking straight! Children are valuable in God’s Kingdom, and we need to be more like!

2. Mark 10:46–52:

⁴⁶Then they reached Jericho, and as Jesus and His disciples left town, a large crowd followed Him. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road. ⁴⁷When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁸“Be quiet!” many of the people yelled at him. But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁹When Jesus heard him, He stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.” So they called the blind man. “Cheer up,” they said. “Come on, He’s calling you!” ⁵⁰Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus. ⁵¹“What do you want Me to do for you?” Jesus asked. “My Rabbi,” the blind man said, “I want to see!” ⁵²And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road.

1. What did the man who was blind do to cause the crowd to react so strongly? He shouted for Jesus to show Him mercy.

2. Did the people respond in love to Bartimaeus and help him to connect with Jesus? No, they yelled at him to be quiet!

3. Did Bartimaeus listen to the crowd? No, he shouted even louder.

4. What do you think your response to Bartimaeus would have been? Children answer.

5. How did Jesus respond? He stopped when He heard his shouts for mercy. He told others to tell Bartimaeus to come to Him. Jesus asked Bartimaeus what he wanted Him to do. Jesus instantly healed him because of his faith.

6. What did Bartimaeus do after he was healed by Jesus? He followed Jesus.

The people did not show Bartimaeus any love until Jesus told them to! Jesus wasn’t annoyed by his shouts, He was moved by them. He responded in love and healed Bartimaeus. Bartimaeus’s life was changed—he became a follower of Jesus! When we take the time to respond in love as Jesus modeled, especially to those who are ignored or seen as inferior or insignificant, God can use us to touch them and change lives forever!

3. Luke 9:51–56:

⁵¹As the time drew near for Him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. ⁵²He sent messengers ahead to a Samaritan village to prepare for His arrival. ⁵³But the people of the village did not welcome Jesus because He was on His way to Jerusalem. ⁵⁴When James and John saw this, they said to Jesus, “Lord, should we call down fire from heaven to burn them up?” ⁵⁵But Jesus turned and rebuked them. ⁵⁶So they went on to another village

1. What did the Samaritans do that angered the disciples? They refused to welcome Jesus into their town.

2. Why do you think they responded this way? They knew Jesus was passing through to Jerusalem. The Samaritan people hated the Jews who lived and worshiped in Jerusalem. The Jews also hated the Samaritans.

3. How did the disciples respond? They were angry. James and John asked if they could call down fire from heaven to burn all of the Samaritans up!

4. How do you think you would have responded to the Samaritans? Children answer.

5. How did Jesus respond? He scolded the disciples for their response. Jesus showed mercy and love to His enemies because He came to save people, not to judge or punish them. He mercifully went around their town instead of through it.

Conclusion: It is easy to react and respond quickly as others did in these stories. However, an emotional, “knee jerk” response is not the answer. We can learn so much about forgiveness, love and mercy from Jesus’ Words and actions. When we respond to others as Jesus did, they can experience His love and be drawn to God’s Kingdom.