Leader Guide

Teaching Time

Assign children to play the different roles. Adjust the number of actors based on the class size and the number of children who want to participate. The remainder of the children can be a part of the crowd or sit in the audience.

Place a table (house) in the presentation area, leaving several feet open around it.

Lay the sheets of poster board/cardboard (roof) across the tabletop.

Assist the actors with costumes and props as necessary.

Slowly read the Bible story as outlined below and pause to direct the actors before proceeding with the narration.

● Position the four friends and the “man” who is paralyzed on the mat behind the audience. Make sure there is room to one side of the audience to move the “man” on the mat to the house and behind the crowd.

● Jesus enters, walks to the table, and stands behind it. One day, Jesus went to a house in a town called Capernaum and began to teach about God. Jesus acts like teaching.

● Pharisees enter and stand near Jesus with stern, scowling faces. Some religious leaders called Pharisees came to hear Jesus.

● The crowd enters and stands in front of the table. When the people in the town heard where Jesus was, a large crowd came to the house.

● There were so many people that the house was full, and no one could even get to the door! The crowd stood, stretched, and tried to see Jesus. The crowd stands on tiptoes.

● There was a man who lived in Capernaum. He was paralyzed, which means he couldn’t move his legs to walk. He lay on his mat/bed all day!

● The man had four kind friends. The friends believed that if they could take the man to the house, Jesus could heal him so he could walk!

● The four men carefully drag the mat with the man on it behind the crowd. When the men arrived at the house, they discovered a big problem!

● The crowd was so big that they couldn’t get near the house to see Jesus!

● No one would let the men through to see Jesus! The crowd turns to the friends and say “NO” while shaking their heads.

● The four friends would not give up. They had to see Jesus!

● Suddenly, they had an idea. They would take the man on his mat to the roof of the house. Then they would lower him down to the room where Jesus was! The friends carefully drag the man to a side of the table.

● The four friends march in place. They slowly climbed the stairs to the top of the house; then they began to remove pieces of the roof! The men remove the posterboards from the table.

● Jesus was right below them! So they lowered the man on his mat down to Jesus! The men move the man on the mat beside Jesus.

● Jesus saw the friends’ kindness and their faith in Him to heal the man! Jesus looks at the four men, smiles, and then stoops down beside the man on his mat.

● Jesus looks at the paralyzed man. Jesus said, "Your sins are forgiven!"

● The man on the mat smiled. But not everyone was happy!

● The Pharisees made angry faces and shook their fists. Only God can forgive sins, they shouted! If Jesus forgives sin, He must think He is God, and that can’t be true!

● Jesus knew what the Pharisees were thinking. He said, “Is it easier to say your sins are forgiven or stand up and walk?”

● Jesus looks at the paralyzed man. Jesus said, “Stand up, take your mat, and go home!”

● The man jumped up, picked up his mat, and praised God as he walked away. The man jumps up and walks away, praising God and jumping up and down.

● The man’s friends and the crowd were amazed. They could hardly believe what had just happened! Everyone jumps up and down, hands raised, praising God!

The man’s friends showed love and kindness when they brought him to Jesus and refused to give up! Jesus showed the man love and kindness by not only healing him but by forgiving his sins, too! By doing both, Jesus proved to the Pharisees and the crowd that He is God’s Son, sent by God to save us from our sins!

Optional Review Questions

● How do you think the man was feeling as he was lowered down from the roof to Jesus? Scared, nervous, excited.

● Why were the Pharisees angry at Jesus? He said He forgave the man’s sins, which only God can do.