Jesus Heals a Blind Man
The Lord acts in mysterious and often unexpected ways. We seldom have things happen how we might imagine or even hope they will, but fortunately God’s plans are greater than ours! This lesson discusses how important it is to trust in Jesus for all things, even if we have a hard time understanding Him. The story reminds us of a time when the Son of God healed a blind man by making mud with spit! Some people were upset by this action, but they missed out on who Jesus was and how great He was. His power and methods are beyond comprehension!
The question asked at the beginning of this story is “Who sinned?” People in that day assumed that physical ailment was a punishment for wrongdoing, and should somehow be atoned for. We know that Jesus has erased our sins once and for all, and continues to save and forgive us. We might still endure physical suffering, but He has healed our souls!
Passage: John 9:1-41
Target Audience: Kindergarten-6th grade
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Children’s Sermon John 9:1-41 Object Lesson
Greet children, and invite them to consider unusual uses for things…
Hello, children of God!
Have you ever received unusual instructions about something? Or perhaps you’ve gotten help from a strange or unexpected source? There are times when I’ve learned about certain products that helped things I might have never guessed. (Choose whichever of the following examples works best for your environment, students, and items you have on hand.)
For instance, let’s say I made a bit of a mess (wipe something greasy on a plate, such as butter or mayonnaise). How can I get this cleaned up? I certainly can’t do it with my hand. A tissue or napkin doesn’t do much better…but let’s try this (pull out vinegar). It smells a bit funny, but believe it or not, this item can help clean a lot of things. Let’s find out. Observe how the vinegar cuts through the grease and cleans the plate. Wow, that’s pretty neat! I’ve heard of some other creative solutions to problems, too. Did you know, for instance, that toothpaste can help with more than just your teeth? I’ve used it on pimples and even wasp bites! Or what if you eat something super spicy, and want to cool your mouth down? Water can help, but the best item to use is actually good old milk! It calms the spice and soothes your throat.
Now, maybe you knew about some of these things, maybe not. But there are sometimes that we find help in unusual ways. That happened to a man in the Bible. Jesus met a man who had been born blind. He was never able to see. Someone asked Jesus if the man had done something wrong, or maybe his parents had done something sinful. They believed that if someone had a handicap of some sort, it was a punishment from God for sinning! Anyway, Jesus responded that it wasn’t anyone’s fault, but was an opportunity for God to be glorified. Then He did something strange: He spit into the dirt and made mud. Then He wiped the mud over this man’s face, and told him to go and wash up in a pool. When he did, he could see! It was a miracle, perhaps not in the way the man might have expected, but he knew that he was blind, and then could see.
The church leaders of Jesus’s day (called Pharisees) did not like this much. They tried tricking and trapping him with questions, angry because He had healed someone on a special Sabbath day. They were so focused on the specifics of how He had done things that they missed out on Who He was, and what a great thing had just happened! They missed knowing the Messiah was right there with them.
The man who had been healed knew Jesus was someone remarkable. He could have questioned the mud facial or refused to believe in Christ like the Pharisees did. But He trusted Jesus. We can trust Him, too. Sometimes, well, most of the time, He does not work in the ways we would expect Him to. He might not answer our prayers in the timing or the method that we would prefer. Sometimes good things come, but bad things happen first. We cannot predict and sometimes cannot understand how God works. But we can trust that He has our best interests in mind. Even in times that we don’t get earthly miracles or healing, we know that He has given us Jesus and removed our sins. We know that one day we will be with Him in Heaven. We can trust that He is always with us, in good times and in bad. If we get caught up in the tiny details of how He’s doing things, we might miss out on how wonderful He is, like the Pharisees did. But we know He loves us and will always listen when we pray, even if He answers or works in unexpected ways!
Why don’t we say a prayer now and ask God for help?
Prayer: (Invite the children to repeat each line)
Dear God,
Thank you for giving us new life.
Help us to trust in you
Even when it’s confusing or strange.
Help us rely on you for all things.
Thank you for your love
We love you, God!
In Jesus name, Amen!