Jesus Heals Bartimaeus

Cooking/Science Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:

To help introduce discussion about the story, kids will experiment with a “home-made” magnifying glass and make “Bart’s Open Eyes” treats –round cookies decorated to look like eyes.

For scripture, objectives, and background - see above.

Leader Preparation:

• Read the scripture for this lesson.
• Read and reflect on the overview material provided for this lesson.
• Gather the materials.

Materials List:

• Table knifes
• Napkins, cups, plates, small bowls
• Bananas
• Round, Sugar Cookies - prepared with the recipe from: https://www.rotation.org/topic...0#295011598215980050
• Bibles, have several purple Adventure Bibles
• Coated 20-gauge wire, cut into pieces about 6 inches long
• Pencils
• Newspaper (a few sheets)
• Vanilla frosting in a can (refrigerate after opening)
• Food items that could potentially be used to decorate: Sprinkles, Gumdrops, Chocolate chips, Licorice strips, Fruit Roll-Ups™, etc.
• Scissors for food
• Zipper sandwich bags
  
  Before Start of Class:
• Prepare a pitcher of ice water (Ice machine is under counter just to the left of door from hall. Pitchers are in cabinet above this counter.)
• Bring all the supplies needed to the Social Hall.
• Pass out Bibles around the tables in the Social Hall.

Presentation

Opening- Welcome and Lesson Introduction:
Gather everyone around the tables in the Social Hall. Greet your students warmly, welcoming them to the Cooking Workshop. Introduce yourself and any other adults.

[Note: The Shepherd will quietly take attendance, etc. while you are starting your lesson.]

Say: Today we are going to be using some food and a science experiment to learn about a blind man named Bartimaeus, who was able to see because of his faith in Jesus. First let’s start with prayer. [Note: Bartimaeus is pronounced: bar-tih-MEE-uhs]

Ask for any prayer requests. Ask if anyone would like to lead the group in prayer. Be prepared to say a prayer yourself, working in prayer requests. Use the Lord’s Prayer as the ending. A suggestion: “Dear God, Thank you for everyone who is here today. We are so glad to be able to use food to be creative. Help us to hear your lesson for us. Help us to really look at Jesus in a new way. (End with everyone joining in on the Lord’s Prayer.) Amen.”

Dig-Main Content and Reflection:
Ask:

• Where in the Bible would we read a story about Jesus, in the New Testament or the Old Testament? (in the NT)
• What are the names of the first four books of the New Testament? (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John)
• What do we call the first four books of the New Testament? (the Gospels)
• Does anyone know what the word “Gospel” means?

Say: The word Gospel means “good news.” Jesus teaches us good news about God’s love for us. Jesus wants us to be his special friends. Jesus wants us to trust God.

• Ask: Does anyone know in which Gospel our story is found? (gospel of Mark)

Say: When we are done reading our Bible story we are going to say what is said in church after the scripture is read. Be ready to say “thanks be to God!”

For those who have completed 4th grade and up:
Refer to the Bibles. Have everyone find Mark, chapter 10, verse 46.
Have students take turns reading Mark 10:46-52.

For those who have completed 1st through 3rd grade:
Refer to the Bibles distributed.
Say: For those of you who have just finished 1st or 2nd grade we don’t normally look at the Bible in class, but since next month our soon to be 3rd graders will be getting Bibles of their own, we are going to use the Bibles!
Have the just finished 3rd graders help show the 1st and 2nd graders about the quick way to find the New Testament – dividing the Bible in half gets them near Psalms. Dividing the back half in half again gets them near the Gospels in the New Testament. Then once they have found the story have them close the Bibles. Since these students visit on the last week of this Rotation, ask the students if they can tell you the story. Read portions out loud to the students as necessary.

For all students:
Say: For the Word of God in scripture, for the Word of God among us, for the Word of God within us,
The class says: Thanks be to God!

Discussion:
Ask:

• Who shouted out to Jesus? (Bartimaeus)
• What was it that he was shouting? (Mark 10:47 – Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me)
• Why do you suppose he called Jesus, the “Son of David?”
• Does anyone know the significance of the term “Son of David?”

Say: “Son of David” was another name for the expected Messiah. The Jews were expecting someone to come, as their Savior –the Messiah – and they believed that this Messiah would be a descendant of King David. But not everyone understood that Jesus was that Messiah. We know who Jesus was. We know that Jesus died to save us from our sins. But in those days, not everyone understood exactly who Jesus was. Some thought he was just a good teacher.

Ask:

• How do you suppose that Bartimaeus knew who Jesus was – that Jesus was the Messiah? (accept all answers – perhaps he’d heard others talking about Jesus)

Say: With his shouting, Bartimaeus got Jesus’ attention.
Ask:

• What did Jesus do for Bartimaeus? (healed him)
• What did Jesus say had healed Bartimaeus? (his faith)
• What is faith?

If students don’t have an answer, ask those students with purple Adventure Bibles to look up the word “faith” in the Dictionary-Concordance in the back of the Bible. [When you have younger kids ask the 3rd graders to look up the word “faith.”]

Read the definition of faith: “Belief and trust in God; knowing that God is real, even though one can’t see him.” (The NIV Adventure Bible, page 1435.)

Say: Isn’t it interesting that the one who can’t see, has such great faith! Our key Bible verse for this Rotation is:
Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Mark 10:52a

Have kids repeat the key verse with you.

Say: Because of Bartimaeus’ faith – because of his belief and trust in God – he was healed. Jesus opened Bartimaeus’ eyes so that he could see.

The “Science” Project

Ask:

• What does a magnifying glass do for us? (helps us to see small objects, they appear larger)
• Has anyone ever made a magnifying glass?

Show the students the wire pieces – have the older students (who visit this workshop first) twist one end of the wire around a pencil to create a loop. Then have them bend the wire an inch above the loop to about 55 degrees, to create a handle.

Distribute the newspaper. Pour some of the water into the bowls. Ask the students to dip the loops into the water and carefully and slowly lift them up so that a drop of water remains in the loop. Have them use the loop to look at the newsprint.
Have them notice if the letters appear larger or smaller. (If they appear smaller the droplet of water is curving inward; if they appear larger the drop is curving outward.)
Allow a few minutes for experimentation.

The “Cooking” Project:

Say: Now let’s make a treat called “Bart’s Open Eyes.”
Distribute the plates and two cookies per student. Allow the student to decorate the cookies to look like eyes. The students may eat their “eyes” if desired. If you have extra cookies, decorate them to allow the student to take home one set of eyes. Share any extra eyes with “Lemonade on the Lawn.” While they are working and eating, discuss…

More Discussion:
Say: We are blessed in that we have eyes with which we can clearly see.
Ask:

• Do you suppose that we always see things clearly?
• Do we always see things as they really are? Or is it as we hope they are?
• What hopes do you have for how you see Jesus in your life? (allow all answers)

Ask:

• Did you expect a drop of water could help make the words be larger or smaller?

Say: Sometimes what we expect to happen isn’t what happens.
Ask:

• Do you sometimes expect Jesus to do certain things for you in your life?

[If possible, give an example from your own life.]

Say: What we expect Jesus to do may not be how Jesus wants to work in our lives. We could say that we were blinded by what we expected Jesus to be like.
Ask:

• I wonder what can help us to more clearly see who Jesus is? (allow all answers)

Closing:
Say: What a wonderful story this is! It really shows us that when God opens our eyes, we are never the same; we are changed forever! Our faith in Jesus helps us to see more clearly.

Extra Activities (In case you finish early)
Stand in a circle – arms length apart. Repeat the verse several times together (don’t forget the scripture reference). Then go around the circle one at a time and have each child say one word of the verse. Did everyone remember all of it? Starting with a different student, repeat having children squat down and jump up when they recite their part. Repeat several times, always starting somewhere different, adding different actions as you say the verse. (Examples: turning around, jumping up and down, whispering, shouting, etc.)

Resources:

• Goings, Nanette. Incredible Edible Bible Fun. Loveland, CO: Group Publishing, 1997. (idea for food treat)
• G.R.E.A.T. Adventure Dream Team at State Street United Methodist Church, Bristol, VA. “Blind Bartimaeus – Healing Faith: Cooking Workshop.” 2002.
• Halasz, Sheila, et al. Amazing Science Devotions for Children’s Ministry. Loveland, CO: Group Publishing, 1999. (idea for magnifying glass creation)
• The NIV Adventure Bible. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zonderkidz, 2000.

A lesson written by Carol Hulbert for First United Methodist Church
Ann Arbor, MI 

Copyright 2008 First United Methodist Church, Ann Arbor, MI.
Permission to copy materials granted for non-commercial use provided credit is given and all cited references remain with this material

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