Jesus Heals Bartimaeus

Puppet Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Students will use handle-bag puppets to enact the story of Jesus healing Bartimaeus, thereby learning the story in their own words. They will also discuss faith and how a blind man “saw” Jesus for whom he really was.

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:

• Easel; appropriate marker
• Purple Adventure Bibles
• Handle-bag puppets, at least 5 puppets
• The puppet stage
• Props: a cup for the begging Bartimaeus puppet, a few coins
• Script (download from http://kirkofkildaire.org/ques...ssons/JesMotion2.htm ) – have 7 copies of the script for older students
• The Humongous Book of Bible Skits (with CD of background noise)
• CD Player

Before Start of Class:

• Write the key Bible verse on the easel.
• Distribute Bibles around the chair seats.
• Examine one of the puppets to be sure that you know how they operate.
• Cue track 25 of the CD from the book The Humongous Book of Bible Skits.
• Set CD player to REPEAT. Turn sound down. (The player resets itself to track 1 if you turn it off).

Presentation

Opening- Welcome and Lesson Introduction:
Greet your students warmly, introducing yourself and any other adults.
[Note: The Shepherd will be quietly taking attendance, etc. while you are starting your lesson.]
Say: Welcome to the puppet workshop. In this workshop we act out Bible stories using puppets that are very easy to use. We are learning about the story of a man named Bartimaeus (pronounced: bar-tih-MEE-uhs). First let’s start off with prayer.

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, We are thankful to be here today to learn about your love and concern for us. Help us to clearly see that you love us, and that you want our faith in you to grow. (End with the Lord’s Prayer) Amen.”

Dig- Main Content and Reflection:
Ask:

• If I told you that Bartimaeus had met Jesus, where in the Bible would we find our story? (in the New Testament)

Say: That is right, the New Testament contains stories about Jesus.
Ask:

• What are the names of the first four books of the New Testament? (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)
• What do we call those first four books? (the Gospels)

Say: The word “Gospel” means “good news.” These first four books of the New Testament tell the story of the good news about Jesus. Jesus came to earth to teach us about God and how God loves us. Our story can be found in three of the Gospels – each gospel telling the story a little differently.
Ask:

• Why do you suppose that the Gospels might tell the story with slightly different details? (accept all reasonable answers: written by different authors, at different times)

For those who have finished 1st - 3rd grade:
Say: For our classes this summer we’ve been counting on the kids who’ve just finished 3rd grade to teach us about how to find stories in the Bible. We’re going to find our story in the Gospel of Mark.
Review the order of the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

For all students:
Have everyone find the story in Mark, chapter 10, verses 46-52. Talk about the quick way to find the NT: divide the Bible in half to get near Psalms. Divide back half in half to get near the Gospels.
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 finished 4th - 6th grade:
Have students take turns reading Mark 10:46-52.
Have them keep the Bibles open.

For those who have finished 1st – 3rd grade (who visit on week 2):
Have the students keep the Bibles open.
Ask them if they can tell you the story. Read portions (or all) of the story as needed.

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)

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?

Use 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!

Have kids repeat the key verse. (Refer to the easel.)

Say: Because of Bartimaeus’ faith – because of his belief and trust in God – he was healed. Let’s act out the story using puppets.

Explain how to use the puppets:

Show the students one of the handle-bag puppets.
Say: We can have lots of fun with these puppets but we need to treat them gently. Like all church property, we will be respectful and careful in our use of the puppets.

Show the kids how the “bag” or body, slips off the rod or handle. Show them how you hold the rod with one hand. Now slip the handle through the top of the bag. Show them how one hand is on the handle and the other hand is in the far corner of the bag – it becomes the “hand” of the puppet. Show how the puppet can wave or carry something.

Enact the story using puppets:
Say: We can do the puppet show more than once; some can be the audience while others are acting out the story; then we’ll switch. [Note: Allow time for the closing.]

For those who have finished 1st – 3rd grade:
Don’t pass out scripts. The workshop leader should serve as the narrator and the reader of all of the puppet parts. As you read, pause where appropriate, to allow the students to “act” and adlib any dialogue. You may have to prompt the students to ad lib.
Repeat with different puppeteers.

For those who have finished 4th - 6th grade:
Pass out copies of the script. Run through the script. Repeat with different puppeteers.

Closing:
Say: I would like to show you another neat feature of these purple Bibles. There are notes that can help you to understand concepts from the Bible.

Have students look up “faith” in the Index. [Found on page 1409]
Point out the page numbers that refer to special notes having to do with faith.

Have them turn to page 1355. Read them the first part of the “Did you Know” note “What is Faith” at the top of the page.

Ask:

• What did Bartimaeus do that showed his faith?

Say: Bartimaeus showed his faith by calling to Jesus, by clearly asking Jesus to be able to see. Bartimaeus also followed Jesus once he’d been healed; that showed faith as well.
Ask:

• How can we show our faith? (accept all answers)
• How can we grow our faith?

Say: Bartimaeus couldn’t see Jesus. We can’t see Jesus but we can still believe in his love for us. Jesus loves you and wants your faith to grow.

If you have extra time:
Have students enact the story again using their own dialogue for the puppets.

Resources:

• Cartwright, Teryl et al. The Humongous Book of Bible Skits for Children’s Ministry. Loveland, CO: Group Publishing, 2006.
• Faith Quest Lesson Sets at Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian Church. “Miracles of Jesus: Devotion Motion 2.” 2006. http://kirkofkildaire.org/ques...ssons/JesMotion2.htm (puppet skit)
• G.R.E.A.T. Adventure Dream Team at State Street United Methodist Church, Bristol, VA. “Blind Bartimaeus – Faith Heals: Drama and Puppetry Workshop.” 2002.
• Hunter, Kurt. Puppets, Kids, and Christian Education. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 2001. (Pattern for making handle-bag puppets)
• 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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