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Jesus Heals Bartimaeus
Lesson Set

Summary of Workshops:

  • Art: Create an illustrated book using texture, for a blind child.
  • Cooking/Science: Make “Bart’s Open Eye” treats (round cookies decorated to look like eyes). Experiment with a home-made magnifying glass.
  • Puppets: Use handle-bag puppets to enact the story of Jesus healing Bartimaeus.
  • Video: Watch a video about leader dogs for the blind. Review the story of Bartimaeus’ healing by Jesus.


SCHEDULE NOTE:  This Rotation was originally done during the summer, a time when we offer just 2 workshops each Sunday and do 3 week Rotations. Students will be gathered into two groups:


➢ Those going into 2nd grade through those going into 4th grade.

➢ Those going into 5th grade through those going into 7th grade.



Scripture Reference:

Mark 10:46-52 (also in Matthew 20:29-34 and Luke 18:35-43)

Key Bible verse:

Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Mark 10:52a

Rotation Objectives — After completing this Rotation, participants will be able to:

  • Name that the story is found in the New Testament in the Gospels; identify the four Gospels.
  • Locate the story in the Gospel of Mark.
  • Re-tell the story in his/her own words.
  • Define faith as belief and trust in God.
  • Examine the concept that blind Bartimaeus was able to recognize Jesus for who he was – the Messiah. Explore what can keep us from seeing Jesus clearly.

Story Background

The story of the healing of a blind, begging man is found in three of the Gospels. Only Mark’s Gospel identifies this man as Bartimaeus. (Pronounced: bar-tih-MEE-uhs). The following material comes courtesy of the G.R.E.A.T. Adventure Dream Team at State Street United Methodist Church, Bristol, VA. “Blind Bartimaeus – Faith Heals: Rotation Overview and Background Information.” 2002.

What was it like being blind in Bible times
Blindness was a common ailment in biblical times due to inadequate nutrition, infectious diseases and poor pre-natal and post-natal care. Because employment required able-bodied and healthy workers, the infirm, lame, blind or otherwise physically handicapped in society were unable to work. Blind people were also illiterate (Braille had not been invented yet). They were uneducated and disrespected. Socially they were powerless.

Even worse, people in those days looked at physical illness as a punishment by God for some sin they had committed; therefore they were outcasts of society. They were forced to beg from passers-by and depend on the compassion of family and strangers. We know that this assumption of sinfulness leading to illness was common at the time. In the ninth chapter of the gospel of John, Jesus heals another blind man and addresses the issue of sin causing illness. “Who sinned, this man or his parents?” the disciples asked. “Neither,” Jesus replies. “This happened so that the glory of God might be revealed.” (John 9:3) This was a new and radical idea for the Jewish people. God does not punish people with illness, but God uses the illnesses and hardships of the world to reveal his character and purpose.

"Blindness" in the scriptures was also a metaphor for sin, or being "blind to God", or blind to the truth, or people's needs. Share some examples of this with the children.

The setting for our story – a crowded road
In Mark 10, we find Jesus and his disciples and followers passing through Jericho on their way to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. Jericho was a prosperous town about 15 miles northeast of Jerusalem. Beggars typically lined major roads to better their chances of receiving assistance, and the roads would have been especially crowded during the time just prior to Passover. Additionally, those people who could not make the journey to Jerusalem for Passover turned out to cheer the travelers on. The commotion and noise must have been especially noticeable to someone without his sight.

As was typical of the day, crowds of followers surrounded a popular teacher. Jesus’ disciples and many others crowded around him. As Jesus walked along, he taught. One can imagine the commotion and noise as they strained to hear the infamous teacher! Bartimaeus hears all this and is told that Jesus of Nazareth is on the road. Immediately he begins to call out loudly, pleading for mercy.

Bartimaeus calls out to Jesus
Bartimaeus’ pleas and calls would have been considered an unwelcome intrusion. With all of Bartimaeus’ hollering, the crowds couldn’t hear and tried to quiet Bartimaeus. But just as in the earlier story of Jesus welcoming the children, Jesus now has compassion for another outcast of society. Jesus showed that his concern and love were for all people, especially the downtrodden, the poor, the lame, and the outcasts!

It is significant that when Bartimaeus called out to Jesus, he did not call for “Jesus of Nazareth.” Instead, he referred to Jesus as “Son of David,” the title reserved for the expected Jewish Messiah. Bartimaeus recognized Jesus for who he really was! Other than Peter and some of the evil spirits whom Jesus exorcised, this is the first person to recognize Jesus’ true identity. It is ironic that a blind man actually sees more about Jesus than those who have their sight.

Where did Bartimaeus receive this “sight?” Jesus points out that it comes from his faith.
Miracles are always dependent on faith. It is interesting to note the placement of this story in the chapter of Mark. Just one chapter earlier, we find the disciples squabbling over who was the greatest among them. Just a few verses before the story of Bartimaeus, we find the disciples again arguing about who would sit at the right and left hand of Jesus. Jesus tries to explain his mission and the cost of discipleship to them, but a recurrent theme in the gospel of Mark is the “blindness” and obtuseness of the disciples.

The problem with miracles
Miracles are often difficult for people to believe. An initial reaction to a miracle story in the Bible and in our time is often disbelief. “This event could not have happened! It is impossible!” Secondly, some people attempt to explain away the miracle. This is especially prevalent in today’s scientific and rational society. “Surely there must be a scientific explanation for what happened,” they assert. Many people in Jesus’ day did not doubt the authenticity of the miracles. They saw the results of his actions first hand. They saw the lame walking, the blind seeing, and the deaf hearing. They did not doubt that the miracle had occurred. But sometimes the religious authorities DID doubt that the miracles came from God. Some accused Jesus of doing the works of the devil, or doing tricks.

Why does God use miracles?

The first question is, "what IS a miracle?"  Life itself is a miracle. That God loves us -is a miracle.  Babies, love, an unexpected kindness.  You could say that "miracles happen all the time" ...if we know what to look for.

Christians also believe that SOMETIMES God breaks through human and natural barriers to change something. Those changes not only help people, but they are INTENDED AS SIGNS of God's deep concern, love and empathy toward the world.  God has set up the natural world to run by rules. People are born, people die, accidents happen. The scripture says that this is how we get a "heart of wisdom," ...by understanding how life works. Even death teaches us to RELY ON GOD and hope for our salvation.  If God intervened in our lives in big ways all the time, we would not mature in our understanding about life or learn to rely on God's mercy.

Jesus' miracles most often had a special function. Jesus performed miracles because they were part of his calling to do the unexpected and to reveal the nature, power and authority of God. The miraculous events themselves are important. But just as important are the consequences of the miracles and what the miracles taught the people involved and what they continue to teach us today. Perhaps the most important question the miracle stories force us to ask is the question Jesus asked of his followers, “Who do you say I am?”

How can we “see” Jesus clearly?
What do we learn about Jesus through this miracle on the road to Jericho? Jesus reveals that the Kingdom of God is about focusing on the needs of others – the outcasts, poor, lame, sick and showing compassion to them. Jesus reveals that he has authority over illness and injury. Jesus reveals that faith releases God’s power in our lives. Bartimaeus received more than physical healing on that day. His life was transformed by a revelation from the living God. He discovered that wholeness comes from being in relationship with Jesus.


References:

  • Achtemeier, Paul J. Proclamation Commentaries – Mark. Fortress Press, 1973.
  • Barclay, William. The Gospel of Mark. Westminster Press, 1975.
  • Comay, Joan and Ronald Brownrigg. Who’s Who in the Bible. Bonanza Books, 1980.
  • Disciple I – Becoming Disciples through Bible Study, Study Manual. Graded Press, 1987.
  • Gilbert, John P. Jesus Christ – Miracles. Graded Press, 1985.
  • “Invitation Bible Studies for Elementary A.” Graded Press, Spring 1993.
  • Keener, Craig S. IVP Bible Background Commentary. Intervarsity Press, 1993.
  • Sproul, R.C. and Robert Wolgemuth. What’s in the Bible. Word Publishing, 2000.
  • The Illustrated Guide – How People Lived in the Bible. Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2002.
  • Weaver, Walter P. Cokesbury Basic Bible Commentary – Mark. Graded Press, 1988



A Lesson Set written by Carol Hulbert from: First United Methodist Church
Ann Arbor, MI
(With many thanks to Jaymie Derden and the State Street United Methodist Church in Bristol, VA.)

A representative of Rotation.org reformatted this post to improve readability.

Last edited by Luanne Payne
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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

A representative of Rotation.org reformatted this post to improve readability.

Last edited by Luanne Payne

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

A representative of Rotation.org reformatted this post to improve readability.

Last edited by Rotation.org Lesson Forma-teer

Jesus Heals Bartimaeus

Art Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Review the Bible story of blind Bartimaeus. Then read the storybook Lucy’s Picture – a story about a girl who makes a collage for her blind grandfather to “see.” Use a variety of art materials to create tactile pictures to illustrate a book for a blind child using an altered book technique. Discuss the story while working.

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
  • Bibles; One purple Adventure Bible with tabs (Law, History, etc.); For younger students: The Beginner’s Bible
  • Storybook: Lucy’s Picture by Nicola Moon
  • Bible tab writing kit: tabs, fine-line Sharpie pen
  • A card with the Key Bible verse written in Braille
  • Discarded children’s board books
  • Poems or a story suitable for children- written in English and in Braille
  • Textural art supplies to fit the poems or story to be illustrated
  • Mod Podge™ (matte), containers for glue, foam paint brushes for glue, Double-Stick Tape, Tacky Glue™
  • Table covers
  • Basic colors of tempura paint; sponges; meat trays or flat containers to hold paint
  • Optional: drawing paper & markers

Before Start of Class:

  • Prepare a board book: Use a book that has the number of individual pages equal to the number of students likely to be in class. Cut apart the book pages. (The pages will need to be re-attached later.) Sand the pages - up and down & from left to right with fine grit sandpaper. Next dust off and clean with a baby wipe, and then paint the pages with gesso or white acrylic paint. Let dry. Apply a second coat if necessary. Number of books to prepare depends upon class size. For the second time the art workshop is offered, may wish to present partially finished pages for completion. [An after the fact note: because we had 14 kids the first week I needed 2 books prepared. It definitely needed 2 coats of white paint. Might have only needed one coat if I’d used gesso.]
  • Be able to tell the story from the book Lucy’s Picture.
  • Distribute Bibles around the table.
  • Write the key Bible verse on the easel.


Presentation

Opening- Welcome and Lesson Introduction:

Greet your students warmly, welcoming them to the Art Workshop. Introduce yourself and any other adults.
[Note: The Shepherd will be taking care of attendance while you are starting your lesson.]

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 art supplies 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.”

Ask:

  • What are the five senses we use to explore our world? (sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch)
  • If one of your senses is blocked what happens? (use your others more)
  • For someone who is blind, what senses do you think they depend on?

Say: The sense of touch is very important to people without sight. Braille is a language that uses small raised dots as an alphabet. A blind person can use the sense of touch to feel the raised dots and read!

Pass around the key Bible verse in Braille.

Say: This is our key Bible verse written in Braille. Our key Bible verse is “Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has made you well.’”

Ask students to repeat the key Bible verse. [Refer to the easel.]

Say: Let’s read a Bible story about a man named Bartimaeus (Pronounced: bar-tih-MEE-uhs) who because he had faith, was healed by Jesus.

Dig- Main Content and Reflection:
Ask:

  • Where in the Bible would we find a story about Jesus healing? (New Testament)
  • What do we call the first four books of the New Testament? (the Gospels)
  • What are the four gospels? (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)

Say: Besides being divided into two testaments – the Old Testament and the New Testament – the 66 books of the Bible are further divided into collections. We call the first collection of the New Testament, the Gospels. If you brought your own Bible today, be sure you receive a tab for the gospel section of your Bible.

Show the classroom Bible with tabs.
Have the Shepherd do tabs for students who bring their Bibles. Use the classroom Bible with tabs as an example.

For those who have finished 1st through 3rd grade:
Say: For our classes this summer we’ve been counting on our soon to be 4th graders to teach us about how to find stories in the Bible. Our story is found in three of the Gospels. We’re going to look at the story in the Gospel of Mark.

Refer to the Bibles distributed… Ask the students to find the Gospel of Mark in the Bible. Have the older kids help show the younger kids 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. Go over the order of the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Have them find Mark, chapter 10, verse 46. Point out how the chapter numbers are large and the verse numbers are small.

Once everyone has found the story, have them close the Bibles.
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!”
Read the story out of The Beginner’s Bible, pages 438 - 443.

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!

For those who have finished 4th through 6th grade:

Refer to the Bibles. Have everyone find Mark 10: 46-52. 
Since these students visit on the last week of this Rotation, ask the students if they can tell you the story. Have them check their Bibles for accuracy.

For all students…

Discussion:

Ask:

  • Why was Bartimaeus sitting by the side of the road? (he was blind & begging)
  • Why were there so many people on this road? (people on way to Passover)
  • What did Bartimaeus do to get Jesus’ attention? (shouted)
  • Why do you suppose people wanted Bartimaeus to be quiet? (to hear Jesus)
  • What did Bartimaeus want? (to be able to see)
  • What did Jesus say to him? (refer to the key Bible verse)

Say: Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.”

  • Ask: What is faith? (accept a few responses)

Say: When we trust God and believe that God will always be there with us, it is called “faith.” Faith is believing in God and trusting God.

  • Ask: How did Bartimaeus show his faith in God?

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 is showing faith as well.

Start the art project:

Say: Jesus stopped to talk to Bartimaeus because Jesus cared for people who were in need. Today we are going to be making something for a child who is blind. We are going to be making a book.

[After the fact note: at this point the workshop leader had the students use dry brush techniques – using sponges - to apply some color to the pages - for the person who was helping the blind child to read the book.]

Say: Let me tell you a story about this book that we’ll create.

Tell the story using the book Lucy’s Picture. [Tell the story rather than reading it to save time.]

  • Ask: How can someone who is blind read a picture?

Say: We are going to be illustrating a book for a blind child to “see” using texture.

Show the supplies to be used. Distribute the pages from the “altered book.” Two students may wish to work together on one page. Distribute the poems or the story to be illustrated.
Have the students read the poems (or the story) and choose which page they should create. [For the younger group, have a soon to be 4th grader read them to the younger students.]

[An after the fact note: I struggled to find poems that used lots of images that could be illustrated texturally. We ended up deciding to let the kids make illustrations and to write a story after the fact to go with the illustrations. I’ll have to let you know how this goes!]

Have the children create their artwork on the front side of a page. [The backside will be glued when the book is put back together again.] Explain that they should leave an area on each page for the text in Braille to be added.
Have students periodically close their eyes and feel their page – is it turning out how they think it should?

More Discussion: (while the students are working)
Ask:

  • Does Jesus expect us to see everything with our eyes in order to believe? (no)
  • Do you believe that wind exists?
  • Can you see wind?

Say: You can see the result of wind and you can feel wind but you can’t actually see wind. The same holds true for believing in God, we can’t see God but we can see the result of God in our lives.
Ask:

  • What are some of the results of having God in our lives? (allow all answers- takes care of us, etc.)
  • Why was it important that Bartimaeus had faith in Jesus?

Say: It was necessary for Bartimaeus to have faith in order for him to be healed.

Ask:

  • How did Bartimaeus know that Jesus could heal him? How do you suppose that Bartimaeus knew who Jesus was? (perhaps he’d heard others talking about him) 

Say: There were many people at that time, even some of Jesus’ disciples, who didn’t understand who Jesus really was. They didn’t under stand that Jesus was our Savior that he would die to save us from our sins. It’s interesting that Bartimaeus was blind, yet he seemed to understand who Jesus really was.

Ask:

  • What today can keep us from clearly seeing who Jesus really is? (allow all answers – maybe not knowing enough about Jesus, maybe our expectations of who Jesus is and what he can do, etc.)

Ask:

  • How do you think Bartimaeus was changed after meeting Jesus? (he followed Jesus)
  • In what area of your life would you like Jesus to be able to open your eyes?

If time… Discuss: (use the Overview materials as a resource)
Why the road was crowded that day.
What it was like to be blind in Bible times (i.e., why Bartimaeus had to beg).

Extra Activities (For those who finish early)
Hand out paper and markers. Ask students to draw a picture of what they think the man must have been the most excited about seeing for the first time or what they think someone who has no sight might miss seeing the most.

Closing:
Have the children close their eyes and move their fingers over the artwork.
Can they “read” what they have written?


Resources:

  • G.R.E.A.T. Adventure Dream Team at State Street United Methodist Church, Bristol, VA. “Blind Bartimaeus – Faith Heals: Art Workshop.” 2002.
  • Hatzigeorgiou, Karen J. “How to Alter a Board Book.” 2008.
    http://www.creativity-portal.c...ooks/board.book.html
  • Kruzman, Dianne. “Jesus Heals Bartimaeus: Creation Station.” 2003. (the original idea for this lesson)
  • Moon, Nicola. Lucy’s Picture. London: Orchard Books, 1994. (ISBN-13: 9781852139551)

 

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

A representative of Rotation.org reformatted this post to improve readability.

Last edited by Luanne Payne

Thank you for the idea about Leader Dogs for the blind.  I wasn't able to find the exact video but I found some on youtube to introduce students to the work guide dogs do for the blind and I am excited to share that with them as part of this lesson.

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