Getting to Know Jesus the Healer

To help the children learn about the many examples in the Gospels of Jesus healing the sick

After examining the Gospels for stories of Jesus healing the sick, the children will plan a skit based on their favorite story of Jesus the Healer.

• Chalkboard or flip chart
• Bibles
• List of Gospel healing stories
• Simple props (optional)

• Explain to the children that there are many examples in the Gospels of times when Jesus healed the sick.
• Ask the children to recall as many stories as they can, and list them on the chalkboard or flip chart.
• Divide the children into small groups and ask each group to choose one of Jesus' healing stories, reread the account from the Gospels, and then plan a skit based on their understanding of what Jesus did.
• Their stories could be from the following list or any other Gospel story of Jesus healing a sick person:

- healing the paralytic (Mark 2:1-12)
- healing Jairus' daughter and the woman with a hemorrhage (Luke 8:40-56)
- healing the blind man, Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52)
- healing Peter's mother-in-law (Luke 4:38-39)
- healing a deaf man (Mark 7:31-37)
- healing the 10 lepers (Luke 17:11-19)
- healing a mute person (Matthew 9:32-34)
- healing the man with a withered hand (Mark 3:1-5)
- healing of the centurion's slave (Luke 7:1-10)
- healing of two men possessed by demons (Matthew 8:28-34)
- healing the crippled woman on the Sabbath (Luke 13:10-17)

• Give each group about five minutes to plan their skits.
• After the groups have performed their versions of the Gospel stories, remind the children that we can still experience the healing presence of Jesus in the Sacrament of Penance and the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.

Body Smart, Word Smart

If any children want to, encourage them to retell the Gospel story in a present-day setting.

If there are children in your group with special needs (physical, visual, hearing, language, or behavioral disabilities), adapt the activity accordingly.