Bible Study – Choosing Gratitude
Share: Your highs (something that made you happy) and lows (something that made you sad) this week with others around you or write them down.
What do we take for granted, not pausing for even a moment to be thankful? Healed, nine lepers raced off. One, an undocumented alien, came back to say thanks. Are we choosing to show gratitude?
The story today is about some people who had leprosy and then were cured by Jesus. What do you know about the disease leprosy? (Leprosy is a disease of the skin caused by bacteria and it is sometimes highly contagious. It is fairly easily treated now, but was rarely cured in Jesus' time.)
Opening Prayer: Thank you, God, for helping us notice those things that make us grateful. Amen.
Please open your Bibles to Luke 17:11-19 and read or read the scriptures below.
Luke 17:11-19
Jesus Heals Ten Men With Leprosy
11 Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy[a] met him. They stood at a distance 13 and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”
14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.
15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.
17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
Questions: (Answers at the bottom of the page)
- Lepers usually were required to stay a great distance from other people. Why do you think they took the risk to come near to Jesus?
- Why did Jesus tell the lepers to go show themselves to the priest?
- Why do you think the nine lepers raced off?
- Why do you think the one leper returned and said thanks?
A different ending: imagine two different endings to this story.
Ending One: The 10 lepers race off. The 10th leper tries to talk the other nine into going back with him to say thanks. What do they say and why don't they go back?
Ending Two: The nine lepers race off and after they see the priest they sit down and have a conversation about what they should do. Go back and find Jesus to say thanks, or just go on with their lives.
Bible Memory Verse: Luke 17:19 - “Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
Click here for the young learner’s lesson.
Videos (Click on url)
The Healing of the Ten Lepers - Luke 17: 11-19: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/VSBQgrhqKzo
Gospel of Luke Summary: A Complete Animated Overview (Part 2) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26z_KhwNdD8
Song: To God Be The Glory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0dQbfbSW0Q&list=RDY0dQbfbSW0Q&start_radio=1
Activities:
Journal: If you are using journals, write in your journal about something you are grateful for.
Gratitude Collage: You will need a large piece of paper (newsprint or poster board), strips of construction paper large enough write a few words on, felt markers or crayons, and white glue. On the large piece of paper, write in the middle of the piece of paper the words, "Thank you, Jesus" in big bold letters. Then write things for which you want to thank Jesus on the pieces of construction paper and then glue the pieces on the piece of paper, arranging them as you choose.
Clay Thank You: You will need modeling clay. Roll it into a long snake-like rolls to be formed into letters to say “THANK YOU”. You will need a piece of cardboard covered with construction paper to lay your words on.
Thank You Cards: create a tri-fold card made out of construction paper to write or draw a simple THANK YOU card to someone you would like to THANK. Stickers and markers will make for good decorations.
Jesus Heals Ten Lepers – True or False: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/jesus-heals-ten-lepers-3
Jesus Heals Ten Lepers - Crossword: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/jesus-heals-ten-lepers-1
Jesus Heals Ten Lepers – Decoder: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/jesus-heals-ten-lepers-2
Jesus Heals Ten Lepers - Word Search: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/jesus-heals-ten-lepers-5
Jesus Heals Ten Lepers – Multiple Choice: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/jesus-heals-ten-lepers-4
Getting Closure: What kinds of things help us to remember to say, "Thank you." We remember our mother prompting us, something inside us wants to say thanks, saying thank you makes us feel better!
Prayer: Thank you, God, for all the things we have noticed for which we are grateful. Help us to stay grateful as we go into the world this week. Amen.
Answers to the Questions:
- Lepers usually were required to stay a great distance from other people. Why do you think they took the risk to come near to Jesus? (Perhaps they had heard stories of Jesus healing others and hoped he would heal them.)
- Why did Jesus tell the lepers to go show themselves to the priest? (He had cured them and a priest had to certify that a cured leper was really cured and could rejoin society.)
- Why do you think the nine lepers raced off? (They knew immediately that they were cured and wanted to get to the priests quickly? They were doing what Jesus told them to do? They were so excited they flat forgot? They intended to come back and thank Jesus after they saw the priest? We don't know, so any answer could be correct.)
- Why do you think the one leper returned and said thanks? (He was so amazed at his health that he simply had to go back and thank Jesus? Being a Samaritan [a looked-down on foreigner], he was even more surprised that Jesus would heal him? He had a grateful heart and usually remembered to say "thank you?" We don't know, so any answer could be correct.)
