Curriculum

The Thankful Leper

The Thankful Leper Go to Curriculum multi-week pack

Bible Background

What Kids Will Learn

God loves to do great things for us. Just like the one leper who Jesus healed, we need to remember to give thanks.

Scripture Summary

In Bible times, leprosy was a terrible and common disease. In fact, it was mentioned in the Bible 68 times. Leprosy affected a person’s skin. The bacterial infection grows, causes awful and painful sores, and is highly contagious.

Those who had leprosy were shunned from society. They had to stay away from people and even announce themselves as a leper when someone approached. Lepers would shout, “Unclean! Unclean!” to any passerby. If the sores had cleared and the disease was in remission, a leper was required to be inspected by a priest who could reinstate the leper into society.

Throughout Jesus’ ministry, He healed many lepers. In this passage, there was a group of 10 lepers that Jesus healed. Jesus healed them and told them to present themselves to the priest. But, there were no physical signs of healing until the lepers reached the priest. It took a great deal of faith for the lepers to travel to the priest. And, they saw physical signs of healing along the way.

After the 10 lepers were healed and cleared by the priest, only one returned to Jesus to thank Him. While the other nine simply went on their way, the one encountered Jesus in a deeper way because of his gratitude. He learned that his own faith assisted the healing.

The one was also a Samaritan — an idolatrous culture despised by the Jewish people. Through this healing account, Jesus also reinforced that His way and healing is for everyone — regardless of race.

God doesn’t require or demand our gratefulness when He does amazing things (big or small). But, when we are grateful, we’re able to experience more of God’s character and goodness.

Why Is This Important

God doesn’t demand our gratitude, but it does deepen our relationship with God. He is always with us and wants to do good things for us. When we respond in gratitude, we learn more of His character.

Teacher Devotion

Scripture

“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” (Galatians 6:9)

I received a text from a lady at church. While I didn’t know her well, we exchanged quick greetings on our way in and out of the church on occasion. In her text, Susie asked me if I would be home that evening. She had something for me.

Naturally, I was quite intrigued. Here’s someone who I didn’t know well and wanted to give me something. Her kids were grown and out of the house — maybe she found a hand-me-down. Or, I suppose I could have left something of ours at the church by mistake. But, how would she know?

She rang our doorbell that night — with a homemade pie in hand. She briefly said that she’s noticed our entire family serving at the church in various capacities. Susie had planned to make pies and wanted to give us one to say, “Thanks.”

I was touched. I was surprised. I thanked her and gave her a hug. But, inside I quickly discounted the few things that we had done at the church. Susie went out of her way to notice our work, gather ingredients, bake a pie (which was delicious!), contact me, and deliver the pie with a note of thanks.

The words, “thank you,” mean so much. They can be simple or accompanied by a small gift. Either way, they have an impact on our relationships with others and with God.

Take just a moment to write down the names of three people you have noticed making a difference. They can be in your neighborhood, workplace, church, or anywhere. Plan to deliver a note of thanks for their work — making a point to share how their deed impacted you personally.

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for creating us to need others. Please help me notice the work of others and show my gratitude in intentional and creative days. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Get the full Sunday school lesson plan

  • Bible Memory Verse
  • Interactive Bible Experience
  • Animated video with companion questions

Bible Memory Verse

You’ll Need: A Bible

“Jesus asked, ‘Were not all 10 cleansed? Where are the other nine?’” (Luke 17:17)

Lead kids in these steps to learn today’s Bible Memory Verse:

  • Open your Bible to Luke 17:17.
  • Read the Bible memory verse several times and invite kids to repeat phrases after you.
  • Lead kids in the following hand motions to memorize today’s verse:
    • “Jesus asked,” (Point up toward Jesus.)
    • “Were not all 10 cleansed?” (Hold all 10 fingers up, then rub your arms like you’re washing your body.)
    • “Where are the other nine?” (Hold your hands up again to ask, “Where?”)
  • Invite kids to practice the hand motions several times, then pair up and motion the verse to each other.

SAY: Great job learning today’s Bible verse! In today’s passage, 10 of the sick men were healed, but only one remembered to thank Jesus. May we always remember to say, “Thank You, Lord,” for all that He’s done for us.

Interactive Bible Experience

You’ll Need: A Bible, 10 Jumbo craft sticks, A red marker

Get Ready: Before class, draw red spots on one side of nine jumbo craft sticks. Leave one totally blank.

  • Open your Bible to Luke 17:11-19.
  • Read the passage.
  • Set out all 10 craft sticks with the spots facing down so all 10 sticks look blank.
  • Invite kids to pull one stick at a time. If they pull a spotted stick, they have to sit down. If the stick is blank, they say, “Thank You!”
  • Play several rounds as time allows.

ASK:

  • What can we learn from today’s passage?
  • Why is it important to always say, “Thank You”?

SAY: Jesus may not heal us from every disease, but He’s always working, providing, and blessing on our behalf. He deserves all the glory, honor and praise, which we can give to Him by giving thanks.

Snack

Thank-You Bouquet

You’ll Need: Plates, Napkins, Fruit Roll-Ups, Pretzel rods

Get Ready: Before the snack, have kids clean their hands.

Follow these steps for the “Thank-You Bouquet” snacks:

  • Give each child a plate, a napkin, a Fruit Roll-Ups snack, and a pretzel rod.
  • Have kids unroll their Fruit Roll-Ups and remove the parchment paper.
  • Invite kids to use their pretzel rod as a stem and begin loosely wrap- ping the Fruit Roll-Ups snack around the tip of the pretzel rod in a wavy pattern to create a flower.
  • Explain that the snack is a reminder that we thank people in lots of different ways, including with flowers. And we can thank God every day with our prayers.
  • Enjoy!

ASK:

  • What does Jesus teach us with the story of the lepers?
  • What’s one way you like to say thank you to people who help you?

SAY: God does so much for us! Every day He provides everything we need: food, clothing, and a place to live. But we often forget to stop and say thank you!

Game

Be Healed Freeze Tag

You’ll Need: Large playing area

To play “Be Healed Freeze Tag,” have kids follow these steps:

  • Invite kids to spread out around the room.
  • Choose one child to be the “leper” and one child to be “Jesus.”
  • Explain that when you say go, the kids will hop around the room. The leper will hop to tag or “freeze” people, while Jesus will hop to “heal” the ones who are frozen.
  • When Jesus heals a frozen child, kids will say “thank you”—or they’ll be out of the game. (The teacher can be the moderator for this.)
  • Play for several minutes, then change which child is the leper and which child is Jesus.
  • Play several rounds as time allows.

ASK:

  • Was it easy to remember to thank Jesus when you were healed in this game?
  • What can we learn from the 10 lepers about saying thank you?

SAY: We may not need to be healed from a contagious disease, but we always need something from Jesus. Let’s not forget that He always provides just what we need, and he deserves our thanks when He does so.

Craft

Thank You, Jesus

You’ll Need: Card stock, Markers

Have kids follow these steps to make the “Thank You, Jesus” craft:

  • Give each child a piece of card stock, and set out markers and stickers to share.
  • Invite kids to fold their card stock in half and then use the markers and stickers to decorate a thank-you card for Jesus.
  • Invite kids to write words of thanks on their card for Jesus.

SAY: Great job creating your “Thank You, Jesus” crafts! Take these home as a reminder that Jesus deserves our thanks every single day!

Prayer

Grateful Prayers

Follow these steps to lead kids in prayer.

  • Have kids gather in a large circle on the floor.
  • Remind kids that in today’s passage, they learned about a man who remembered what Jesus did for Him and offered up thanks.
  • Go around the circle and invite kids to share one thing they can give Jesus thanks for today.
  • Close in prayer.

PRAY: Dear God, we thank You for all of these things and more, and we remember Your faithfulness to us. You give us everything we need, and we often forget like the other nine lepers to turn around and say thank you. We give You thanks now, Jesus. In Your name we pray, amen.