This lesson teaches children that Jesus cares about every person, from a sick servant to a grieving mother to a woman who has done wrong, and that he has the power to help and forgive. It suits children aged 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes.
Big Idea
Jesus loves everyone, he can help anyone who asks, and he is kind to people others might ignore. When we trust him, he welcomes us.
Memory Verse
Luke 7:50
He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
(WEB)
Put your hands together in front of your heart, then open them wide like a book. Say “Your faith has saved you” while you do it, and go in peace by walking slowly in a small circle.
The Story: Luke 7 for Kids
One day Jesus came to a town called Capernaum. A Roman officer, called a centurion, had a servant he loved very much, and the servant was very sick. The officer had heard about Jesus, so he sent some Jewish leaders to ask Jesus to help. They told Jesus that this officer was a good man who had built their synagogue.
Jesus started walking with them toward the house. Before he got there, the officer sent friends with a message. He said he did not feel worthy to have Jesus come into his home, and he asked Jesus to just say the word, because he knew Jesus had the power to heal his servant from far away. Jesus was amazed by this great faith. When the friends went back to the house, they found the servant completely well.
Soon after, Jesus went to a town called Nain. As he came near the gate, he saw a funeral. A woman, a widow, was walking behind the coffin of her only son. Jesus felt sorry for her and said, “Don’t cry.” Then he touched the coffin, and he said to the young man, “Arise!” The young man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. Everyone was filled with wonder and praised God.
Later, a woman who had done many wrong things came to a dinner at the house of a Pharisee, a religious leader who did not like her. She knelt behind Jesus, cried over his feet, wiped them with her hair, and poured sweet oil on them. The Pharisee thought Jesus should not let her touch him. But Jesus told a story about two people who owed money and were forgiven, and then he told the woman, “Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
Read It Together
Luke 7:13-14
13 When the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said to her, “Don’t cry.” 14 He came near and touched the coffin, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!”
(WEB)
Point out that Jesus noticed the widow before she asked him for anything. Ask the children what it feels like when someone notices them and cares, and let them know Jesus does this for them too.
Luke 7:22
Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John the things which you have seen and heard: that the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.
(WEB)
Show that Jesus pointed to what he was doing as proof of who he is: helping people who were sick, hurt and poor. Explain that these are the things he came to do, and that they show his love in action.
Luke 7:47
Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”
(WEB)
Explain that the woman loved Jesus a lot because she knew she was forgiven much. Help the children see that being forgiven makes us grateful, and that Jesus wants us to know how much he forgives us.
Talk About It
- How do you think the centurion’s friends felt when Jesus said he was amazed by the officer’s faith?
- What do you think the widow in Nain might have been feeling when Jesus told her not to cry?
- Why do you think Jesus let the woman with the jar of oil come close to him, even though others did not want her there?
- What is one thing you could do this week to show someone that you care about them, like Jesus did?
- When you do something wrong, how does it feel to know Jesus forgives you?
Activity Ideas
Faith Footprints Craft
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and scissors. Have each child trace one of their feet on the paper and cut it out. On each footprint, have them draw or write one way they can trust Jesus this week. Tape the footprints across a wall or hallway so the children can see them every day.
Forgiveness Freeze Game
You will need an open space and a few soft balls or beanbags. Choose one child to be Jesus. The others walk around the room as the crowd. When Jesus calls “Arise!”, the children who are frozen can move again, similar to how the young man was raised. Talk afterward about how Jesus helps people who cannot help themselves and how God makes us free.
Go in Peace Card
You will need index cards, a pencil, and a marker. Have each child write the memory verse words “Your faith has saved you” and “Go in peace” on the front of a card. On the back, they can draw a simple picture of Jesus helping someone. Let them take the card home to put on a bedroom door or a kitchen table as a reminder.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that Jesus has authority over sickness, death and sin, and that he responds to faith wherever it is found, even outside the expected group of people. The chapter also shows his compassion for the poor and grieving, and his willingness to welcome those others had shut out, such as the woman in the Pharisee’s house.
Avoid suggesting to children that God only heals people who have enough faith, or that bad things happen because someone lacks faith. The story shows Jesus’ power and love, not a formula for getting what we ask for.
A Prayer to Close
Jesus, thank you that you care about every person, even when we feel small or have done wrong. Help us trust you, remember that you forgive us, and show kindness to others the way you did. Amen.
