This lesson teaches children that Jesus has power over sickness, sin, and even death, and that he invites ordinary people to follow him. It works well for ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes, including the story, a memory verse, and one activity.
Big Idea
Jesus can make people well and forgive their wrongs, and he invites everyone to come close and follow him, even people others think are not welcome.
Memory Verse
Matthew 9:36
But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and scattered, like sheep without a shepherd.
(WEB)
Teach the children to put one hand on their heart and then wave the other hand slowly like a shepherd guiding sheep. Say the verse together as they move. The motion ties Jesus’s care for people to something they can picture and repeat.
The Story: Matthew 9 for Kids
Jesus sailed across the lake and came back to his own town. Some friends brought a man who could not walk. He lay on a mat, and his friends wanted Jesus to help him. Jesus looked at the man and said, “Cheer up, your sins are forgiven.” Some teachers of the law were upset and thought, “Only God can forgive sins!” Jesus knew what they were thinking.
Jesus asked them which was easier, to forgive a man or to tell him to get up and walk. To show that he had the power to forgive, he told the man, “Get up, take your mat, and go home.” The man stood up right away and walked home. The crowd was amazed and praised God for giving such power to people.
Next, Jesus saw a tax collector named Matthew sitting at his work table. Many people did not like tax collectors. Jesus said to Matthew, “Follow me.” Matthew got up and went with him. Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his friends to eat dinner at his house, and many other tax collectors and sinners came too. Some religious leaders asked why Jesus ate with people like that. Jesus answered, “People who are sick need a doctor, not people who are already well.”
A leader named Jairus came to Jesus, worried. His little daughter had died. He believed Jesus could help her. On the way, a woman who had been sick for twelve years touched the edge of Jesus’s cloak, and she was healed. Jesus told her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well.”
When Jesus reached Jairus’s house, the people were crying and making noise. Jesus said, “The girl is not dead, she is sleeping.” Some people laughed at him. Jesus sent them outside, took the girl’s hand, and she got up. Two blind men then asked Jesus for mercy, and he healed their eyes because they believed he could. Jesus also looked at the crowds and felt sorry for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.
Read It Together
Matthew 9:2
Behold, they brought to him a man who was paralyzed, lying on a bed. Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Son, cheer up! Your sins are forgiven you.”
(WEB)
Point out that the friends carried the man to Jesus because they trusted him. Ask the children how they could bring a friend to Jesus, by praying, inviting them to church, or being kind.
Matthew 9:9-10
9 As Jesus passed by from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax collection office. He said to him, “Follow me.” He got up and followed him. 10 As he sat in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples.
(WEB)
Show the children that Jesus called an unlikely man to follow him and then joined him for dinner. Explain that Jesus welcomes everyone who wants to come close to him.
Matthew 9:22
But Jesus, turning around and seeing her, said, “Daughter, cheer up! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.
(WEB)
Point out that Jesus said the woman’s faith made her well. Help the children see that faith means trusting Jesus, even when the answer is not what we expected.
Talk About It
- What do you think the man on the mat felt when his friends carried him to Jesus?
- Why do you think Matthew left his work to follow Jesus right away?
- How did the woman who touched Jesus’s cloak show that she trusted him?
- Why do you think some people laughed when Jesus said the girl was only sleeping?
- What is one way you can show someone that Jesus cares about them this week?
Activity Ideas
Paper Plate Shepherd Craft
You will need paper plates, cotton balls, crayons, glue, and craft sticks. Have each child draw a face on a paper plate and glue cotton balls around the edge to make a sheep. Tape a craft stick to the back so it can be held. Talk about how Jesus cares for people like a shepherd cares for his sheep while the children make their sheep.
Follow the Leader Walk
Clear a space in the room and choose one child to be Jesus. The rest of the children follow behind, copying every movement. Stop now and then to say a line from the story, such as “Get up and walk,” and let the children act it out. Finish by reminding them that Jesus invites everyone to follow him.
Take-Home Kindness Card
Give each child an index card and a pencil. Ask them to write or draw one person they could invite to church or help this week. Tape the card to a bathroom mirror or the fridge at home. Encourage the children to tell their family what they drew and to pray for that person together before bed.
Teacher Notes
This chapter shows that Jesus has authority over sickness, sin, and death, and that he is the one who makes people whole. It also shows that he calls and accepts people others might overlook, such as Matthew and the tax collectors, and that faith means trusting him with our needs. Adults can take comfort that Jesus sees the crowds with compassion and sends his followers to pray for more workers.
Avoid telling children that prayer always brings healing in the way they want, or that a lack of faith is the reason a sick person is not healed. The chapter speaks of Jesus’s power and mercy, and the children should be encouraged to trust him with what they cannot control.
A Prayer to Close
Jesus, thank you that you have the power to heal and forgive. Help us to trust you with our hurts, to welcome our friends, and to follow you each day. Thank you for caring for us like a good shepherd. Amen.
