The Mat!
Children's sermon
Object: A mat, like an exercise mat, or a blanket.
Note: You can do this all by yourself, but if you want to have more fun, help your children role-play the story. Select one child to be the sick man, and a few children to be the crowd. I usually play the role of Jesus so I can easily guide things. As you tell the story, have the sick man try to crawl, and have a group of children be the crowd blocking him, and then after Jesus helps him, have the man stand up, roll the mat up under his arm, and walk away smiling. Have fun with it!
* * *
Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Excellent! I will start the story by asking you a question. Have you ever gotten in trouble for doing something that was really good? (Let them respond.) Maybe you did something that you thought was a really nice thing to do, but you ended up getting in trouble for it anyway. Has that ever happened to you? (Let them respond.) One day it happened to Jesus. Let me tell you about it. I’ll need this to help tell the story. (Show the mat and put it on the floor.) And I need someone to help me. (Select your volunteer and have them lie down on the mat.) Now, let me tell you the story.
One day, Jesus and his friends were walking around the city of Jerusalem. They went out through one of the big city gates called the Sheep’s Gate and saw a bunch of people all crowded around a big pool of water. There were two big pools there, and they looked kind of like a swimming pool, but they weren’t really for swimming. They were called the Pools of Bethesda, and they were a very special place. Everyone once in a while, something happened to make a bunch of bubbles come up from the bottom of the pool and stir up the water. When the people saw it, they thought it was because God sent an angel down to stir the water with a big stick. And the people believed that if you were sick, if you were the first person to get into the pool after you saw the bubbles you would be healed and not be sick anymore. So, the crowd was a big bunch of people who were very sick and were all watching the water and just waiting to see the bubbles so they could try to be the first one to get in the water.
Jesus saw one man lying on a mat by the gate. (Point to your volunteer on the mat.) He looked really sick, and someone told Jesus that he had been sick like that for almost forty years. That’s a long time to be sick, isn’t it? (Let them respond.) When Jesus saw the sick man and heard how long he had been sick, he went to him and said, “Do you want to get well?”
That sounds like a silly question, doesn’t it? (Let them respond.) I mean, have you ever been sick? (Let them respond.) And when we get sick, do you want to get better? (Let them respond.) Sure we do, don’t we? (Let them respond.) But Jesus wanted to know why the man had been here for so long and hadn’t gotten into the pool to be made well again.
The sick man looked at Jesus and said, “Yes, I want to get better.” (Have the man say that.) Then the man told Jesus that he was so sick he couldn’t even get up and walk, and when the bubbles came, no one would help him get into the pool. In fact, when everyone saw the bubbles, they all ran and pushed and shoved to get to the pool and get in. If the sick man tried to crawl over there, they all just pushed him out of the way and shouted at him, “You’re too sick. Just stay on your mat and leave us alone!” (Have the man start to crawl and have the crowd stand him and shout to stay on his mat and leave them alone.)
Some of the people believed that since the man had been sick for so long, he must have done something wrong, and God was punishing him by making him sick. They believed it was his own fault that he was sick, so they would not do anything to help him get better.
And some of the people didn’t like the man because they believed he wasn’t as important as they were because he was not from there. Do you remember I said that the Pools of Bethsaida were outside the city gate? (Let them respond.) Well, there were other pools inside the city, but only people who lived there were allowed to get in them because they believed that foreigners weren’t good enough or important enough to go inside the gates. But since the pool where Jesus met the sick man was outside the city, anyone could get in, so the sick man was probably one of those foreigners that some people did not like and would not help. They didn’t think he was as good as them because he was not like them, so instead of helping him, they yelled at him and said, “Just stay on your mat and leave us alone!” (Encourage the children to say it with you.)
Jesus looked at the sick man and said, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk!” And do you know what happened? (Let them respond.) He got up. (Have the sick man get up.) He rolled his mat up. (Have him roll up the mat.) He stuck it under his arm. (Have him tuck the mat under his arm.) And he walked away with a big smile on his face. (Have him walk away with a big smile, and then have all of the children sit down with you.)
I’ll bet that surprised everyone, don’t you? (Let them respond.) And I’ll bet it made the sick man happy, don’t you? (Let them respond.) Jesus didn’t care where the man was from, he just wanted to help him, and that was a really nice thing to do, wasn’t it? (Let them respond.) But do you know what happened next? (Let them respond.)
Some of people who saw it got really mad and started yelling at Jesus and the man. They said that since it was a holy day, it was against the law for anyone to do any kind of work on a holy day. And they yelled that healing someone is like work, so Jesus had just broken the law. And rolling up and carrying a mat was work, too, so they shouted that the man had just broken the law, too.
Jesus did a really good thing to help someone, but he got in trouble for it, didn’t he? (Let them respond.) And that happens to us sometimes, doesn’t it? (Let them respond.) Maybe we see someone who is sick, or afraid, or lonely, and other people won’t help them, so we do something to try and help them. And sometimes when we do that, those other people start picking on us, too. They want us to do what they want, and not do what we think God wants us to do, don’t they? (Let them respond.) Sometimes it is hard to help someone.
(Put the mat on the floor and have the sick man lie on it again.) So, when we see someone who needs help, we have to make a choice, don’t we? Do we look at them and shout, “Just stay on your mat and leave us alone!”? (Have everyone shout that at the sick man.) Or do we go to them and say, “Let me help you pick up your mat and walk!”? (Have everyone help the sick man get up, pick up his mat and tuck it under his arm.)
Which of those do you think God wants us to do? (Let them respond.)
I hope our story will help us remember that, even though it can be scary sometimes, God wants us to try and help take care of each other.Let’s pray and ask God to remind us that Jesus loves every one of us and wants us to follow him and take care of each other the way God takes care of us.
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for reminding us how much you love us and for forgiving us when we forget that. And please help us remember that you love all of the people you have created and help us let the people around us know that we love them just like Jesus loves us. Amen.
Note: You can do this all by yourself, but if you want to have more fun, help your children role-play the story. Select one child to be the sick man, and a few children to be the crowd. I usually play the role of Jesus so I can easily guide things. As you tell the story, have the sick man try to crawl, and have a group of children be the crowd blocking him, and then after Jesus helps him, have the man stand up, roll the mat up under his arm, and walk away smiling. Have fun with it!
* * *
Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Excellent! I will start the story by asking you a question. Have you ever gotten in trouble for doing something that was really good? (Let them respond.) Maybe you did something that you thought was a really nice thing to do, but you ended up getting in trouble for it anyway. Has that ever happened to you? (Let them respond.) One day it happened to Jesus. Let me tell you about it. I’ll need this to help tell the story. (Show the mat and put it on the floor.) And I need someone to help me. (Select your volunteer and have them lie down on the mat.) Now, let me tell you the story.
One day, Jesus and his friends were walking around the city of Jerusalem. They went out through one of the big city gates called the Sheep’s Gate and saw a bunch of people all crowded around a big pool of water. There were two big pools there, and they looked kind of like a swimming pool, but they weren’t really for swimming. They were called the Pools of Bethesda, and they were a very special place. Everyone once in a while, something happened to make a bunch of bubbles come up from the bottom of the pool and stir up the water. When the people saw it, they thought it was because God sent an angel down to stir the water with a big stick. And the people believed that if you were sick, if you were the first person to get into the pool after you saw the bubbles you would be healed and not be sick anymore. So, the crowd was a big bunch of people who were very sick and were all watching the water and just waiting to see the bubbles so they could try to be the first one to get in the water.
Jesus saw one man lying on a mat by the gate. (Point to your volunteer on the mat.) He looked really sick, and someone told Jesus that he had been sick like that for almost forty years. That’s a long time to be sick, isn’t it? (Let them respond.) When Jesus saw the sick man and heard how long he had been sick, he went to him and said, “Do you want to get well?”
That sounds like a silly question, doesn’t it? (Let them respond.) I mean, have you ever been sick? (Let them respond.) And when we get sick, do you want to get better? (Let them respond.) Sure we do, don’t we? (Let them respond.) But Jesus wanted to know why the man had been here for so long and hadn’t gotten into the pool to be made well again.
The sick man looked at Jesus and said, “Yes, I want to get better.” (Have the man say that.) Then the man told Jesus that he was so sick he couldn’t even get up and walk, and when the bubbles came, no one would help him get into the pool. In fact, when everyone saw the bubbles, they all ran and pushed and shoved to get to the pool and get in. If the sick man tried to crawl over there, they all just pushed him out of the way and shouted at him, “You’re too sick. Just stay on your mat and leave us alone!” (Have the man start to crawl and have the crowd stand him and shout to stay on his mat and leave them alone.)
Some of the people believed that since the man had been sick for so long, he must have done something wrong, and God was punishing him by making him sick. They believed it was his own fault that he was sick, so they would not do anything to help him get better.
And some of the people didn’t like the man because they believed he wasn’t as important as they were because he was not from there. Do you remember I said that the Pools of Bethsaida were outside the city gate? (Let them respond.) Well, there were other pools inside the city, but only people who lived there were allowed to get in them because they believed that foreigners weren’t good enough or important enough to go inside the gates. But since the pool where Jesus met the sick man was outside the city, anyone could get in, so the sick man was probably one of those foreigners that some people did not like and would not help. They didn’t think he was as good as them because he was not like them, so instead of helping him, they yelled at him and said, “Just stay on your mat and leave us alone!” (Encourage the children to say it with you.)
Jesus looked at the sick man and said, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk!” And do you know what happened? (Let them respond.) He got up. (Have the sick man get up.) He rolled his mat up. (Have him roll up the mat.) He stuck it under his arm. (Have him tuck the mat under his arm.) And he walked away with a big smile on his face. (Have him walk away with a big smile, and then have all of the children sit down with you.)
I’ll bet that surprised everyone, don’t you? (Let them respond.) And I’ll bet it made the sick man happy, don’t you? (Let them respond.) Jesus didn’t care where the man was from, he just wanted to help him, and that was a really nice thing to do, wasn’t it? (Let them respond.) But do you know what happened next? (Let them respond.)
Some of people who saw it got really mad and started yelling at Jesus and the man. They said that since it was a holy day, it was against the law for anyone to do any kind of work on a holy day. And they yelled that healing someone is like work, so Jesus had just broken the law. And rolling up and carrying a mat was work, too, so they shouted that the man had just broken the law, too.
Jesus did a really good thing to help someone, but he got in trouble for it, didn’t he? (Let them respond.) And that happens to us sometimes, doesn’t it? (Let them respond.) Maybe we see someone who is sick, or afraid, or lonely, and other people won’t help them, so we do something to try and help them. And sometimes when we do that, those other people start picking on us, too. They want us to do what they want, and not do what we think God wants us to do, don’t they? (Let them respond.) Sometimes it is hard to help someone.
(Put the mat on the floor and have the sick man lie on it again.) So, when we see someone who needs help, we have to make a choice, don’t we? Do we look at them and shout, “Just stay on your mat and leave us alone!”? (Have everyone shout that at the sick man.) Or do we go to them and say, “Let me help you pick up your mat and walk!”? (Have everyone help the sick man get up, pick up his mat and tuck it under his arm.)
Which of those do you think God wants us to do? (Let them respond.)
I hope our story will help us remember that, even though it can be scary sometimes, God wants us to try and help take care of each other.Let’s pray and ask God to remind us that Jesus loves every one of us and wants us to follow him and take care of each other the way God takes care of us.
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for reminding us how much you love us and for forgiving us when we forget that. And please help us remember that you love all of the people you have created and help us let the people around us know that we love them just like Jesus loves us. Amen.
