Childrens Sermon Service

First Thoughts: This passage about Bartimaeus invites some interesting questions about our relationship to God. How often do we just come right out and ask for what we need? Not only that, how often do we absolutely demand to be heard by God in our needfulness? My guess is that this is a type of prayer that is difficult for many of us. In our culture, being needy is a sign of weakness and expressing vulnerability is an invitation to contempt or abuse. We need to "put on a good face" and pretend things are going well even when (or particularly when) they aren't. This is true even in our churches, where being pleasant is often valued over being honest. We seem to think that what people most value in us is the fact that we don't need them, and that God likely feels the same way. Our mistake, of course, is that God already knows our fears and anxieties, our struggles and depressions. And God wants nothing more than to help us heal and to achieve greater freedom and abundance. But as long as we hide our need and hold it tightly to our heart, we aren't really available to receive the healing God wants to offer. Bartimaeus' act is an act of faith and courage. Not only isn't he hiding his need, he is shouting his need to the world, fairly hurling it at Jesus' feet. Because he does this, because he lets it "all hang out," everything can be released. Think for a moment about your own prayer life. How often do you present your needs to God? (not those of someone else, but your own!) Do you have any needs right now you need to bring? What, if anything, prevents you? Bring your time of prayer and meditation with you in your time with the children.

Teaching As A Team:
(Leader 2 mopes around)
Leader 1: Hey (name). Are you all right? You look a little down.
Leader 2: Yeah. See, yesterday I was playing soccer, and I hurt my ankle.
Leader 1: Oh, are you all right?
Leader 2: Yeah, I'm fine now. But it was really hurting through the game. And my friends -- they just kept on playing. By the end of the game I could barely walk. They just didn't care that I was in pain.
Leader 1: Wow, you mean they just kept on playing even though you told them you were hurt?
Leader 2: (slowly) Not exactly. I mean, I didn't exactly tell them it was hurting.
Leader 1: You didn't tell them?
Leader 2: Not exactly.
Leader 1: Why didn't you tell them?
Leader 2: I don't know. I mean, I didn't want them to think I'm a wimp.
Leader 1: But (name), how would they know to stop playing unless you told them? It seems like you decided you would rather just tough it out than tell your friends you needed help. You could use a lesson from Bartimaeus.
Leader 2: Who is that?
Leader 1: Bartimaeus was a blind man who asked for help. Jesus was passing his way one day and Bartimaeus started yelling over and over again, "Jesus help me!"
Leader 2: Wow. He wasn't shy about asking for help!
Leader 1: No, he wasn't. In fact, people told him to be quiet and that he was making too big a fuss. But he just yelled louder. And you know what? Jesus heard him and was impressed with him.
Leader 2: You mean Jesus didn't think he was being whiny?
Leader 1: No, of course not. Jesus told him his faith that had made him ask for help was the same faith that would heal him. And immediately Bartimaeus could see again.
Leader 2: You mean, it's a sign of faith to ask for help?
Leader 1: Of course. If you ask your friends for help when you hurt your ankle, aren't you really saying that you have faith they will be kind and take care of you?
Leader 2: Yeah, I guess so.
Leader 1: The same is true with God. When we share what we most want, we give God a chance to help us and our faith gets stronger.
Leader 2: I'm done being a tough guy. When I need help I'm just gonna ask for it.
Leader 1: And I bet your faith will grow stronger each time!

Teaching On Your Own: Hey, guys. Listen, I had a pretty hard day yesterday. I was playing soccer and hurt my ankle. I mean, I'm fine now. But it was really hurting through the game. And you know what my friends did? They just kept on playing. By the end of the game I could barely walk. They just didn't care that I was in pain. It really hurt my feelings! But, you know, now that I think of it I didn't exactly tell them my ankle was hurting. I guess I didn't want them to think I'm a wimp. Have you ever done that -- not told someone you were hurt because you wanted to tough it out instead? How did that work out? Well, it didn't work out for me. I ended up with both my ankle and my feelings hurt. Maybe I should try to learn a lesson from Bartimaeus.

Bartimaeus was a blind man who asked for help. Jesus was passing his way one day and Bartimaeus started yelling over and over again, "Jesus help me!" He wasn't shy about asking for help, was he? In fact, people told him to be quiet and that he was making too big a fuss. But he just yelled louder. And you know what? Jesus heard him and was impressed with him. Jesus didn't think he was being wimpy or whiny. Jesus told him his faith that had made him ask for help was the same faith that would heal him. And immediately Bartimaeus could see again. That would mean asking for help is a sign of faith. I guess that makes sense, doesn't it? I mean, if I ask my friends for help when I hurt my ankle, aren't I really saying that I have faith they will be kind and take care of me? That's true for God too. When we share what we most want, we give God a chance to help us and our faith gets stronger. I've decided that I'm done being a tough guy. When I need help I'm just gonna ask for it. And I bet my faith will grow stronger each time!

Closing Prayer: Loving God, help us to ask for what we need and give you a chance to care for us and grow our faith. Help us also to be kind to others when they have needs so that we can be as kind to them as you are to us. In Christ's name we pray, Amen.

Follow-Up Lesson: To reinforce this lesson in a classroom or home environment, share with the children a parable about the difference between heaven and hell. A rabbi was talking to his disciple about the difference between heaven and hell. He explained that in hell there's plenty of food to eat, but the forks are ten feet long. So even though there's a lot to eat, there's no way to get it to your mouth. So you're always hungry. Then he shared that in heaven there's plenty of food to eat, and the forks are ten feet long. But in heaven, the people feed each other. Connect this parable to the lesson today. We are only fed when we can share our needs with each other and when we can act like God in responding to each other's needs. Encourage the children to think about things they might need from someone else: a listening ear, a hug, help learning something new in school. Why might we not ask for what we need? We don't want to feel silly, we're afraid of someone rejecting us, and we think being tough is better than being connected? But what does Bartimaeus teach us? What about the parable about heaven and hell? Maybe sometimes when we ask for help it is a little awkward, but isn't it better to ask for what we need to help make a world where everyone gets fed? And don't forget that God never judges or rejects us when we come with our needs. As a craft idea, help your children make prayer jars. You can start with just simple jars you might pick up in a thrift store. Give the children a chance to paint the jars or put ribbon on them. Explain to the children that when they have a special need or concern, they can just write it down on a piece of paper and put it in the jar. They can do it every day if they want -- just like Bartimaeus -- until they get an answer from God. When their jar is full, they can take the papers to their parents and watch as their parents say a prayer and safely burn the paper -- releasing it all to God's care. Close your time with the children in prayer.