The Centurion's Servant Healed

TEXT: Luke 7:2-10

OBJECTIVE

The students will be able to tell why the centurion believed that Jesus needed only to speak and his servant would be healed. They can explain that this kind of belief is real faith, and will be rewarded by God.

BIBLE LESSON OUTLINE

Introduction: Ahead of class time, draw a simple circle face with a sad mouth. Ask the students if they have ever been sick. If so, they probably felt sad like this face looks. Use acetate overlays showing some things they could have been sick with: measles (draw spots), fever (draw a thermometer coming out of the mouth), sores (a couple of bandaids on the face), mumps (lumps at the side), or headache (water bottle on head). What did their mom or dad do for them when they were sick? Our story today is about a man whose servant was very sick. And he did the right thing for his servant.

1. A centurion had a servant who was sick unto death. He sent the elders of the Jews to ask Jesus to come and heal his servant.
2. They told Jesus that the centurion was a worthy man.
3. Jesus received a second message from the centurion saying, "Don't come to my house. Say a word and my servant shall be healed." The centurion had authority over his soldiers, so they did as he commanded and he believed Jesus spoke with authority too.
4. Jesus marveled at the centurion's great faith.

Climax: The centurion's servant was healed through his master's faith in Jesus. When the ones who had been sent with the message returned to the house, they found him well.

Conclusion: The centurion's servant was healed without Jesus' being physically present, and though we can't see Him, He heals us too.

Response: The students will be able to tell how the centurion evidenced his belief in the power of Jesus. They can explain that belief is really faith and will be rewarded by God.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The Roman Empire had begun its expansion in the seventh century B.C. It had pushed its frontiers in every direction and by 63 B.C. overran the eastern Mediterranean area. From that time on there were garrisons of Roman soldiers stationed strategically to maintain law and order.

A centurion was a soldier in command of one hundred men. There is mention made of centurions in various places in the New Testament, chiefly in the Book of Acts. The centurion named Cornelius was a devout man who feared the Lord and was among the first of the Gentiles to receive the Holy Spirit. The centurion in today's text was a good man and evidently well liked by the Jews. This was somewhat unusual because the Jews believed they were God's chosen people and did not want to be ruled by a Gentile nation. Whether this centurion had accepted the Jewish religion we do not know, but he had built a synagogue for the community. In any event, he had faith in Jesus to the extent that Christ said of him, "I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel."

When we have a special petition to ask of the Lord, we should be humble as was the centurion. We must have faith that the Lord is able to speak the word and answer our prayer even though the Lord doesn't stand by us in bodily form. Jesus told Thomas, " ... because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed" (John 20:29).

IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES

• Make button tags for the children in your class (see Patterns). They can wear these to announce to everyone they see that, "Jesus Can Do Anything!"
• Bring a page out of the telephone book which lists auto mechanics. Ask your class, "If your dad's car wasn't running, would just looking at these numbers help? If he called one of them, could the mechanic fix it over the phone? Or would your dad have to take the car to him?" In our story today the sick servant didn't have to see Jesus to be healed by Jesus. Instead, someone who loved the servant came to Jesus for him. We can do that also. We can pray for ourselves and others for healing and Jesus still heals us. He hasn't changed at all.
• Give each child a complete set of the pieces needed to put together the boy and girl on the Jesus Made Us chart (see Patterns). They will need four paper fasteners to attach the boy and girl to their chart.
• Show your class a picture of the praying hands. Tell them that we can't see Jesus, but He can see us and He hears us when we talk to Him. And He answers our prayers. The centurion's servant didn't see Jesus, and Jesus didn't go to see the servant, but the servant was healed when Jesus just said the words. It is the same with us today. We can go to Jesus and, even though we don't see Him, He will help us.

QUESTIONS

1. What is a centurion?
2. Why did he send for Jesus?
3. Did Jesus go to the centurion's house? Why or why not?
4. What happened to the servant?
5. What did Jesus especially like about the centurion?
6. How can we show Jesus that we have faith like the centurion?
7. How do you suppose the centurion knew that Jesus could heal his servant?
8. How do we know that Jesus can heal us when we are sick?
9. How did the centurion know that Jesus could just speak the word and his servant would be healed? Talk about how Jesus can just speak the word and we can be healed.
10. Talk about how other people pray for us or put in prayer requests and we are healed.

PRE-SCHOOL SUGGESTIONS

• Make flip-sided puppets of the sick/well servant for your children (see Patterns). Glue the pieces back to back and cover with clear contact paper. Lay the sick servant on a facial tissue and show how he had to stay there until Jesus said that he was well. Then turn the man over and hold him up. Does he look happy now? Do you think that he wanted to meet Jesus so he could say, ''Thank You"?
• Let each child complete a dot-to-dot happy face (see Patterns) to show how the centurion felt when his servant was healed.

REVIEW IDEAS‍

Cut out several large question marks from different colors of felt. Make them so the dot under the mark is connected, making it all one piece. Give one or two of them to each child in your class. Ask the children questions about the lesson and let them volunteer an answer. If the child's answer is correct he may put one of his question marks on the flannel board. When all the question marks are on the board tell the children that whenever they see question marks they can be reminded that Jesus knows all the answers.

Have someone come to the department and tell of a miraculous healing God gave them. Also have some testify of how God has healed them of a cold or the flu. Nothing is too small or too big for Jesus to heal. It is all the same to Him.

Do a demonstration about faith. Have some objects that take faith to operate, such as a flashlight. You move the lever to switch on the light because you believe the light will come on. Have a picture of a bus. Say that you get on a certain bus because you believe it will take you to where you want to go. Show a model car. Discuss the fact that if your mother or father says, "Let's go to McDonald's," you all pile into the car and believe that is where you are going. This belief is called faith. The centurion believed that Jesus needed only to speak the word and his servant would be healed. And he was! Ask the children if they believe Jesus can do the impossible.