A Children’s Sermon on Mark 1:40-45

Preface for Parents and Pastors

Here’s a children’s sermon on Mark 1:40-45. It is actually the text assigned in the lectionary for the 6ᵗʰ Sunday after Epiphany. This year Easter came on the early side, so on Epiphany 6 we were already celebrating the Transfiguration. 

It is a great little story, and prototypical of Mark’s Gospel in my opinion. It quietly show’s the simplicity, the generous humility, of Jesus’ power. Then it gives us an insight into the real reason behind the “messianic secret”—that’s what scholars call it when Jesus seems to hide his identity as the Messiah.

We Presbyterians tend to apply Jesus’ instruction to tell no one about him as if it were an eternal command. But here we see it was very much a contextual thing: People were so overjoyed at Jesus’ miracle-working power that they could not help spreading the word. So much so that even by the end of chapter 1 everybody wanted a piece of him. The poor Messiah couldn’t get a moment’s peace. 

Anyway, without further ado, here’s my children’s sermon on Mark 1:40-45.

A Children’s Sermon on Mark 1:40-45

Good morning kids! I am so glad to see you this morning. Its great that you are here in worship, and I’m especially thankful that you came up to hear the children’s sermon.

Our story about Jesus this morning comes from the very first chapter of the Gospel of Mark. He has just started traveling around, helping people, and telling them about the Kingdom of God. 

He had already healed some people who were sick in their bodies or in their minds. And the more he healed people, the more people came to him wanting him to heal them. 

Hiding in the Rocks and Bushes

After a long day of helping people and healing people, Jesus went for a walk. 

“Ah…” Jesus said to himself. “It’s so nice to be alone for a few minutes. It’s so peaceful and quiet.”

Just then a voice called out from some rocks and bushes beside the road.

“’Scuse me!” called the voice. “’Scuse me! Is your name Jesus by any chance?” 

“Yes it is,” said Jesus. “How did you know my name?”

“Oh, everybody’s talking about you,” said the voice. “I hear them from wherever I’m hiding. I’ve heard a lot of people say they were going to see you about getting healed.”

“Well, I have been seeing a lot of people.” Jesus said. “Lots of people with lots of problems. But now I’m going for a walk. It was nice to meet you!”

“Please don’t go!” the voice begged. “I was… I was hoping you’d heal me too.” 

Jesus said, “Oh, I didn’t know. Maybe if you came out of the bushes we could talk about it.”

There was silence for a bit. Jesus thought the man had changed his mind and gone away. But then he spoke.

“I can’t come out,” he said.

“Oh, are you stuck or something?” Jesus asked.

Leprosy

The man said, “No, I’m not stuck. I’m not supposed to come out. I have… well… it’s actually kind of embarrassing. I have leprosy. People told me I have to stay hidden.” 

“That sounds so hard!” Jesus said. “Would you come out and talk? It’s okay with me.”

“I don’t know,” said the voice. “When people see me they usually turn away. Little kids scream sometimes. A lot of people say mean things and tell me to go away.”

“I won’t do those things,” said Jesus. “You are welcome to come out and talk with me.”

“But… But….” the man sputtered. “I look pretty bad. Leprosy does awful things, you know. My nose is gone, and one of my ears is gone. I keep my hands covered because some of my fingers are gone…”

The man didn’t say any more, but Jesus could hear him crying.

Finally Jesus said, “It makes me sad that you’ve suffered so much. Come on out, and we can talk.”

Choices

The bushes rustled a bit, and then the man came out. He was dressed in raggedy clothes and looked just the way he said he looked. 

But Jesus loocked him in the eye, and said gently, “Come on. It’s okay.” 

So the man came closer. He knelt down in front of Jesus.

“I’m kind of nervous,” he said. “I haven’t been this close to anybody in a long long time.”

“Well, now you are here,” said Jesus. “I hope it helps you feel less lonely.”

“Yeah,” said the man. “But what I’d really like is for you to heal me. I know you can do it if you choose to.”

“I do choose to,” Jesus said quietly. And he took his hands and gently laid them on the man’s head.

“What are you doing?!?” cried the man. “You aren’t supposed to touch me! I have leprosy!”

Jesus said, “Not any more you don’t. Putting my hands on people is almost always how I heal them.”

And the man looked down. He took off the bandages and his hands were whole again. He touched his face and suddenly looked up, his eyes bright with surprise. His face was whole again.

“You’re right!” he cried. “I’m healed! This is fantastic! Thank you so much! I can’t wait to tell everybody!”

More Choices

Jesus said, “Actually, I’d like you to not do that. I’d like you to keep quiet about being healed. Just do what the law of Moses says: Go to the temple, and show the priest. He will help you make a special offering.”

“But I’m so excited!” said the man. “I want to tell everybody!”

“Well, of course you have choices,” Jesus said. “If you choose to do as I ask, you’ll keep this as our secret.”

So the man headed out, healed at last from his terrible sickness. Pretty soon he saw an old friend. The news burst out of him. “Hey look!” he cried. “Look at me! No more leprosy!”

“How did that happen?” his friend asked. 

“Jesus healed me! He’s amazing!” 

And then he told other people. 

All the people he spoke to told their families and their neighbors.

And of course those people told their families and their neighbors. 

Pretty soon, Jesus couldn’t even go into a town because everyone knew that he could even heal a man with leprosy. Everywhere he went crowds gathered, asking him to help with their problems.

Wondering 

I wonder what it was like to have such a big problem and suddenly find the problem was all gone? 

I wonder why the man told everyone, even though Jesus told him not to? 

I wonder how Jesus felt when the man told everybody what he had done?

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