Read Mark 10: 46-52 together as a family.
Activity:
Find a blindfold around the house, and invite a kid to wear it. Assign someone else to be the “guide.” Without touching the blindfolded person, the “guide” then should lead the blindfolded person around the room, through different rooms/obstacles, making sure they don’t get hurt or fall. Do this for as long as it is fun, and then switch roles! Afterwards, discuss these questions: What did it feel like to be blindfolded? What did it feel like to be the guide? What was difficult about this activity? What was fun about this activity?
Story:
Have you ever been afraid of the dark? I know I have! Especially when I wake up in the middle of the night after a scary dream or if I hear unfamiliar noises at 3 am! I get confused, I feel out of control, and even as an adult… I get scared! In our story, Jesus is walking along the road and hears a man named Bartimaeus (let’s call him Bart for short), crying out for help. Bart was blind, which meant that he was walking around “in the dark” all the time. Can you imagine how difficult that would be? And it was even harder in Jesus’ day!
So Jesus hears our friend Bart crying out for help, and the Scripture tells us that “Jesus stopped” to help him. While everyone else was telling Bart to be quiet, Jesus stopped. This week, our Fruit of the Spirit is kindness. By stopping to talk to Bart, and by eventually healing him, Jesus was showing great kindness.
Questions:
• Why was everyone telling Bart to be quiet? How do you think that made Bart feel?
• Why do you think Jesus stopped to talk to Bart?
• Walking around in the dark can feel confusing, out of control, lonely, and scary. When are times when you feel confused, scared, alone, or out of control? How and when can you talk to Jesus about that?
• We learn from this passage that Jesus stops for us when we cry out to him. He is kind to us. Who are some people around you who are hurting? How can we show kindness to them by “stopping” for them, listening to them, and helping them?