Left: The Leper Who Said ‘Thank You,’ by John Steel © Providence Lithograph; right: illustration by David Malan; illustration of sandals by Mark Robison
Think about a time when you were sick. Did someone do something kind to help you feel better?
In the New Testament we read about how Jesus showed kindness to people who were sick. One day a man with a painful skin disease called leprosy went to Jesus. He knew that Jesus had the power to heal everyone who was sick. He believed that Jesus could heal him. Jesus touched the leper and said, “Be thou clean” (Mark 1:41 ). As soon as Jesus had spoken, the man was healed.
We can follow in Jesus’s footsteps by being kind and loving to others who are sick or sad.
The New Testament has four special books called the Gospels, which were written by some of Jesus’s disciples. The Gospels tell about when Jesus Christ lived on the earth. The story about healing the leper is in three of the Gospels. It is in Mark 1:40–42 and also in Matthew 8:2–4 and Luke 5:12–14 .
You can use the scripture figures on page 74 to tell the story from Mark 1:40–42 . Then you could read Jude 1:22 and plan how to do something as a family to make a difference in someone’s life. Maybe you could serve someone in secret!
Song: “Tell Me the Stories of Jesus” (Children’s Songbook, 57)
Scriptures: Mark 1:40–42
Videos: Go to Biblevideos.org
With your family, role-play how you could show love for others in these situations. Make up some of your own situations!
A new family has moved into your neighborhood.
Some children are being mean to another child at school.
A visitor who doesn’t know anyone at church comes to Primary.
Your younger brother or sister has no one to play with.
The baby is crying, and your mother is trying to make dinner.
A person in your ward or branch is sick and can’t leave the house.
In Mark 1:41 the word compassion is used. Sometimes there are big words in the Bible that you might not understand. When you find a word you don’t know, you can use the Guide to the Scriptures to help you! For example, you can look up “Compassion” to find out what it means and to find other scriptures that use it. What other words can you look up in the story about Jesus healing the man with leprosy?