During the lesson, the information for you to know is written in regular type, and what we suggest speaking or reading aloud to children is in bold. All resources for this lesson, including the Teacher Guide, Student Page, Family Connection Card, and other resources can be downloaded in a ZIP file by clicking on the following link:
In some lessons you will find "resource articles." These are articles written by experts from around the world to help equip you for your work with children and adolescents. Share them with parents or guardians if you consider it appropriate.
Teens will do an activity during the first part of the lesson to help them to develop a better understanding of what it is like to have a physical disability. Look at the list of activity ideas and choose which activity you will do. Prepare the supplies you will need before class.
“Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”
2 Samuel 9:7
When David invited Mephibosheth to eat at his table, it was a sign of his love for his friend Jonathan, Mephibosheth’s father. An invitation to eat at the king’s table was a great honour, and David offered it freely and lovingly. We, too, have been invited to eat at the King’s table. This invitation is open to all! When we look to our left and to our right, whom will we see? And will we love them as the King does?
Prepare for this banquet by inviting some of God’s beloved children into your life, including those with disabilities. Ask God to give you opportunities to show His love to someone who is disabled. It might be someone you have seen many times but never talked to or it might be someone new. Talk to this person. Listen to his needs. If appropriate, offer to help in practical ways. Get to know him and learn from him. Most of all, ask the King to let His love pour onto him through you!
Encourage the students to talk with their families about the importance of honouring people with disabilities. Then they can think of ways to honour those with disabilities and then make plans and do them together.
Teacher Tip: If possible, email or text the Family Connection Card to the families of your students.
Welcome students by name as they arrive. Ask them, “Did you have an opportunity to show honour to or care for an elderly person?” Allow them to share with you and with others in the class.
We all have many abilities, and we do not think about how important they are to our everyday lives. To help us learn about people with disabilities, we will try doing a common activity in a different way.
Lead the teens in doing the activity you have planned to help them understand the challenges of having a disability. They may laugh and joke because they will not be able to do things they could normally do easily. Encourage them to have fun but to be respectful.
Some ideas for activities are:
This activity helped us to understand in a small way what it is like to have a disability. Disabilities are physical or mental conditions that limit a person’s movement, senses, or activities. People with disabilities are the same as everyone else in many ways. They are created by God, who loves them completely. Today we will learn about honouring and accepting people with disabilities.
God created you and values you. You have many wonderful qualities that others might admire. People with disabilities are also worthy of honour. Because they face challenges that some of us do not, they often have different or even better skills, abilities, and strengths than others have.
For example, people who are blind often can hear or smell better than most people do. People without hands or arms can often dress themselves, cook, clean, and even write with their feet! People with disabilities often have to work much harder to do the things that you find easy. Because of this, they may have more perseverance than those who do not have disabilities.
It is important to understand that disabilities are not a punishment, a curse, or a flaw. Those who have disabilities are made in His image, just like everyone else. Their disabilities are not punishment for something they did. God loves each of us completely, and He has a special purpose for each of us, including those with disabilities.
Listen to what Jesus said when his disciples asked why a man was blind.
Optional: If possible, share the image from The Action Bible.
Have a student read John 9:1–3 aloud from the Bible. If that is not possible, the passage is printed here for you.
As [Jesus] went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.
John 9:1–3
What did the disciples believe was the cause of the man’s blindness?
What reason did Jesus give for the man’s blindness? What do you think Jesus meant when He said this?
All people—with and without disabilities—are created in God’s image. A person who is blind, unable to walk, or mentally disabled can bring glory to God in unique ways. We should always show honour to those with disabilities because they are made in God’s image, just as we all are.
Let’s read a story from the Bible about King David and how he showed honour to someone with a disability.
Before David became the king of Israel, he had a friend named Jonathan. Jonathan died in battle. Now that David was king, he wanted to honour his friendship with Jonathan by caring for Jonathan’s relatives. Jonathan had a son named Mephibosheth. When Mephibosheth was 5 years old, he and his nurse fled as they were being attacked by an enemy army. Mephibosheth was hurt, and his feet became disabled.
When King David heard that Jonathan’s son was still alive, David asked to have him brought to the king’s house. Let’s read what happened next.
When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor. David said, “Mephibosheth!” “At your service,” he replied. “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”
2 Samuel 9:6–7
How did David treat Mephibosheth?
He showed kindness by greeting him with joy and by promising to care for him and his needs. He treated him with honour by inviting him to a meal.
How did Mephibosheth treat David?
He treated him with the honour and respect due to a king.
In the time of King David and Mephibosheth, an invitation to eat at someone’s table was very significant. It was not just an invitation for a meal. It was an invitation into the family. David treated Mephibosheth in the same way he would have treated his friend Jonathan if he had been still alive. Listen to Mephibosheth’s response:
Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?”
2 Samuel 9:8
Why do you think Mephibosheth called himself “a dead dog”?
Allow students to offer their thoughts. Then guide them to understand that Mephibosheth may have thought that his life was worthless because he was disabled. Or others may have treated him as though he were no better than a dog.
Do you think any disabled person in our community might feel that way? Why or why not?
What can we learn from the way David treated Mephibosheth?
David showed Mephibosheth honour. This was not because of Mephibosheth’s disability. It was because Mephibosheth was the son of his dear friend. David saw Mephibosheth as a person worthy of love and honour because of who he was.
Are people with disabilities treated with honour in our community? Why or why not?
Have the teens find partners.
Let’s think about specific ways we can value people with disabilities. I will read some statements about interacting with people with disabilities. Together with your partner, decide if the statement is a way to show honour or dishonour. If it is not a way to show honour, think of a way to change it to show honour instead of dishonour.
Pause after each statement for students to discuss their answers with their partners. Then allow 2–3 teens to share their thoughts with the whole class.
Optional: If you are using the Student Pages, the teens can do the quiz on their pages in place of reading the statements listed here.
What are other ways you can show honour to people with disabilities?
While it is kind to offer to help people with disabilities, we also need to remember that there are usually many things they can do on their own. They may even be able to do things that we cannot. Some people with disabilities may be frustrated that they need to depend on others for help. Or they may be frustrated that people think they cannot do things for themselves.
Have the students share their answers to the following questions with their partners.
How can you tell if someone would appreciate help or if she wants to do things for herself? What would you say or do?
Allow 2–3 teens to share their answers. Ideas could include asking if the person would like help, looking to see if the person is struggling before offering help, and making an effort to develop a relationship with the person rather than simply offering practical help.
When you see people with disabilities, it is important to remember that everyone is created in the image of our Creator, and He loves all of us all equally! When we treat those around us with honour, we may find new friends. When we mistreat or ignore others, we dishonour them. In doing this, we also dishonour God, in whose image they are created. Instead, we should try to find ways through which we can reflect God’s love to all of those around us, including those who are disabled.
People with disabilities face many challenges we do not. Many people are not aware of these challenges. One way to honour people with disabilities is to help others learn to appreciate them and treat them with honour.
Here are a few questions to think about in regard to your own views of the disabled. You do not have to answer them out loud. But think carefully about your answers.
Divide the teens into groups of 4–5. Have them work together to write a song, poem, or short skit to help others in the community to understand the challenges of living with a disability. Their creations should also include ways to honour those with disabilities.
Give the groups about 5 minutes to do the activity. Then allow them to read or perform their songs, poems, or skits for the whole class. If possible, have them perform for the church or the community as well.
What did we learn about honouring people with disabilities from these songs, poems,
and skits?
Optional: If possible, replace this activity with a real experience of helping the disabled, Encourage the teens to think of ways they can help the disabled in their community and make a plan to do these things. For example, they may want to build a wheelchair ramp to provide a way for people in wheelchairs to get into the church building or raise funds to buy glasses for someone who cannot see well. This kind of meaningful, firsthand experience will encourage them to value the disabled.
If you are using the Memory Verse Poster, show it to the students.
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.
Proverbs 31:8–9
Choose 1 way you can show honour for a person with disabilities. It can be something we have talked about today or another idea. Then make a plan for how you can do it. Share your plan with your group.
Close class with a blessing based on Romans 12:9–13:
Blessing: May your love for others be genuine, and may you be devoted to one another in love, showing honour for others, especially those with disabilities. May you give and receive hospitality from those who have different abilities than you do.
Lead the teens in singing this quarter’s song, if possible.
Life on Life ©2020 David C Cook. Reproducible for home or classroom use only. All other uses require written permission from David C Cook [email protected]. All rights reserved.
