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.
A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.
Matthew 8:2–3
With a simple touch, Jesus showed that He was different. He reached out and healed the leper, and the man’s life was changed forever. While many would not have treated the diseased man with kindness and compassion, Jesus did. With that gentle touch, Jesus filled an even greater need in the man’s life—the need for love. And Jesus gives the kind of love that heals hearts and transforms lives!
How do you treat those around you who are broken and blemished? How do you respond to the needy or lonely people who call on you? Do you reach out with kindness and compassion? Or do you draw away in anger or fear? Follow Jesus’ example, and touch someone’s life with His love. You can choose to be the hand of Jesus—the hand that brings compassion to someone who desperately needs it. Are you willing?
Encourage the teens to share with their families how Jesus showed compassion to the lepers. They can then invite their families to plan 2 ways to show compassion to those in their community who are suffering from HIV/AIDS.
Teacher Tip: If possible, email or text the Family Connection Card to the families of your students.
Greet the students by name as they arrive. Ask if they were able to share what they learned about HIV/AIDS with others. If so, congratulate them for helping to prevent the virus and disease. When you are ready to begin the lesson, ask the class to sit.
Last week we learned about HIV/AIDS. I will read some statements about HIV/AIDS. After I read each one, decide if you think it is true or false.
Read the following statements one at a time. After each statement, ask the teens to raise their hands if they think it is true and keep their hands down if they think it is false. Choose 1 teen who believes it is true and 1 who believes it is false to share why they think they are correct. Then ask the rest of the class to correct any incorrect information. If the class is not able to decide on the correct answer or if they share incorrect information, share the facts listed with each statement.
Today we will continue to learn about HIV and AIDS. First, we will do the first part of an activity that we will finish at the end of class.
Think quietly about someone you know well. It might be a family member, friend, teacher, neighbour, or even yourself! Imagine exactly what that person looks and sounds like. Now I will ask you some questions about him or her. Everyone find a partner. Share your answers to these questions with your partner. You will have just 1 minute for both of you to share your answers after each question, so keep your answers short.
Read the questions below. Pause after each for students to share their answers with their partners.
Remember the people you discussed. You will talk more about them later in class.
Today you will learn more specifically about how HIV/AIDS spreads and how to prevent it. As I read these facts about HIV/AIDS, think about which ones you did not know. When I say a fact that is new to you, stand.
Optional: If you are using the Student Pages, have the teens record what they learn about HIV/AIDS on their pages.
Now we will do the same thing again with different facts.
Listen carefully! Here are the last 5 facts:
Sometimes people inject drugs into their bodies with needles. If a healthy person uses a needle that was used by an HIV-infected person, the virus can infect the healthy person. Taking drugs is not safe and can cause disease, especially when you inject drugs with a contaminated needle.
The HIV virus can also be passed through sexual contact. If an infected person has sexual contact with a healthy person, the healthy person can get HIV. If an HIV-infected person rapes someone, the victim might become infected. Remember that rape is when someone forces another person to have sex. Sex with a child is always rape.
Based on the facts we have learned, what are some things you should do or not do in order to keep yourself as safe as possible from HIV/AIDS?
Mention these answers if the students do not: wait until I am married to have sex and then only have sex with my spouse; do not use drugs.
What are some things you can do to help your friends and family avoid getting HIV/AIDS?
Mention this answer if the students do not: tell others what I have learned about HIV/AIDS, how it spreads, and how to prevent getting it.
Now that we understand what HIV/AIDS is and how it can be prevented, let’s talk about how AIDS can affect people’s lives.
AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. That is a long phrase that means the immune system is not working the way it should. AIDS results in a weakened immune system, which eventually becomes so weak that the person’s body cannot fight off disease, so the person dies. But with medication and treatment, many people can live long lives even with HIV and AIDS.
Think about your answer quietly: what emotions do you feel when you think about HIV/AIDS?
It is normal to have strong feelings about HIV/AIDS. You may be afraid of getting HIV/AIDS because there is no cure. If you or someone you love has HIV, you may feel angry or afraid. Some people with HIV feel rejected by others, and those who are close to them often live in worry and fear about getting the disease or losing those they love. Some people are mistreated or abused because they have HIV or AIDS. Maybe you have even thought about mistreating others because they are infected with HIV/AIDS.
Yet, as we learned last week, God does not hate those afflicted by disease.
Have a student read Psalm 22:24 aloud from the Bible. If that is not possible, the verse is printed here.
For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.
Psalm 22:24
When Jesus was on earth, most healthy people did not want to be near people with leprosy. People were afraid of them or hated them because they were sick. Healthy people would never touch those with leprosy. People were afraid and confused by leprosy, much like many people are afraid and confused by HIV/AIDS. Let’s read how Jesus responded to a man with leprosy:
If you are using the Memory Verse Poster, show it to the students.
A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.
Matthew 8:2–3
How did Jesus respond to the man with leprosy?
Jesus touched him and healed him!
Jesus did not send people with leprosy away. He was not afraid of them, and He did not treat them unkindly. Instead, He touched them and cared for them. He loves each and every person, including those with diseases and disabilities. We can show the kind of love Jesus did by being kind to people who have HIV/AIDS.
Remember that sometimes a person’s habits and poor choices can cause HIV, but some people get HIV through no fault of their own. For example, a baby can get it from an infected mother, or a girl may get it if she is raped by someone who has the disease. HIV/AIDS is a difficult disease to live with, so we can show compassion for those who are suffering and try to help when we can.
In what ways have your ideas about people with HIV/AIDS changed as we have learned more about the diseases?
Remember that you cannot tell if someone has HIV just by looking at him. HIV can live inside a person for a long time before the symptoms begin to show on the outside. Think again about the person you described at the beginning of class. Now we will pretend that the person you described has HIV or AIDS.
Find the same partner you had at the start of class. Share with your partner 3 things that would change in this person’s life because he or she has HIV or AIDS.
Give students about 5 minutes to share with their partners. Remind them to leave time for both partners to talk.
Now tell your partner 3 things about the person’s life that would not change.
Give the pairs about 5 minutes to share with their partners. Remind them to leave time for both partners to talk.
Discuss these questions with your partner:
Based on what you have learned in this class, how would you respond to that person now if you found out he or she had HIV/AIDS?
After about 3 minutes, gather the class back together. Give several teens a chance to share how their responses would change because of what they learned.
Close the class with a blessing based on Mark 12:31–34:
Blessing: May you love others as yourself, including those who have HIV/AIDS. May you look for ways to show the kind of love Jesus would to those who might seem unlovable. And may you love the Lord with all your heart and all your understanding so that you can learn to love as He does.
Lead the children 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.
