Joyful Moments ESL

This Bible study series uses simple English so everyone can understand. It is perfect for ESL students, homeschool children, and anyone who wants to grow in faith. I also have a Sunday School lesson on Luke 5:33-6:11 that may work better for native English speakers.

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Lesson Icebreaker Question

Have you ever helped someone, even when it was difficult? What happened?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will learn about a time when Jesus healed a man on a special day called the Sabbath. We will see how Jesus showed kindness, even when people were watching him to find fault.

Vocabulary Lists for the ERV Bible Translation

Key Vocabulary Words (10 words)

1. accuse: (verb) To say that someone did something wrong or broke a law.
2. closely: (adverb) In a way that is very near or careful.
3. crippled hand: (phrase) A hand that is hurt, weak, or damaged so that it cannot move or work in a normal way.
4. destroy: (verb) To break something completely.
5. evil: (adjective) Very bad and against God.
6. mad: (adjective) Feeling very angry.
7. Pharisee: (noun) A religious leader who was very strict about rules.
8. Sabbath day: (phrase) The seventh day of the week that is a special day of rest for Jewish people to worship God.
9. save: (verb) To keep someone from danger or death.
10. synagogue: (noun) A building where Jewish people meet to pray and study.

Important Words to Know (20 words)

1. accuse: (verb) To say that someone did something wrong or broke a law.
2. closely: (adverb) In a way that is very near or careful.
3. crippled hand: (phrase) A hand that is hurt, weak, or damaged so that it cannot move or work in a normal way.
4. destroy: (verb) To break something completely.
5. evil: (adjective) Very bad and against God.
6. heal: (verb) To make a sick or hurt person well again.
7. hold out: (phrase) To reach out with a hand or an arm.
8. life: (noun) The state of being alive.
9. mad: (adjective) Feeling very angry.
10. Pharisee: (noun) A religious leader who was very strict about rules.
11. right: 1. (adjective) Something that is correct or good. 2. (adjective) Relating to the side of the body that is not the left.
12. Sabbath day: (phrase) The seventh day of the week that is a special day of rest for Jewish people to worship God.
13. save: (verb) To keep someone from danger or death.
14. straight: (adjective) Not having any curves or bends.
15. synagogue: (noun) A building where Jewish people meet to pray and study.
16. taught: (verb) To have helped someone learn something.
17. teacher of the law: (phrase) A person who is an expert in the religious rules given to the Jewish people by God.
18. think straight: (phrase) To be able to think in a clear and calm way.
19. watch: (verb) To look at something carefully for a time.
20. wrong: (adjective) Not right or not true.

Complete Lesson Word Bank

1. about: (preposition) Telling what a thing or person is like.
2. accuse: (verb) To say that someone did something wrong or broke a law.
3. another: (adjective) One more of the same kind.
4. around: (preposition) In a circle or on all sides of something.
5. closely: (adverb) In a way that is very near or careful.
6. could: (verb) To have been able to do something.
7. crippled hand: (phrase) A hand that is hurt, weak, or damaged so that it cannot move or work in a normal way.
8. destroy: (verb) To break something completely.
9. everyone: (pronoun) Every person in a group.
10. evil: (adjective) Very bad and against God.
11. get up: (phrase) To stand up after sitting or lying down.
12. good: (adjective) Something that is right, helpful, or kind.
13. got up: (phrase) To move the body from a sitting or lying position to a standing position.
14. hand: (noun) The part of the body at the end of the arm.
15. heal: (verb) To make a sick or hurt person well again.
16. held out: (phrase) To have reached out with a hand or an arm.
17. hold out: (phrase) To reach out with a hand or an arm.
18. Jesus: (noun) The Son of God and the Savior of the world!
19. knew: (verb) To have had information about something in your mind.
20. life: (noun) The state of being alive.
21. mad: (adjective) Feeling very angry.
22. Pharisee: (noun) A religious leader who was very strict about rules.
23. right: 1. (adjective) Something that is correct or good. 2. (adjective) Relating to the side of the body that is not the left.
24. Sabbath day: (phrase) The seventh day of the week that is a special day of rest for Jewish people to worship God.
25. said: (verb) To have spoken words.
26. save: (verb) To keep someone from danger or death.
27. something: (pronoun) A thing, but it is not said what.
28. stand: (verb) To be on your feet in an upright way.
29. stood: (verb) To have been on your feet.
30. straight: (adjective) Not having any curves or bends.
31. synagogue: (noun) A building where Jewish people meet to pray and study.
32. talk: (verb) To speak to someone.
33. taught: (verb) To have helped someone learn something.
34. teacher of the law: (phrase) A person who is an expert in the religious rules given to the Jewish people by God.
35. think: (verb) To use your mind to have ideas.
36. think straight: (phrase) To be able to think in a clear and calm way.
37. wait: (verb) To stay in a place until something happens.
38. watch: (verb) To look at something carefully for a time.
39. went: (verb) To have moved to another place.
40. which: (pronoun) A word used to ask about a choice.
41. would: (verb) A word used to talk about something that might happen or something someone wanted to do.
42. wrong: (adjective) Not right or not true.

Summary of the Passage

This passage tells about a time when Jesus went into a synagogue. A synagogue is a building where Jewish people meet to pray and study the Bible. It was the Sabbath day, which is the seventh day of the week and a special time for rest and worship. While Jesus taught the people, a man was sitting there with a crippled right hand. This means his hand was hurt and he could not move it correctly.

Some Pharisees and teacher of the laws were also in the building. These men were religious leaders who were very strict about following rules. They were watching Jesus closely to see if he would heal the man on the Sabbath day. They wanted to see Jesus do something wrong so they could accuse him. If they could accuse him, they could say he broke the law.

Jesus knew what these leaders were thinking. He told the man with the crippled hand to get up and stand where everyone could see. Jesus asked the leaders a question about the Sabbath day. He asked if it was right to do good or to do evil. He asked if it was better to save a life or to destroy one. Then Jesus told the man to hold out his hand. The man did exactly what Jesus said. His hand became straight and was healed immediately. The religious leaders became very mad. They were so angry that they could not think straight. They began to talk to each other about how they could stop Jesus.

This passage shows us that Jesus cares about the needs of people. He teaches us that doing good and helping others is always the right thing to do. We should show love even when other people might disagree with us.

Read The Passage

Most English learners should use the Easy-to-Read Version (ERV), the New International Reader’s Version (NIRV), or the Good News Translation (GNT). If you want to try something harder, you can read one of the other Bible versions.

Jesus Heals a Man on the Sabbath Day
6 On another Sabbath day Jesus went into the synagogue and taught the people.
A man with a crippled right hand was there.
7 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees were watching Jesus closely.
They were waiting to see if he would heal on the Sabbath day.
They wanted to see him do something wrong so that they could accuse him.
8 But Jesus knew what they were thinking.
He said to the man with the crippled hand,
“Get up and stand here where everyone can see.”
The man got up and stood there.
9 Then Jesus said to them,
“I ask you, which is the right thing to do on the Sabbath day: to do good or to do evil?
Is it right to save a life or to destroy one?”
10 Jesus looked around at all of them and then said to the man,
“Hold out your hand.”
The man held out his hand, and it was healed.
11 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law got so mad they couldn’t think straight.
They talked to each other about what they could do to Jesus.

Luke 6:6-11 (ERV)

• Very Easy: Easy-to-Read Version: Luke 6:6-11 (ERV)
• Very Easy: New International Reader’s Version: Luke 6:6-11 (NIRV)
• Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 6:6-11 (GNT)
• Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 6:6-11 (NLT)
• Hard: New International Version: Luke 6:6-11 (NIV)
• Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 6:6-11 (ESV)

Comprehension Questions

1. Where did Jesus go on the Sabbath?
2. What was the physical problem of the man in the synagogue?
3. Who was watching Jesus very closely?
4. Why did these men want to watch Jesus so carefully?
5. What did Jesus tell the man with the crippled hand to do first?
6. What question did Jesus ask the people about the Sabbath day?
7. Did the people answer the question Jesus asked?
8. What happened when the man held out his hand?
9. How did the religious leaders feel after the man was healed?
10. What did the religious leaders start to talk about after this happened?

Application Questions

1. Why do you think Jesus helped the man even though people were watching him?
2. Have you ever seen someone do something kind when others did not want them to?
3. How can we show kindness to people who need help this week?
4. What would you do if someone needed help on a day of rest or a holiday?
5. How can we follow the example of Jesus by caring for people first?

Theological Insights

1. God cares more about helping people than only following strict rules.
2. Jesus knows exactly what we are thinking in our minds and hearts.
3. Doing good is always the right thing to do, even when it is hard.
4. Jesus has the divine power to heal and to save.
5. Religious rules should not stop people from showing love and kindness.

Closing Prayer

Dear Father,
We praise you because you are a kind and powerful God.
We confess that we often worry about rules more than we worry about people.
Thank you for sending Jesus to heal us and show us the right way to live.
Please help us to use our lives to do good and help others every day.
Amen.

A Sunday School Lesson

If you prefer a lesson that is better for English speaking children, see my Sunday School lesson for Luke 5:33-6:11. This lesson includes:

• Advice for Sunday School Teachers
• Activity Suggestions
• Discussion Questions

Luke Bible Study Series

You can explore my complete collection of 104 free Bible study lessons for ESL learners, homeschool families, and anyone who enjoys easy English. The studies are organized into 6 simple sections to help you grow in faith at your own pace:

• Part 1: The Birth and Early Life of Jesus (Lessons 1–11)
• Part 2: Jesus Begins His Ministry (Lessons 12–23)
• Part 3: Teaching and Miracles (Lessons 24–40)
• Part 4: The Journey to Jerusalem (Lessons 41–60)
• Part 5: Parables and Teachings (Lessons 61–83)
• Part 6: The Final Week and Resurrection (Lessons 84–104)

More Easy English Resources

More Related Resources

Visit the Joyful Moments ESL homepage for all posts, or scroll through more blog posts about the Sabbath:

Scripture quotations marked (ERV) are taken from the HOLY BIBLE: EASY-TO-READ VERSION ©2006 by Bible League International. Used by permission.