A Village Refuses Jesus: An ESL Bible Study on Luke 9:51-56

This Bible study series is for people who are learning English. It is designed for advanced beginner and intermediate learners, but children or adults who prefer simple English may also enjoy it. I also have a Sunday School lesson on Luke 9:51-56 that may work better for native English speakers.

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Luke 9:51-56 Printable Discussion Questions

Luke 9:51-56 Printable ERV Passage

Lesson Icebreaker Question

Has someone ever been unkind to you? What did you do?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will learn how some people did not welcome Jesus. We will also see how Jesus teaches his followers to stay calm and kind when others are unkind to them.

Vocabulary Lists for the ERV Bible Translation

Key Vocabulary Words (10 words)

call down: (phrase) To ask for something like fire or a blessing to come from heaven.
criticize: (verb) To say that someone is doing something wrong.
decide: (verb) To make a choice.
destroy: (verb) To break something completely.
heaven: (noun) The place where God lives.
leave: (verb) To go away from a place.
make ready: (phrase) To prepare everything so that it is set for a person or an event.
Samaria: (noun) A region between Judea and Galilee.
toward: (preposition) Moving in the direction of something.
welcome: (verb) To greet someone in a friendly way.

Important Words to Know (20 words)

ahead of: (phrase) In a position further forward than someone or something else.
another: (adjective) A different one.
call down: (phrase) To ask for something like fire or a blessing to come from heaven.
criticize: (verb) To say that someone is doing something wrong.
decide: (verb) To make a choice.
destroy: (verb) To break something completely.
fire: (noun) The heat and light from something burning.
follower: (noun) A person who learns from and obeys a teacher.
go back: (phrase) To return to a place where you were before.
heaven: (noun) The place where God lives.
Jerusalem: (noun) The most important city in Israel where the Temple was.
leave: (verb) To go away from a place.
Lord: (noun) A name that shows someone has power or authority.
make ready: (phrase) To prepare everything so that it is set for a person or an event.
near: (adverb) Close to a specific time.
Samaria: (noun) A region between Judea and Galilee.
sent: (verb) To have caused someone to go to a place.
toward: (preposition) Moving in the direction of something.
town: (noun) A place where many people live that is smaller than a city.
welcome: (verb) To greet someone in a friendly way.

Complete Lesson Word Bank

ahead of: (phrase) In a position further forward than someone or something else.
another: (adjective) A different one.
because: (conjunction) For the reason that.
call down: (phrase) To ask for something like fire or a blessing to come from heaven.
come: (verb) To move toward a person or a place.
criticize: (verb) To say that someone is doing something wrong.
decide: (verb) To make a choice.
destroy: (verb) To break something completely.
everything: (pronoun) All things that exist.
fire: (noun) The heat and light from something burning.
follower: (noun) A person who learns from and obeys a teacher.
go back: (phrase) To return to a place where you were before.
heaven: (noun) The place where God lives.
James: (noun) One of the first men who followed Jesus.
Jerusalem: (noun) The most important city in Israel where the Temple was.
Jesus: (noun) The Son of God and the Savior of the world!
John: (noun) One of the twelve followers of Jesus.
leave: (verb) To go away from a place.
Lord: (noun) A name that shows someone has power or authority.
make ready: (phrase) To prepare everything so that it is set for a person or an event.
near: (adverb) Close to a specific time.
Samaria: (noun) A region between Judea and Galilee.
Samaritan: (noun) A person from the region of Samaria.
saw: (verb) To have looked at something with your eyes.
saying: (verb) Speaking words.
sent: (verb) To have caused someone to go to a place.
some: (adjective) An amount that is not specific.
time: (noun) A specific moment or event.
toward: (preposition) Moving in the direction of something.
town: (noun) A place where many people live that is smaller than a city.
turn: (verb) To move in a circle or to change direction.
want: (verb) To wish for something.
welcome: (verb) To greet someone in a friendly way.
went: (verb) To have moved to another place.
would: (verb) A word used to talk about something that might happen or something someone wanted to do.

Summary of the Passage

This passage starts when it was almost time for Jesus to go back to heaven. He decided to go to the city of Jerusalem. He sent some men ahead of him to a town in Samaria to make ready for his trip. At that time, Jews and Samaritans were like enemies. They argued about the best place to pray to God. Because Jesus was going to a Jewish city, the people in the town would not welcome him or let him stay there.

This made two of Jesus’ followers, James and John, very angry. They asked Jesus if he wanted them to call fire down from heaven to destroy the people in the town. But Jesus did not want to hurt anyone. He criticized James and John because they wanted to act in anger. Then Jesus and his followers quietly went to another town instead.

This passage teaches us that sometimes people will not welcome us or be kind to us. But Jesus shows us a better way. He teaches us to stay calm, forgive, and move on without fighting or being mean.

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.

A Samaritan Town
51 The time was coming near when Jesus would leave and go back to heaven.
He decided to go to Jerusalem.
52 He sent some men ahead of him.
They went into a town in Samaria to make everything ready for him.
53 But the people there would not welcome Jesus because he was going toward Jerusalem.
54 James and John, the followers of Jesus, saw this.
They said,
“Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven and destroy those people?”
55 But Jesus turned and criticized them for saying this.
56 Then he and his followers went to another town.
Luke 9:51-56 (ERV)

Very Easy: Easy-to-Read Version: Luke 9:51-56 (ERV)
Very Easy: New International Reader’s Version: Luke 9:51-56 (NIRV)
Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 9:51-56 (GNT)
Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 9:51-56 (NLT)
Hard: New International Version: Luke 9:51-56 (NIV)
Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 9:51-56 (ESV)

Luke 9:51-56 Printable ERV Passage

Comprehension Questions

Where was Jesus planning to go?
Who did Jesus send ahead of him to the village?
What did the people in the village do when they learned Jesus was going to Jerusalem?
How did James and John feel about this?
What did James and John ask Jesus if they should do?
What did Jesus do when they asked that?
Where did Jesus and his followers go next?

Application Questions

How do you feel when someone is unkind to you?
Why do you think Jesus did not want to hurt the people in the village?
What is a better way to act when someone does not treat you well?
Can you think of a time you forgave someone? How did it feel?

Theological Insights

Jesus teaches his followers to forgive and not to fight back when people are unkind.
God wants us to show love, even to people who do not treat us well.
Jesus cares about people’s hearts more than about winning an argument or fight.
The followers of Jesus should stay calm and trust God in hard times.

Closing Prayer

Dear Father, Thank you for showing us how to forgive and be kind. Help us stay calm when people are unkind to us. Teach us to follow Jesus’ loving way. Amen.