ELL Bible Study: Luke 4:38-41 — Jesus Heals Many People

This Bible study lesson is for people who are learning English (ELL or ESL students). It is made for advanced beginner and intermediate English learners. Children who speak English or adults who prefer easy English may also enjoy it and learn from it, although I also have a Sunday School lesson on Luke 4:31-44 that may work better for native English speakers.

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Luke 4:38-41 Printable Discussion Questions

Lesson Icebreaker Question

Have you ever helped take care of someone who was sick? What did you do for them?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will learn how Jesus healed many sick people. We will see that Jesus cares about those who are hurting. We will also see that Jesus has power over sickness and evil spirits.

Vocabulary Lists

Vocabulary List Using the ERV Bible Translation

All — Every part or every person in a group.
Ask — To say you want something.
Because — For the reason that; why something is true.
Began — Started to do something.
Brought — Carried or moved someone or something to a place.
Came Out — To leave a place and appear outside.
Close — Near something or someone; a short distance away.
Command — To tell someone or something what to do.
Demon — A bad, evil spirit.
Different Kinds — Not the same; many types of things.
Do Something — To take action or act in some way.
Each — Every single person or thing in a group, one by one.
Fever — When a person’s body is too hot because they are sick.
Friends — People you know and like to spend time with.
Gave — Past tense of give; handed or passed something to someone else.
Go Away — To leave a person or place.
Got Up — Stood up from sitting or lying down.
Hands — The part of your body at the end of your arms.
Heal — To make a sick person healthy again.
Help — To do something for someone to make things easier or better.
High — A large or strong amount.
House — A building where people live.
Knew — Past tense of know; to have the answer or understand something.
Laid — Put something down carefully.
Left — To go away from a place.
Many — A large number of people or things.
Messiah — The special person God promised to send to save people.
Mother-in-Law — The mother of a person’s husband or wife.
Order — To tell someone to do something.
People — A group of men, women, or children.
Person — A human being; a man, woman, or child.
Peter — The name of one of Jesus’ first and closest followers; also called Simon.
Serving — Doing work for or taking care of someone else.
Shout — To speak very loudly.
Sick — Not healthy; feeling bad in your body.
Sickness — When a person’s body is not healthy.
Simon — The name of one of Jesus’ first and closest followers; also called Peter.
Son of God — A name for Jesus, showing he is God’s Son.
Speak — To use your voice to say words.
Stood — To stay in one place on your feet.
Strong — Having power in your body or mind; not weak.
Sun — The bright light in the sky during the day.
Synagogue — A place where Jewish people meet to pray and learn about God.
Very — A word meaning much or a great amount.
Went — Traveled or moved from one place to another.
Went Down — Moved from a higher place to a lower place (like the sun setting).

Vocabulary List Using the GNT Bible Translation

Bedside — The area next to someone’s bed.
Demons — Evil spirits that hurt people and do not follow God.
Fever — When a person’s body is too hot because they are sick.
Healed — Made someone well again.
High — A large or strong amount.
Messiah — The special person God promised to send to save people.
Order — To tell someone to do something.
Placed — Put something or someone in a certain place.
Screaming — Yelling in a loud, high voice.
Sunset — The time when the sun goes down in the evening.
Various — Different kinds.
Wait On — To serve food or help take care of someone.

Summary of the Passage

This passage tells us what happened after Jesus left the synagogue, a place where people had gathered to worship God. He went to the home of a man named Simon. At Simon’s house, his wife’s mother was very sick with a high fever. The people told Jesus about her. Jesus went to her bed, stood beside her, and spoke to the fever, telling it to leave. Right away, she was healed. She felt so much better that she got up and began to take care of them.

Later that day, after the sun went down, many people brought their sick friends and family to Jesus. Some of them were sick with diseases, and others had evil spirits inside them. Jesus placed his hands on each person and healed them all. The people were happy and amazed at what Jesus could do.

Some of the people had demons inside them. The demons screamed and called Jesus the Son of God. They knew who he was and were afraid. But Jesus told them to be quiet because he did not want them to tell others that he was the Messiah yet.

This passage shows us that Jesus cares about sick and hurting people. It teaches us that Jesus has power over both sickness and evil spirits. Jesus loves people and uses his power to help and heal them.

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.

Text from the ERV Bible Translation

Jesus Heals Peter’s Mother-in-Law
38 Jesus left the synagogue and went to Simon’s house.
Simon’s mother-in-law was very sick.
She had a high fever.
They asked Jesus to do something to help her.
39 He stood very close to her and ordered the sickness to go away.
The sickness left her, and she got up and began serving them.
Jesus Heals Many Others
40 When the sun went down, the people brought their sick friends to Jesus.
They had many different kinds of sicknesses.
Jesus laid his hands on each sick person and healed them all.
41 Demons came out of many people.
The demons shouted,
“You are the Son of God.”
But Jesus gave a strong command for the demons not to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah.
Luke 4:38-41 (ERV)

Text from the GNT Bible Translation

Jesus Heals Many People
38 Jesus left the synagogue and went to Simon’s home. Simon’s mother-in-law was sick with a high fever, and they spoke to Jesus about her.
39 He went and stood at her bedside and ordered the fever to leave her. The fever left her, and she got up at once and began to wait on them.
40 After sunset all who had friends who were sick with various diseases brought them to Jesus; he placed his hands on every one of them and healed them all.
41 Demons also went out from many people, screaming, “You are the Son of God!”
Jesus gave the demons an order and would not let them speak, because they knew he was the Messiah.
Luke 4:38-41 (GNT)

Very Easy: Easy-To-Read Version: Luke 4:38-41 (ERV)
Very Easy: New International Reader’s Version: Luke 4:38-41 (NIRV)
Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 4:38-41 (GNT)
Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 4:38-41 (NLT)
Hard: New International Version: Luke 4:38-41 (NIV)
Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 4:38-41 (ESV)

Luke 4:38-41 Printable ERV Passage

Luke 4:38-41 Printable GNT Passage

Luke 4:38-41 Printable Discussion Questions

Comprehension Questions

Where did Jesus go after he left the synagogue?
Who was sick in Simon’s house?
What did Jesus do for Simon’s mother-in-law?
What happened to her after Jesus healed her?
When did people bring sick people to Jesus?
What did Jesus do for the people who were sick?
What did the demons say when they left people?
What did Jesus tell the demons to do?
Why did Jesus not want the demons to speak?

Application Questions

How do you think the people felt after Jesus healed them?
Why do you think Jesus helped people who were sick?
What can we do to show care for people who are sick or hurting?
When you are afraid or not feeling well, who do you ask for help?
How does it feel to know Jesus loves and cares for people today too?

Theological Insights

Jesus has power over sickness and evil spirits.
Jesus cares about every person, whether young or old, healthy or sick.
Jesus listens when people pray or ask for help.
The demons knew who Jesus was, but Jesus chose when and how to show people that he was the Messiah.
Jesus loves to heal and help people, and his power is still strong today.

Closing Prayer

Dear Father, thank you for loving and caring for people when they are sick and afraid. Help us remember that Jesus has the power to heal and to help us when we need him. Amen.