Lesson 5: Jesus Heals a Crippled Woman

Welcome

          Thank kids for coming.

          Just for fun, teach preschoolers how to give “hand hugs” by putting their palms against the palms of a friend and wrapping their thumbs around the other person’s hand.

          Make announcements.

          Introduce new kids.

          Celebrate birthdays by having preschoolers say “happy birthday” in a squeaky voice.

          Collect the offering.

Introduce the Lesson

          Say: Today we’ll learn that Jesus does what’s right—no matter what. That means he always makes good choices.

Share

          Say: Sometimes people come up with silly rules that make it hard to make good choices. In the Bible, some people made a rule that said you couldn’t help people on Saturdays. Isn’t that silly? Let’s see if we can think of some other silly rules.

          Make up a silly rule. For example, you might say people can only talk in a whisper.

          In leader-led small groups, help the preschoolers make up silly rules. For example, they might say that all the kids get candy each time they jump.

          After groups have discussed, have the adult or teen helpers in each group share something their group talked about.

Summarize

          Open a Bible, and say: Those are some pretty silly rules! Today we’ll learn that Jesus does what’s right—even when there are silly rules. We’ll dig into the Bible to see what Jesus did. God is always with us and ready to talk to us. One way God talks to us is through the Bible. It’s his special book.

          Pray, thanking Jesus that he does what’s right—no matter what.

Tip 

Sing Songs to God

          Sing the three songs in any order.

Make the Marionettes

          Say: Our Bible story today tells us about a time Jesus healed a crippled woman. Her back was hunched over, and she couldn’t stand up straight for a long, long time. But Jesus made her better—and she could stand up straight! Let’s make a craft that will remind us of our Bible story.

          Give each child a felt person shape. Let kids decorate their people by adding two googly eyes and pieces of yarn for hair and coloring a mouth with the washable markers. They can also add any other decorations they like using the provided supplies.

          Once children have added the decorating elements to their felt people, help them tie the end of each 6-inch length of yarn through the punched holes in the felt person’s arms and then tie the 4-inch length of yarn through the hole at the top of the head.

          When the three pieces of yarn have been tied through the holes, help preschoolers tape the other ends of the yarn to a drinking straw to create their marionette handle.

Act Out the Bible Story

          Once all the preschoolers have finished making their marionettes, lead children in acting out the Bible story with their craft.

          Say: A long time ago there was a woman who was crippled. Her back was hunched over, and she couldn’t stand up straight—for years and years and years! Everywhere she went she was bent over. Have preschoolers walk their marionettes around by holding the handle of the marionette above the ground or table so that only the top half of the marionette is in the air while the lower half rests on the flat surface.

          Say: The woman was probably in a lot of pain! What sound do you make when something hurts? Pause. But then Jesus saw the woman at church. And he called out to her, “Dear woman, you are healed of your sickness!” And then Jesus touched her and she was better—she could stand up straight! Have preschoolers raise their marionettes so that just the bottoms of the feet touch the ground. The woman thanked God for healing her! Shout out something the woman might have said when she was thanking God for healing her.

          Help children think of things they could say, such as “Yay,” “Thank you, God,” and “Wow!” Let them “run” their felt people around to show how excited she was. Some people didn’t think that Jesus should have healed the crippled woman…but Jesus knew the woman needed help right then. Jesus does what’s right—no matter what!

Play Tag

          Say: Jesus is pretty special—he does what’s right no matter what. He always makes good choices! Today we’ll get to hear about a time he made a good choice. He did the right thing by helping a woman. The woman’s body didn’t work right. She was hunched over and couldn’t stand up straight. That means she was bent over like this. Show the children what the woman might’ve looked like, and then have them imitate you.

          Say: Let’s play a game to help us think about what it might’ve been like for the woman who was stuck hunching over. Explain the rules to children. They’ll play Tag, but if they’re tagged, instead of becoming “It,” they’ll hunch over. They have to stay hunched over until you “heal” them by touching their arm. The person who is It will tag as many people as possible.

          Check that the children understand the rules, and then have them play. Change who is It every minute or so.

          Play for about five minutes. Then say: It wasn’t fun to be hunched over like that woman was. It’s a good thing Jesus healed her! Let’s hear the whole story now.

Act It Out

          Show the Bible. Say: The Bible has so many stories about Jesus in it. And in every story, Jesus does the right thing—no matter what. In this story, Jesus did the right thing by helping a hunched-over woman.

          Open the Bible to Luke 13. Say: This story happened on a special day called the Sabbath. On this special day, everyone was supposed to rest. People weren’t supposed to work at all. God told them to rest because he knew it was good for them. Let’s practice resting now. Lead the children in lying down, closing their eyes, and taking deep breaths for about 15 seconds, and then have them sit up.

          Say: Rest is a good thing, and Jesus knew that. On this special day of rest, he was at a place like church. And he was just hanging out, telling the people about God. Let’s tell someone close by about God like Jesus was doing. Lead the children to turn to a couple of neighbors and say “God loves you!” While children do this, discreetly move at least 8 feet away from the children.

          Say: Jesus saw a woman across the room. She was hunched over, and he knew she was sick. He called her over to him. Have the children stand, hunch over, and walk over to you like that.

          When the children reach you, have them continue to stand hunched over. Say: Jesus told her, “You’re all better!” and he touched her. Touch each child, say “You’re all better,” and as you do, have each child stand up as straight as possible. You can have adult and teen helpers do the same to make it move more quickly.

          Say: The woman was all better! She had been hunched over like that for years and years and years, and Jesus made her better. She was so excited that she thanked God. Let’s cheer and celebrate and say “Thank you, God” like the woman did. Lead the children in celebrating, and then have them sit down.

          Say: But not everyone was happy about what Jesus did. There were some leaders who were cranky. Have the children make cranky faces.

          Say: They didn’t like that Jesus made the woman all better. Have the children wag their fingers like the cranky leaders. The cranky leaders thought that Jesus wasn’t resting—remember, this was a special day for rest.  

          But Jesus reminded the cranky leaders that they take care of even the animals on the special day of rest. He said, “She’s been sick for a long time. It was time for her to be better.” Jesus knew he did the right thing by helping the woman. Jesus always does the right thing—no matter what!

          Even though the cranky leaders weren’t happy, a lot of people in the church rejoiced about what Jesus did. That means they cheered and celebrated. Let’s cheer and celebrate that Jesus does what’s right. Briefly lead the children in cheering and celebrating.

Take Care of Pets

          Say: We know that Jesus does what’s right—no matter what. And that’s a great thing because Jesus does things like make a hunched-over woman better, even if other people don’t want him to. Jesus is a great example for us—that means he can help us know how to do what’s right.

          Let’s do something to help us think about doing what’s right all the time. Give each child a stuffed animal.

          Say: Jesus does what’s right by always taking care of us. Let’s pretend these are our pets. We’ll practice doing all the things we can do to take care of our pets. Lead the children in pretending to feed the pets, brush their fur, and pick up their droppings. Have them do all these actions repeatedly until they seem to be losing interest. At that point, have them continue for another 10 seconds or so.

          Say: That was fun at first, but it got kind of old after a while. And tiring. And who wants to pick up smelly animal droppings? That’s no fun at all. But when we take care of our pets all the time—even when we’re tired or it’s not fun—we’re doing what’s right. Doing what’s right isn’t always fun, but it’s always what’s best for us and for others. That’s why Jesus does what’s right—no matter what! He always wants what’s best for us!

Sing a Song

          Say: Let’s think of some other things that show good choices we can make. Good choices are always what’s best for us.

          Share a couple of preschool-friendly good choices you can make. With each example, also tell why the “right thing” is good for you or someone else.

          Ask: • What are some good choices you make? Help children think of ideas, if needed. Steer children toward the examples in the song below (telling the truth, sharing, and helping others).

          Say: Doing the right thing like Jesus does is a good thing! It’s always best for us. And we can celebrate that Jesus does what’s right—no matter what, and he helps us do right, too!

          Lead children in singing and doing the motions to this song to the tune of “Jesus Loves Me.”

          Jesus always does what’s right (nod head)

          All day long and through the night. (make sun motion with hands; then put two hands together next to head like a pillow)

          He does right to care for us. (hug self)

          When it’s hard, he makes no fuss. (stomp foot and wag finger)

          Yes, Jesus does right. (nod head)

          Yes, Jesus does right. (nod head)

          Yes, Jesus does right. (nod head)

          The Bible tells us so. (nod head)

          Jesus helps us do right, too. (nod head)

          He can help me tell the truth. (make talking motion with hands)

          The truth helps us be good friends (pat someone on shoulder)

          Even when it’s hard to do. (put hands on hips)

          Yes, Jesus does right. (nod head)

          And we can do right. (nod head)

          Jesus helps us do right. (nod head)

          The Bible tells us so. (nod head)

          Jesus helps us do right, too. (nod head)

          He can help me share my toys. (pretend to hand something to a friend)

          Sharing helps us be good friends (pat someone on shoulder)

          Even when it’s hard to do. (put hands on hips)

          Yes, Jesus does right. (nod head)

          And we can do right. (nod head)

          Jesus helps us do right. (nod head)

          The Bible tells us so. (nod head)

          Jesus helps us do right, too. (nod head)

          He can help me stop and help. (march; then stop abruptly)

          Helping others is right to do (pat someone on shoulder)

          Even when it’s hard to do. (put hands on hips)

          Yes, Jesus does right. (nod head)

          And we can do right. (nod head)

          Jesus helps us do right. (nod head)

          The Bible tells us so. (nod head)

          Sing the song several times, as time allows.

          Say: Doing what’s right is great—it’s what’s best for us. And Jesus helps us because he knows how to do what’s right—no matter what!

Tip 

Discuss and Watch “Do Right”

          Say: In our Bible story, Jesus healed a woman even though some people thought he shouldn’t heal anyone that day. Jesus knew the right thing to do was to heal her, so he did! Jesus does what’s right—no matter what.

          Ask: • Tell about a time it was tempting to do the wrong thing. Share your own example first.

          Say: Sometimes, the wrong thing to do is so much easier! Jesus wouldn’t have had to deal with all that criticism if he hadn’t healed the woman! But he did the right thing even though it was a hard choice. Let’s watch a video where a boy has to make a choice.

          Watch “Do Right.”

          Ask: • What options did the boy have in this video?

          • Why do you think he chose to return the wallet?

          Say: It was definitely tempting for the boy to take the wallet. He did at first! There was a lot of money in there, and most of us would love to have a lot of money. But it would’ve been wrong for him to keep money that didn’t belong to him. Instead, he did the right thing and returned the wallet. When we’re having a hard time doing the right thing, we can turn to Jesus. Jesus does the right thing—no matter what.

Tip

• Before printing, turn on page numbering in Word to keep the pages in order (or simply hand-number each page after printing). You may also find it helpful to highlight your part and set the script on a music stand nearby during the skit.

Leader: It’s time for our puppy friend, Theo, to come for a visit. Let’s call him to our class with a “woof, woof.” Ready? (Leads kids to bark until Theo is brought into view.)

Theo: It’s good to see you! (Pants.) I really, really want a good scratch. Friends, will you scratch my back? (Circulates among kids so each child can pet him.)

Leader: Great way to welcome Theo, kids!

Theo: I’d say so, too! I’m thankful to be with friends.

Leader: We’re thankful you’re here, too. Is there any reason you’re especially thankful today?

Theo: Bud Boxer has been bullying me.

Leader: What did he do?

Theo: He made fun of me and called me names. (Pauses, as if thinking.) I need to think of some names to call him.

Leader: I wonder if that’s the right thing to do.

Theo: What do you mean?

Leader: Today we’re learning that Jesus does what’s right—no matter what. Would it normally be the right thing to do to call someone mean names?

Theo: No, but he called me mean names. (Looks to kids.) What do you think I should do? (Listens to kids’ answers.)

Leader: We might want to be mean back when someone is mean to us, but instead we can walk away. Jesus teaches us to do what’s right no matter what.

Theo: Okay, but what if he steals my bone…can I steal his bone? (Looks to kids.) What do you think? (Listens to kids’ answers.)

Leader: We might want to get back in that way, but taking someone’s stuff is still stealing, even if they stole from us.

Theo: You’re right. I know you’re right. But what can I do to get him back?

Leader: How about you show him how to do the right thing no matter what? And you can stay away from him if he keeps treating you badly.

Theo: I guess if I stayed away from him, he wouldn’t be able to do anything to me and there’d be nothing to get him back for.

Leader: That’s true.

Theo: (Looks to kids.) Have you ever been around a bully? What did you do? (Listens to kids’ answers.)

Leader: It’s always best to do the right thing no matter what.

Theo: It’s easy for me to do good things here because my friends are kind and welcoming. (High-fives each child.)

Leader: That’s right. It’s always easier to be kind and do the right thing around people who are being kind and doing the right thing.

Theo: Thanks for helping me think about this.

Leader: We were happy to. I think I hear your mom calling.

Theo: Oh! It’s time for me to go, then. See you later!

Leader: See you later, Theo. Friends, give Theo a big “woof, woof, goodbye”! (Leads kids to say “woof, woof, goodbye,” and then places Theo out of sight.)

Tip

• Watch young preschoolers closely to ensure they don’t put the pennies in their mouths.
• When we tested this idea, we discovered that even a completely flat piece of aluminum foil will hold almost 30 coins before sinking. As long as the shape doesn’t allow water to flow on top of the foil, any shape will hold preschoolers’ coins.

Make Aluminum Foil Float

          Spread out the plastic containers of water on the floor.

          Have preschoolers sit around the plastic containers in groups of four.

          Give preschoolers each a piece of aluminum foil, and tell them not to crumple it.

          Say: We’ve been learning that Jesus does what’s right—no matter what. That means he does the right thing all the time. Let’s see if we can make our foil pieces float all the time. Make your foil piece into a shape you think will float. You can make a cup or a boat, or you can even leave it flat.

          Have adult or teen helpers assist children in shaping their aluminum foil into something children think will float.

          Let children put their aluminum-foil shapes in the water to see what happens. Make sure every child has a piece of foil that is floating. If a child gets too much water on the top and it sinks, give the child a new piece of foil.

          Say: Let’s see if our foil pieces will still float of we put something on top of them.

          Give each child five pennies. Remind children not to put the pennies in their mouths. Have children place one penny onto the aluminum foil to see if it still floats. Then have children add the other pennies, one at a time. Have adult and teen helpers monitor children to ensure they don’t put the pennies in their mouths.

          As time allows, let children change the shapes of their foil pieces and try the experiment again. Collect the pennies and put them out of reach of the children.

Talk About It

          Ask: • What surprised you about the aluminum-foil shapes?

          Say: When you put your foil shapes in the water, they floated. They even floated after you put the pennies on them. In the same way, nothing can push Jesus down. Jesus always does what’s right. Nothing can keep Jesus from doing the right thing.

Straighten Their Crippled Backs

          Say: Today we heard about a time Jesus healed a woman who was crippled. That means her back was hunched over and she couldn’t stand up straight all the way. Hunch your shoulders over like your back doesn’t straighten all the way. Have kids slouch and hunch their shoulders over. Jesus saw the woman when he was teaching at church, he touched her, and he told her she was better—and she was healed! She could stand up straight again! Sit up nice and tall now with a straight back. Have kids straighten their backs. Jesus does what’s right—no matter what—and that’s why he healed the woman.

          But some of the other church teachers didn’t think Jesus did the right thing at all. They thought the right thing was for Jesus not to help the woman that day, because they thought the day you went to church was a day filled with rules. But that didn’t stop Jesus, because Jesus does what’s right—no matter what. Let’s do something to help us think about that.

Show Each Other Right Actions

          Have preschoolers stand in a circle. Lead children in singing and doing the motions to the tune of “This Old Man.” After you finish singing, you’ll choose one child who will show everyone else what to do—jump up and down, spin in a circle, quack like a duck, make a silly face, and so on.  

          What to do, what to do; (have kids hold one hand up in the air, palm side up; then have them hold the other hand up)

          How do we know what to do? (have kids hold one hand to their chin like they are thinking)

          Jesus so loves me and you (have kids cross arms over chest)

          That he shows us what to do! (have kids give a thumbs-up)

          Say: [Child’s name], show us what to do! Help that child lead the group in a motion as you sing the song again. Then choose a different child to lead the group. Play so that several children get a turn as the leader.

          Say: Our game was fun! The right thing to do changed each time I picked a new leader. Sometimes the right thing to do in our game was hop up and down. Other times the right thing to do was make a silly face (give examples that match actions preschoolers did). The right thing to do changed and was different each time.

          Life would be hard if the right thing to do changed all the time. But we can always know what’s right by listening to Jesus because Jesus does what’s right—no matter what! We can listen to Jesus’ words from the Bible to know what’s right, and we can pray to him and ask him to help us know what to do.

Do Actions Based on a Coin Toss

          Say: We’ve been learning that Jesus does the right thing—no matter what. Let’s play a game about how Jesus shows us the right thing to do, too.

          Have kids spread out around the room and face you.

          Say: I’m going to name two different actions. Then I’ll flip a coin to see which one we’ll do.

          Call out one of the following pairs of actions—saying which one is heads and which is tails. Lead kids in practicing the actions as you call them out.

          After you’ve called out the actions, flip the coin to determine which one preschoolers will do. You can use each combination more than once or come up with combinations of your own.

• Heads: jump 3 times; or Tails: spin in a circle
• Heads: lie on the floor; or Tails: run around the room
• Heads: wave to a friend; or Tails: shout “Hello”
• Heads: laugh; or Tails: wave your arms in the air
• Heads: take one step forward; or Tails: take one step back
• Heads: wiggle enthusiastically; or Tails: give yourself a hug
• Heads: touch your toes; or Tails: reach up high
• Heads: stomp your feet; or Tails: clap your hands
• Heads: fly like a bird; or Tails: roar like a lion
• Heads: hop like a kangaroo; or Tails: slither like a snake

          Play as time allows.

Talk About It

          Ask: • What was your favorite action to do?

          Say: In our game, the coin showed us what to do. In life, Jesus shows us what to do because Jesus does what’s right—no matter what. Jesus shows us that doing the right thing isn’t about following rules; it’s about loving others.

Tip

• If you used the Music Video block, consider repeating the songs from today’s lesson during the game. You can find the album here.

Play a Version of Follow the Leader

          Say: We’ve been learning that Jesus does what’s right—no matter what. Let’s play a game about how Jesus shows us the right thing to do, too.   

          Have preschoolers sit in a circle.

          Choose a child to stand in the middle of the circle and lead the other children to do different low-key actions.

          If the child is having difficulty choosing what to do, suggest an action from the following list.

• clap hands
• wave arms in the air
• hold arms out to the side
• wiggle fingers
• make silly faces
• rub your stomach
• pat your head
• shake your head
• sing a song such as “Jesus Love Me”
• hold hands together
• kneel
• sit cross-legged on the floor

          Occasionally have the child leading return to the circle and let another child take a turn leading the group. Let as many children as possible have a turn as the leader.

Talk About It

          Ask: • What did you like about following the leader?

          Say: The leader showed us the right thing to do in our game. Each day, Jesus shows us the right thing to do because he does what’s right—no matter what. He shows us that doing the right thing is showing love.

Hunch Over

          Say: The woman in our Bible story couldn’t stand up straight. She had to walk around bent over all the time. Bend or hunch over and stand like that woman. Lead the children in bending over like the woman in the Bible story.

          Say: We learned from the Bible story that Jesus does what’s right—no matter what. And he can help us do what’s right, too. As we stand like this, let’s ask Jesus for help. Lead the children in a brief prayer, asking Jesus for help with making good choices.

Stand Up

          Say: Jesus helped the woman stand up straight. And Jesus can help us, too. We just asked him to help us do what’s right, so we can be sure he’ll help us. Stand up straight now like the woman stood up straight when Jesus helped her. Lead the children in standing up straight.

          Say: Let’s thank Jesus that he can help us with anything. He helped the woman stand up straight. And he can help us do what’s right and make good choices. Lead the children in a brief prayer, thanking Jesus that he does what’s right— no matter what and that he helps us make right choices, too.

          Invite kids to spend time with their friend Jesus this week and to come back next week.

           Distribute a copy of the “Dig In @ Home” handout to kids as they leave, or email it to parents during the week.