Healing the Bent-Over Woman Preschool Lesson
Preschool lesson (ages 3–6, 20 minutes)
1. Welcome (3 min)
Sit in a circle, greet every child by name and show one thing from the story to touch.
2. The little story (5 min)
Teach the refrain first: “She stood up straight and praised God.”
There was a woman whose back was bent over. She could not stand up straight at all. She had been this way for eighteen long years.
When she walked, she could see the ground. She could see her feet and the dusty road. But it was hard to look up at the sky, or at people’s faces. Can you bend over low, like her? Now try to look up. It is hard!
One Sabbath day, Jesus was teaching in a meeting house. A meeting house was where people prayed and heard God’s Word. The Sabbath was God’s day of rest. On the Sabbath, God’s people did not do their work.
The bent-over woman was in the meeting house too. Maybe she came to hear God’s Word, like everyone else.
Jesus saw her. Jesus did not wait for her to ask. He called her to come to him. Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your infirmity.” Infirmity means sickness or weakness. Freed means set free.
Jesus laid his hands on her. What do you think happened?
Right away she stood up straight! Not slowly – right away! She was free at last! Her back was straight. Her head was up. After eighteen years, she could stand up tall. Can you stand up tall and straight? Stretch up high!
Now she could look up. She could see the faces of the people. She could see Jesus. To praise God means to tell him how good and great he is. She stood up straight and praised God.
But the leader of the meeting house was angry. Jesus had healed on the Sabbath! To the leader, healing was work.
He said to the people, “There are six days to work. Come on those days and be healed, not on the Sabbath!”
The Lord Jesus answered him. Jesus reminded them of something. On the Sabbath, each of them untied his ox or his donkey. They led their animals out of the stall to get water. A stall is a little room for animals. Can you make the animal sounds? Moo! Hee-haw!
Then Jesus said, “Ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, be freed on the Sabbath day?” A daughter of Abraham means she was one of God’s own people. An ox could be set free on the Sabbath. So this woman could be set free too! She stood up straight and praised God.
Jesus said these things. Then the people who were against him had nothing more to say.
But all the crowd was glad. They rejoiced about all the wonderful things Jesus did. To rejoice means to be very, very happy. She stood up straight and praised God.
Eighteen years bent over – and now she could look up at the sky! She could see the birds and the clouds. She could look people in the eyes.
Jesus sets people free. He sees the ones who are bent and tired, and he helps them. She stood up straight and praised God.
3. Talk together (3 min)
- What do you think the woman saw first when she could stand up straight?
- How do you think she felt, standing tall after so many years?
4. Move (3 min)
Refrain Freeze: move around the room; when you say the refrain, everyone freezes and says it together.
5. Make (4 min)
Draw a line to who said it.
6. Verse and prayer (2 min)
“Immediately she stood up straight and glorified God” — Luke 13:13 (she stood up straight → stand up tall; and glorified God → lift both arms high)
Dear God, thank you that Jesus sets people free. Thank you that I can praise you too. Amen.
Lesson for older kids (ages 6–10)
Big idea: God Sets Us Free
Memory verse: “He laid his hands on her, and immediately she stood up straight and glorified God.” — Luke 13:13 · WEB
The Bible story
For eighteen long years a kind woman could not stand up straight — until one quiet Sabbath, Jesus saw her, called her close, and gently set her free.
Talk about it
- What special day was it when Jesus went to teach? — The Sabbath rest day
- Where was Jesus teaching in this story? — In a synagogue
- How long had the woman been bent over? — Eighteen years
- What could the woman NOT do because of her bent back? — Stand up straight
- What did Jesus do when He saw the woman? — He called her over to Him
- What kind words did Jesus say to the woman? — Woman, you are set free
Where is Jesus in this story?
Jesus said people untie their donkeys on the Sabbath to give them water, so surely this daughter of Abraham should be untied from what had bound her (Luke 13:15–16). Jesus called Himself “Lord of the Sabbath” (Luke 6:5). God gave the Sabbath as a day of rest and freedom, and Jesus showed what it was really for. He still loves to set people free.
What God wants to tell us
Jesus saw a woman that many people walked right past, and He loved her enough to stop everything and help her. God shows us that no one is ever forgotten, and no problem is too big or too old for Him to heal. He cares far more about kind, loving hearts than about strict rules. Whenever we feel weighed down or stuck, we can remember that God longs to lift us up and help us stand tall again.
Prayer
Dear Jesus, thank You for seeing me even when I feel small or sad. Thank You that You love to help and never walk away. Please lift up anyone who feels weighed down today, and help me stand tall and praise You like the happy woman did. Amen.
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