Read Luke 13:10-13 together as a family.

In our story today, Jesus is teaching in one of the synagogues when a woman comes along who had been hurting for 18 years. She couldn’t stand up straight, and had to walk around in a bent over position for many, many years. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said—“You are set free from your infirmity!” Then he touched her and immediately she straightened up and praised God!

Activity:

Invite your kids to curl up in a ball as tight as they can for 1 minute. Tell them to get as small as they can, squeezing themselves tight. Then, after a minute, tell them to jump out of their ball and stretch as high as they can! What did it feel like to be in the tight ball? What did it feel like to stretch out? How do you think the woman felt after being healed by Jesus?

Jesus did an amazing miracle! He healed this woman and set her free from a lifetime of pain. Jesus shows us here a picture of what it looks like to show the Fruit of the Spirit called “Goodness.” Goodness can be confusing though, because it’s a word we use so often. Pizza tastes “good”; we enjoy a movie and call it “good” because it was funny; some of us have a lot of athletic ability and are “good” at sports. But I don’t think that’s what the Bible means when it talks about goodness. In our story, Jesus’ goodness meant that he had compassion on this woman; it meant that he loved this woman deeply; it meant that he healed her and gave her a better life. That’s a very different understanding of goodness than “This pizza sure tastes good!”

Read Micah 6:8 together as a family. This passage of Scripture gives us an understanding of goodness from God’s point of view. Goodness is acting with justice, loving with mercy, and walking humbly with God.

Questions:

· How was Jesus “good” to the woman in our story today?

· How has Jesus been “good” to you?

· What does “goodness” mean according to Micah 6:8?

· How can your family extend “goodness” toward someone else this week?

·  Memorize Micah 6:8 together.