There was a woman.
A woman who was ill. (Have everyone hold their stomach and groan.)
A woman who was very ill. (Groan louder.)
A woman who had been ill for twelve long years. (Groan longer and louder.)
A woman who had spent all her money on doctors, and still had not been healed. (Groan louder still.)
There was a crowd. (Have everyone make a murmuring crowd noise.)
A big crowd. (Make a louder crowd noise.)
A crowd that filled the whole of the street. (Make an even louder crowd noise.)
And in the middle of that crowd walked Jesus.
Beside him there walked a man.
An important man.
A man named Jairus.
A man whose daughter was also very ill. (Groan.)
And so, the woman who was ill… (groan)
…pushed her way through the crowd… (crowd noise)
…towards Jesus.
And, reaching out her hand, she touched the fringe of the robe that Jesus was wearing.
And as soon as she did, she knew it. She was healed! (Shout, “hooray!”)
Jesus turned to the crowd. (Crowd noise.)
“Who touched me?” he asked.
Peter, one of his disciples, grinned. “We’re in the middle of a crowd,” he said. (Crowd noise.) “Everybody is touching you!”
“No, this was different,” said Jesus. “I felt the power going out of me.”
And that’s when the woman who had been ill, (groan)
the woman who had been very ill, (louder groan)
the woman who had been ill for twelve long years, (even longer, louder groan)
the woman who had spent all her money on doctors and still had not been healed (loudest groan)
…fell to her knees before him.
“It was me,” she said. “I touched you, and now I’m healed.” (Shout, “hooray!”)
And when Jesus heard her story, he smiled and said:
“You trusted me. That’s what’s important. Now go in peace.”
And as soon as he’d said it, someone else pushed through the crowd.
He had a message for the man.
The important man.
The man called Jairus.
The man who’s 12-year-old daughter was also very ill. (Groan.)
“I’m sorry, Jairus,” he said. “Your daughter is dead.”
Jesus turned to Jairus.
“Don’t worry.” he said.
“Trust me,” he said.
“And all will be well.”
So, just like the woman, Jairus trusted Jesus.
And they went to Jairus’ house.
And Jesus took the girl’s hand.
And he whispered in her ear and told her to get up.
And she did! (Shout, “hooray!”)
And that is how the twelve-year-old girl who was so ill she died, (groan.)
and the woman who had been ill for twelve long years, (groan.)
were both made well on the very same day. (Shout, “hooray!”)
