SermonStudio

Character
Rachel -- middle-aged woman

Props
None required

Setting
None required

Costume
Rachel is dressed in period clothing

Rachel: Hello, my name is Rachel and my story brings a lot of people to a crossroads in their lives. You see, several things happened over eighteen years. You'll hear me talking about my childhood friend, Adah. You'll hear about several people in my story.

Let's start eighteen years and one month ago. Adah told me that she saw the very beginning of my illness. I was having a hard time standing up straight and to do so was extremely painful, so I would bend over just a little bit to relieve the pain. Over the weeks and months and years, I ended up doubled over. The children made fun of me and I felt hopeless, defeated, like a failure, and very depressed. I had been to many physicians and healers over the years. I had to have help with everything: dressing, cleaning myself, cooking, even eating, and all of the things that we take for granted in our normal day. I did not marry because no one would have me and therefore I had no children because it would have been physically impossible. Most of the people in my village felt that I had a physical demon and that it was contagious, which wasn't true.

My story is intertwined with Jesus of Nazareth, but those who wrote about him did not think that my story was important enough to tell what the name of my village was, or even that I had a name. I've taken a name just so I can tell you my story. I was not contagious, which they found out after weeks and months. Therefore, I was not shunned like those with leprosy were. In your time, there is a name for my disease. It is called Ankylosing Spondylitis (ankle-lo-sing spon-dil-i-tis) and even though 2,000 years have past since Jesus was on earth, there is still no cure for this painful disease. The disease is a form of progressive arthritis with inflammation and stiffness. Eventually, the spinal bones fuse together, which makes my story even more of a miracle! All that can be done for the people with this disease is to try to manage their pain. My spine had fused entirely and I was bent over double, which is very bad for the rest of your body and its organs. Literally, I was bound by my body, virtually bound with invisible chains of calcium that had hardened my spine.

I'm not sure why I went to the synagogue that sabbath day. I did not go often because of the jeering from the children and just because it was so painful to get there. I was in the back of the congregation, in back of all the women, actually, but I couldn't be invisible appearing the way I did. To act like I wasn't there was impossible. I had heard about this Jesus. Reports of his teachings were rampant throughout the village, but I didn't go to the synagogue for him to heal me because I'd given up after so many doctors and healers were unable to do anything for me.

Jesus had just finished one of his teaching stories, the last one according to Luke's writings, then he got up and called my name to come to him. Most people who were healed went searching for Jesus. I did not. Everyone was watching and wondering what I'd done to get this specific attention. I really couldn't see Jesus well because I was bent double. My depression about my illness and my pain was a great deal like a physical demon. There was a hush over all the crowd as I inched my way forward and my friend, Adah, touched my hand as I moved forward, giving me comfort. I will never forget that moment. Jesus said to me, "Woman, you are set free from your infirmity" and then he laid his hands on my back and immediately, with no hesitation, I stood up straight. I could take the first good breath that I'd had in years and years. Then I began to praise God! I gave my all in praise of God and of my healing through Jesus. The crowd was grinning from ear to ear, my friends were praising God, and some were laughing. My friend, Adah, was crying and laughing at the same time.

Then the funniest thing happened, at least I thought it was funny. I saw that the leader of the synagogue was angry and the more he acted out his anger, the more I praised God. But Jesus was angry with this man and told him that he was a hypocrite! This leader said it was unlawful to heal on the sabbath according to the Fourth Commandment. Jesus said to him and his followers, "Does not each one of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it out for watering? This daughter of Abraham, who has been bound for eighteen years now, ought she not to have been set free on the sabbath day from this bondage?" Indeed, when Jesus had said these things, his adversaries were humiliated and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by Jesus.

Then, Adah and I were walking and dancing together, for I was healed! I was healed by the power of God through Jesus. Now you know the rest of my story!

It troubles me, though, because I've heard some rumors that the authorities are trying to snare Jesus. I understand he's going to Jerusalem soon. I pray for Jesus constantly. Maybe you should, too.