Friday, February 14, 2014

Follow.

The following is an adaptation from a post I contributed to the Living It Out bible study.


We crave human interaction and touch. It’s comforting, reassuring and can even be healing. Premature twins have even been shown to do better when placed next to each other in the NICU. There’s something essential about human touch and interaction.

So imagine how it would feel to be cut off from all human touch and interaction. The disease of leprosy did just that...it separated the person from all human contact. Those infected with leprosy were required to announce that they were unclean any time they were in a public area. They were not permitted to touch others, or even to enter the temple to worship. They were cut off physically, relationally, and spiritually from all of society.

Today, while leprosy may not separate people, there are a host of other illnesses and conditions that do. It could be an aggressive cancer that keeps someone isolated in their hospital room...or maybe it’s insecurities that prevent people from forming healthy, meaningful relationships. Whatever the “sickness” is, it cuts people off from valuable, life giving relationships.

How often do we make time or go out of our way to care for these people though? Maybe if it’s a close friend or our obligatory once a month volunteer day at a homeless shelter. The truth is that most of us get so caught up in our own lives, we don't stop to think about caring for the sick. We could stand to take a lesson from the following passage in Mark 1:

40 “A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,” he said. 41 Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” 42 Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed.”

Jesus didn't care that this guy interrupted what he was doing. He didn't care that he was sick and exposing him to his illness. He saw someone hurting and was moved to do something.

If we are truly honest with ourselves, I bet a lot of us really struggle with this. We may find it easy to take care of our best friend or our significant other if they are sick...but that is not what Jesus is calling us to. We are to care for all the sick, the lonely, the hurting, even if it inconveniences us and causes us discomfort.

We live in a hurt, broken, infirmed place. There are people who are physically ill and can't afford proper healthcare. Some are devastated by circumstances in life that have left them homeless or feeling outcast. There are those who have internal struggles that are silently crying out for compassion. We need to step out of our cozy little nests that we've made and see the world for what it is...and then do everythying in our power to follow Christ's example.

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