Holy Grit — Battling Sickness with Compassion - Monday
Today’s Verse
Matthew 9:12-13
On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (NIV)
I used to claim (boldly) that I never got sick. I was only “under the weather.” Other people got sick. Preschoolers got sick. I would even say that my car was “sick” when it was in the shop. But not me. Nope. I didn’t get sick.
I equated “sickness” with “weakness.” If I was “sick” there was something seriously wrong. I couldn’t fulfill my duties. If I was only “under the weather,” then all could proceed as normal, albeit with much more sniffling and coughing.
I’ve come to terms recently that sickness is rarely something we can control. Of course I can eat well and get my daily exercise. That will help to keep my body in good shape. But Kentucky allergy season will always come back around kicking and screaming whether I like it or not. My dad could be fit as a fiddle and still have his gallbladder rupture. My friend could be living and abiding in Christ and still struggling with depression. Sickness—whether we like it or not—is a product of our fallen world.
Sickness comes in many forms. We battle sickness of the body. We fight sickness of the mind. We struggle with sickness of the soul. We hurt from sickness of the heart. Throughout the next week, I want to use each of these devotionals to dive a little deeper into each of these kinds of sickness. We all experience sickness and the Bible is our guidebook for how to deal with it.
REFLECTION
Jesus set the ultimate example for us when he showed us again and again how to respond to a very sick world with unending compassion and empathy. He was never harsh with those who were hurting. He extended his miraculous power with generosity. He took time out of his day—even when he was tired—to minister to the needs of others. If we could all look a little more like Him each day, we would be one step closer to creating a healthy world.