Holiness in the Midst of Caring for the Sick

Introduction:

Congratulations to our kindergarteners and their families!

So thankful for our children’s ministry!

- minister to our children

- minister to their families

We want you to be able to…

- Bring your whole life here

- Take your whole faith out there

what this series is all about

Are you still separating the struggles of your “real” life from your sanitized “religious” life?

Real life is messy, isn’t it? It’s a struggle!

We put on fancy clothing and polish ourselves up to come to church.

We go home and roll up our sleeves to struggle through our real lives.

Mental Health Struggles

Health Struggles

Caring for a loved one who is sick

Raising kids who constantly have colds and flus

the book of Leviticus is one that helps us to see that separation is not good

Biblical Text:

Leviticus 13:1–2 NIV

1 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 2 “When anyone has a swelling or a rash or a shiny spot on their skin that may be a defiling skin disease, they must be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons who is a priest.

Leviticus 13:3 NIV

3 The priest is to examine the sore on the skin, and if the hair in the sore has turned white and the sore appears to be more than skin deep, it is a defiling skin disease. When the priest examines that person, he shall pronounce them ceremonially unclean.

You might be thinking…

why is this in the Bible?

what does this have to do with following Jesus?

disease was part of their reality…and it’s part of our reality

The Hebrew word (sara’at)—”defiling skin disease” or “leprosy”—could refer to

one specific skin disease that we don’t seem to have today (not specially Hansens’ Disease)

a broad category of skin diseases that would include many modern conditions

a fungus or mold that spread in houses

Goes on to explain all the details of…

what if someone has a skin disease?

how should the priest check it?

what if goes away?

what if it doesn’t go away?

Leviticus 13:45–46 NIV

45 “Anyone with such a defiling disease must wear torn clothes, let their hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of their face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ 46 As long as they have the disease they remain unclean. They must live alone; they must live outside the camp.

He shall live alone…outside the camp

separated not only from family and friends

but also from the tabernacle

Leviticus 14 goes on to describe other types of illnesses and how that should be handled.

These regulations illustrate the fact that…

There was separation between the SACRED and the SICK.

Was not a matter of MORALITY, but a matter of MORTALITY

Not because they had sinned

But because they were visibly covered in a symbol of disease, decay, and death.

Lev. 21 - even Levites who had

a blemish

blindness

injured hand

injured foot

itching disease

scabs

Not because God didn’t LOVE these people

disease and death are not supposed to be part of God’s good world

this is NOT how it’s supposed to be

This was not a permanent arrangement.

longing for healing

longing for cleansing

longing for full and total reconciliation

which brings us to Jesus…

Luke 5:12 ESV

12 While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.”

The SALVATION people need from Jesus is not just FORGIVENESS of their personal sins

Deliverance

Healing

Cleansing

Reuniting

This man believed in Jesus’ ability to deliver him

Luke 5:13–14 ESV

13 And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him. 14 And he charged him to tell no one, but “go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to them.”

“stretched out his hand and touched him”

Matthew, Mark, and Luke all tell this story

And they all record that Jesus touched him

It doesn’t seem that Jesus became unclean

The man’s uncleanness didn’t transfer to Jesus

Jesus’ cleanness transferred to him

Luke 8:42–44 ESV

42 …As Jesus went, the people pressed around him. 43 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. 44 She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased.

FOR 12 YEARS

she had been ritually unclean

her sickness made her unable to TOUCH or BE TOUCHED by others

they became unclean

TOUCHED the fringe of his garment

this word is repeated over and over in Luke’s account

“Her ‘uncleanness’ doesn’t infect him. Something in him infects her.” - N.T. Wright

Luke 8:45–46 ESV

45 And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.”

Luke 8:47–48 ESV

47 And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. 48 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

“made you well”

“saved” you

“rescued” you

“delivered” you

This is part of what we mean when we say we are “SAVED.”

we mean we are no longer in bondage

Through permanent cleansing, Jesus rescues us from the defilement of death, disease, and decay.

That rescue has begun…

Death has no claim on us

We have been made clean

So, experiencing death, disease, and decay doesn’t make us unclean

But we are cleansed, purified, sanctified, made holy…for a purpose

2 Timothy 2:20–21 ESV

20 Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. 21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.

You have been made holy for a purpose

The purpose is GOOD WORKS

Application:

doing good works can be messy

In all of its messiness, helping the hurting is holy work.

My nephew had a stomach ache a few days ago

had to go to er in the middle of the night

ended up having his appendix out

my sister was right there with him

People in this room

caring for a spouse who has

had a stroke

battling cancer

caring for children

with physical illnesses

with disabilities

with mental health struggles

caring for parents

dementia

alzheimers

cancer

Doctors and Nurses and Neighbors

Invitation:

We are doing for others what Jesus did for us…

Not in order to be saved, but because we are saved

Maybe you’re HURTING

Maybe you’re HELPING someone who’s HURTING