THE INVALIDS
Matthew 15:30-31
Great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the maimed, the blind, the mute, and many others. They put them at his feet, and he cured them, so that the crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.
THERE ARE PASSAGES IN THE Bible that seem utterly out of character with God. One of them is Leviticus 21: 17-23, in which God commands that no one who “has a blemish” or “who is blind or lame, or one who has a mutilated face or a limb too long, or one who has a broken foot or a broken hand, or a hunchback, or a dwarf, or a man with a blemish in his eyes or an itching disease or scabs or crushed testicles” shall come near the altar of the Tabernacle. (The Tabernacle, representing God’s earthly tent or dwelling place, was the predecessor to the Temple.) To do so would be to “profane my sanctuaries.” This passage prohibited anyone with a disability from serving as a priest, because it would in some way offend God. Such persons could eat the holy bread but were not to set foot near the altar. Jesus, by contrast, offered a very different picture of God, and Christians believe that Jesus’ picture is the clearest and truest image of God. This was in part the reason for his coming: he would be the “Word made flesh,” God’s Word incarnate.
Jesus said, “When you’ve seen me you’ve seen the Father.” Among those with whom Jesus spent his time with were the lame, the blemished, the blind— the very people Leviticus had excluded from approaching God’s holy place.
Invalid was once a common term for people who had disabilities or persistent illness. They were “in-valid”— they didn’t count. This is a term that seems to fit with the passage in Leviticus. But when we read the Gospels and see how much time Jesus spent ministering with “invalids,” it seems clear that God does not see his children with disabilities as in-valid! He is constantly reaching out with compassion towards them.
This last week I stopped by a fall harvest party in the Student Center at the church I serve. The party was for our Matthew’s Ministry— our ministry for children and adults with disabilities. The party was awesome. We have 140 children and adults with special needs, and I love them all. Some were dressed in costume. Buzz Lightyear was there, as were Zorro, a host of angels, and even Uncle Sam. When I walked in, I was greeted with hugs and calls for me to “guess who I am, Pastor Adam!” Fifty volunteers made the evening happen. It was a picture of the kingdom of God.
Our ministry to those with special needs started nineteen years ago with a little boy named Matthew. Today it includes one or two parties a month, a scout troop, a handbell choir, Bible studies, mission service, a bakery providing jobs for some of our adults with special needs, and more. Our Matthew’s Ministry3 participants come to the church weekly to help load 1,400 backpacks with nutritious snacks for children living in poverty to take home over the weekend so they have enough to eat. Hardly invalids!
Churches and Christians who are intentional about welcoming and including persons with special needs are walking in the way of Christ and continuing his work of saying, “You matter to God.”
Lord, help me (and the church I’m part of) to see persons with disabilities the way you see them. Help us to discover the joy of welcoming all people into your church.
Adam Hamilton, The Way: 40 Days of Reflection: Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus
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