The kingdom of God is what happens between us and the sick. This insight came to me from a comment made by Jurgen Moltmann in one of his books. Moltmann was talking about Jesus healing the sick. The healing power of Jesus was a sign of the presence of the kingdom of God. When the kingdom arrives, illness flees. When the power of God’s Spirit touches the sick, they are healed.
Where do we find the kingdom of God today? The kingdom of God is what happens between us and the sick.
I’ve been in healthcare ministry a number of years, off and on. There are times when I want to avoid the sick. I want to do something else. Why? Is it selfishness on my part? Perhaps, but most of the time it is fatigue. Ministry to the sick takes a lot of energy, a lot of self-giving. It can be draining. Jesus had moments of fatigue, too. He took brief “sabbaticals” and went off by himself to pray and recharge his batteries.
And yet we can’t overlook this point: in the expectations and suffering of the sick we encounter the kingdom of God. And we learn. Visiting the sick is not only about “meeting their needs.” It is about meeting Christ in the sick. It is about receiving the hospitality of the sick. It’s about seeing ourselves in the sick. And it is about learning faith from the sick, even from those who have little faith.
I can honestly say that my understanding of the kingdom of God has been deepened by the sick. I’ve been pushed, challenged, humbled, and made more grateful.
None of this would be the case were it not for the Holy Spirit working in and through the sick to reach me. Could it be that God has asked me to minister to the sick in order to save my own soul? Probably. So we press on . . . and we find the kingdom of God happening here and now in every Spirit-filled encounter with the sick. --Brad
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