outreach

Are Nursing Homes in the Bible?

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment

When Jesus walked the earth there were no nursing homes, but in His day, the pool of Bethesda was similar to a long term care facility in some ways. Let’s just peek in to a scene from His visit there.

One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?”    John 5:5-6

As Jesus entered Jerusalem to attend one of the religious holidays, he chose to pay a visit to someone in need. You might compare this to making a detour on the way to a Thanksgiving dinner to see someone in the nursing home. You see that day almost everyone was headed out to sit down to a special dinner with friends or family, everyone that is except for the crowd at the Bethesda pool. There people waited in hope of a miracle.

Nursing homes are filled with people just like those folks. The man that Jesus came to see had been waiting and dreaming of a miracle for 38 years. In fact this man didn’t even know who Jesus was. Jesus didn’t show up to see a show, or to bring a reward for good behavior. Jesus came because He knew how long this man had waited. He came to show mercy.  Nursing home ministry is about showing God’s mercy to people just like that man. When we show God’s mercy to people Jesus comes, because His promise is that if just two or three gather in His name He will be there. Now imagine the possibilities if we sing together!

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Nursing Home Ministry: The 1st Mission Field

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But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, “We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program.  And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility       Acts 6:1-3 NLT

Why would God think that taking care of the elderly was so essential? Of course people with existing family were expected to take care of their own but just like today there still were many who desperately needed help.

In the first months of the early church; care for the elderly was considered so urgent that a structure was set in place to meet their needs even before the first missionary was sent to the field. Taking care of the older people wasn’t just something extra and nice for the church to do. It was treated with primary importance so much so that the apostles asked for the best and most committed people to be put in charge.

Have you ever seen nursing homes in your own community with those eyes? Maybe before the next trip to Africa, Asia or South America is funded we could focus on those God has put right on our doorstep. You won’t need to get a visa, learn another language or do a big fundraiser to reach them. Are you willing to go to the least of these?