No Comfort for the Sick or Those That Tend Them

Ed, my neighbor next door, just hit one of those black weeks when feeling lousy kept getting worse. It was a nasty virus that came out of nowhere and drop-kicked Ed in the head, throat and lungs. We heard all about it from Ruby, Ed’s wife, who kept seeking refuge at our house. Ed was so sick that he whined for his mother, but she has been deceased for five years. With Ed acting in relentless petulance Ruby was torn between sympathy and murder.

Sadly, Ed’s virus was the kind that attacks like a wolverine and sticks like a miser to his last penny. First, it was aches; then chills, fever, heavy chest, sore throat and non-stop coughing; and lastly, swollen sinuses in his face. Each day, both Ed and Ruby waited for the virus to weaken, but it seemed to be just as strong every new day as the day before. When I suggested maybe Ed should see the doctor, Ruby just said, “Whose army is going to get him there?”

After seven straight days, Ed was barely able to have his first cigarette by his garage door. I called to him across the fence to see if he was back to normal. He would have come to the fence to talk, but I warned him about sharing the virus with me. Ed informed me that the virus had closed in like a black hole with no light for five days on end. It was only after dragging around lethargic and low that on the sixth day that Ed saw a spark of light. On the seventh day, Ed decided that he might recover after all and celebrated with a cigarette.

Ed informed me that I needed to be careful, for at my age if I caught the virus I could be done for in three days. All conversation stopped when Ruby found Ed out having a cigarette. She said some strong things and Ed got in the house quick and I moved away fast. When people start scolding, they don’t always stop at the one they started with.

Ed’s battle with a virus reminded me how fortunate we often are when it comes to our health. No one likes to be sick, but good health often gets taken for granted rather than being at the top of our, “Thank You, God” list. It has been said that our good health always seems much more valuable after we lose it. After we lose our good health, we see that it is better than wealth.

One of the reasons people flocked to Jesus was because he went about preaching the good news. Another reason was that he also went about healing every disease and sickness among the people. The Bible says, “People brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed and he healed them all.”

The enemies of Jesus were not impressed that Jesus healed the sick, blind or paralyzed. They rejected him because he sometimes healed on the Sabbath. They also opposed him for befriending and forgiving sinners. Jesus answered his critics by indicating that God is about mercy, for the sick and sinful.

 

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