By Jamin Roller
Scripture Reading: Nehemiah 5:1-19, Deuteronomy 23:19-20, Romans 15:1-6
My brother was born with a serious birth defect called Spina Bifeda. He has been in and out of hospitals his whole life. In his late teens he had a major surgery that was meant to help him live with more independence and physical freedom. The surgery went okay, but the medical staff neglected to follow the post-op care that he needed. Sadly, he ended up with a life-threatening infection that has negatively impacted his life ever since.
I have a deep appreciation for medical professionals. They have an incredibly difficult job, and most of my experiences with doctors and nurses have been a gift. But in this instance, the infection he got was a result of neglect, and he left the hospital in worse shape than when he got there. It was a sad, disorienting experience. That is not what we expect from hospitals. They are institutions that exist to heal and not harm. When they live up to their purpose, they are a gift of common grace to individuals, families, and communities. When they harm instead of help, it is a sad injustice.
Did you notice who Nehemiah addressed in chapter five? He confronted the leaders of Israel.
The people of God were intended by God to be a life-giving presence in the world. God had given His people a just and compassionate vocation to be His witnesses to those around them. But at this point in the story, many of the leaders of God’s people were being a burden instead of a blessing. They were using their social and economic power to take advantage of others instead of contending for their flourishing. Nehemiah put it in stark terms when he said, “We have done our best to buy back our Jewish countrymen who were sold to foreigners, but now you sell your own countrymen, and we have to buy them back” (Nehemiah 5:8).
Instead of being treated like fellow citizens and members of the family of God, the people were being treated like slaves by their own leaders.
And this kind of injustice grieved (and still grieves) the heart of God.
Similar to the trust I placed on our hospital, God expects His people to be a blessing instead of a burden. Nehemiah confronted them and called them to repentance.
This is an important reminder for us a Christians. We are now God’s people living in His world with the vocation to represent God’s heart and character as His witnesses. As we read in Romans 15, part of that vocation is using whatever strength we have to build up the weak and not to serve ourselves. Our world is full of people with physical and spiritual needs. The heart of God is to work through His Church to bring healing and not harm. To be a blessing and not a burden. May we be faithful.
Written by Jamin Roller
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