Blog

Jesus Heals

By: Alan Harvey

Posted: March 19, 2019

Category: Daily Devotional

Mark 1:29-39

TRUE STORY: Laugh and the world laughs with you! I was visiting someone in the Tampa General Hospital. Either for the patient’s protection or mine, contact precautions were in place. That meant I was required to wear a mask, gloves, and a wrap-around gown. Having been taught by infection control personnel, I always try to comply with their instructions.

After I completed my visit with the patient, I was removing the protective clothing before returning home. I deposited the remnants in the trash can, washed my hands and proceeded to leave. Little did I know that a piece of the blue plastic tie had somehow attached to my belt and I walked out of the hospital with that tail flapping in the breeze and no one said anything. I needed to stop in Lakeland before returning to Winter Haven. I went in and out of the store with that blue plastic tail attached, and again, no one said anything.

It was not until I got out of my car in the church parking lot and ran into some members who, like me, were coming for a meeting that I made a funny sight. They called my attention to the “tell-tale” sign that I had visited someone with contact precautions in the hospital. I could not get that sign removed quick enough. From a family member I later learned that the hospital staff had been slow in removing the sign and supplies … so much so that I had not needed to garb in the first place!

How I wish I had immunity to all diseases and could make my visits without these contact precautions, but I am human and susceptible to afflictions and illnesses.

 “When Jesus was near sick people, he could have gotten sick too. But He didn’t get sick. Instead Jesus healed the people. He went out of His way to help.”

In this story Simon Peter asks Jesus to heal his mother-in-law, who had a terrible fever. With that symptom, she could have been very sick and possibly contagious to others. Jesus responded to His friend’s request. He knelt down beside her, touched her and healed her of her fever.

“Jesus and His friends kept going from town to town healing others and teaching people about God’s love.

P.S. Should you be visiting in the hospital and encounter contact precautions, I strongly encourage you to use the hand sanitizer stations provided and obey the signs so that infections do not spread. Make certain that you are not leaving with a “tell-tale” sign of where you have been. And please, if you ever see me wearing a blue plastic tail, kindly tell me and I will remove it faster than you can say “To your health!”

Prayer

Heavenly Father, there are reasons for rules and we often may view them as being too restrictive. Help us to understand that they are there for our benefit and others. We thank You that Jesus was healthy and did all He could to restore others to good health once again. In His name, we pray. Amen.