How the Bible Encourages Us to Love Those with Disabilities
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Once I was in a foreign country where the culture struggled with their views of people with disabilities. Most of them believed that this group of people were the lowest of society and were not valuable. Some of them thought that those with disabilities had done something wrong and were being punished.
One example of a person from the Bible who had a disability was Mephibosheth. He was a son of Jonathan, and lost the use of his feet as a child. 2 Samuel 9:1 says, “And David said, 'Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?’” Ziba the servant tells David of Mephiboseth and David sends for him to be brought, to obtain all that belonged to King Saul. David honors Mephiboseth. 2 Samuel 9:7 says, “And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.”
The story continues, “So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table, like one of the king's sons” (2 Samuel 9:11b). This story encourages us that we too need to have a place at our table for all people.
Some of the most unseen people are those who carry the responsibility of caring for and loving those with special needs. I recently met a new friend whose daughter has autism. She shared how her daughter struggles socially in large crowds and so church can be a hard place to attend. I invited her to try a smaller church with me and she came. To our delight, that church has a sensory room for those who need it. Their decision to care for the needs of others and go beyond in paving a way for this family to have community and feel welcomed into the church body was absolutely beautiful.
We too can reach out. Think about someone in your life who is a caregiver and possibly overlooked for invitations. How can you be the person to reach out and invite them into friendship and do life together? It is so important for these unsung heroes to know that what they do each and every day matters. They are making a difference and they have a special role in God’s kingdom to love in great measures.
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