Disability and the Gospel (Leviticus 21-23, Hebrews 8)

There’s a beautiful verse in our reading from Leviticus 21. It’s a verse that shows the Lord’s care for those with disability (21:22). On a first reading this passage may cause those with disability to feel excluded, quadriplegic Joni Earekson Tada confesses this is how she felt when she first read the chapter. She says she slammed her Bible shut, but thankfully she opened it again. The reason that the Old Testament priest was not to have any physical defect was because they were a shadow of our true High Priest who was to be perfect in every way. (As Hebrews 8:5 tells us). Jesus was perfect in every way so that he could make the perfect sacrifice and make perfect forever all who turn to Him in faith.

We see God’s heart for including those with disabilities in Leviticus 21:22. Such a worshipper was not to be excluded from the bread in the temple. That meant they could have fellowship with God. I remember hearing a man with a severely disabled son saying how much this meant to him. Whilst those with disability may feel excluded by others, disability is something that our Lord sees past.

What about the limit on who could be a priest? Well, we no longer have priests, since there is no longer any sacrifice for sins required. Our high priest, Jesus, was sacrificed so that each one can know the Lord, from those who are considered least, to those who are considered greatest (Hebrews 8:11)

And our high priest went out of his way to welcome those with disability, and who says to all who turn to Him, “you are my people” no matter how severe our disability or our sin. And Jesus not only welcomed, but forgave sin and healed the disabled. I don’t mean to make an unhelpful connection between sin and disability, that’s something the disciples do in John 9 and Jesus tells them sin was not the reason the man was born blind. There’s a sense in which all the brokenness in the world is because of sin entering the world, but it’s normally very unhelpful to try and connect a disability with a particular sin. But what we see in Jesus is someone who forgives and restores. And this is a foretaste of what He will one day do for all who trust Him. When Jesus was physically present with His people He gave them a glimpse of how good His kingdom is. It will be a place with no more suffering, a place pf restored physical bodies.

If you or someone you love is suffering from a disability, this is the most precious thing. So much of life is spent on coping with a disability, concerns over accessibility, over inclusion, over further decline, over all the medical appointments that you meed to get to, the accessories and vehicles you may need. Don’t get me wrong wheelchairs are a great blessing, they give a great freedom to get places, but we’d rather not have to use to use them. We long for the day when we won’t have to! And if we keep our eyes fixed on how glorious that day will bring, we’ll be able to consider our present troubles as light and momentary by comparison.