Sandra shares devotional thoughts about an often-overlooked action Jesus took during the last week of his earthly life. As we celebrate Easter, let's follow his radical example of inclusion for people with disabilities.
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Quick Links:
Disability and The Church 2023 (DATC2023) Conference
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Transcript:
Hi friends, I'm Sandra Peoples, one of your cohosts for Key Ministry the podcast. If you're listening to this episode soon after it releases, you're in the middle of Easter planning and celebrating. What a joyful time for Christ followers, and also what a busy time for ministry leaders! For today's episode, I wanted us to take a few minutes to focus on one key thing Jesus did the last week of his life that often gets overlooked. In the book of Matthew, it comes after his triumphal entry into Jerusalem and before he gives his final teachings. In Matthew 21:12-14 Jesus takes a radical step of inclusion for people with disabilities. And it's worth celebrating this week leading up to Easter, especially for those of us who continue to do his table-turning work today.
The temple is the first stop Matthew records after telling us about Jesus's entry into Jerusalem as the people waved palm branches and he rode on the back of a donkey to their shouts of "Hosanna, Son of David!" He knew what was coming during the week leading up to the Passover celebration. He had told his disciples in chapter 20 verse 28, that he had come to give his life as a ransom for many. His final actions that week and his final words to us matter. And one of his final actions was to make room for the disabled to come to him in the temple, healing them and restoring them into the community life built around the temple.
Let me read to you from Matthew 21:12-14 from the ESV version:
12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”
14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.
You have probably heard this story of Jesus turning over tables in the temple. I'm so thankful for this example of Jesus's human yet holy anger. And while his anger is directed at those who were misusing and abusing the temple area, the purpose is more than just driving them out.
When he drove out the money changers and those buying and selling animals to be sacrificed, he made room for people with disabilities.
They had been blocked from having access to the area around the temple where those who were considered unclean could gather. The tables and money changers took up room meant for them. But when Jesus called them out and ran them out, he called to himself those with disabilities, and they ran toward him.
Y'all. I have to just sit with that for a few seconds to let it sink in. Verse, 14: "They came to him in the temple." It didn't look like the crowds who had just been shouting Hosana as he rode into the city. That crowd didn't truly know Jesus. Many of them hoped he had come to overthrow the government. That's why they would turn on him a few days later. But these people, the ones coming to him now, they saw him and knew him for what he was. And they were seen by Jesus. They were known by Jesus. And he wanted them close.
Hebrews 4:15 says "we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses." Throughout his ministry he saw people with disabilities and restored their place in society as he reminded the disciples and observers of their image-baring, God-glorifying status. He sympathized with each one.
Jesus saw the functional and social aspects of disability, and one of his last actions on earth was to tear down a social barrier to access worship and the gathering of God's people.
We can follow his example this Easter. We can identify people who don't currently have access to church. We can sympathize with them as we see their full value and the prophetic gifts they bring to our faith families. Then we can turn over tables as we take out any barrier that keeps them from being fully included in our churches. This is what Jesus did, and this is what he calls us to do.
As you celebrate Easter this weekend, hold on to that image of people with disabilities rushing toward him.
Let it motivate you to make that happen in your church today.
Our Savior wouldn't want it any other way.
Let's end in prayer today, "God, thank you for sending Jesus to live a perfect, sinless life and die a death he didn't deserve. Because he conquered sin and death, we can live as your children. As your children, we follow the example of our brother and savoir, Christ. As he made a way for the disabled to come close to him, we also have this goal. Strengthen us when we grow weary, give us wisdom on steps to take, and never let us forget the why behind everything we do—so everyone has access to the gospel. In Jesus's name, amen."
Thanks friends, for spending a few minutes of your busy week with me. Know that the team at Key Ministry is praying for you and your churches this weekend. We'd love to see you in person at our upcoming conference, Disability and the Church on April 28-29 in Cleveland, Ohio. All the details are in the shownotes that you can find at keyministry.org/podcast. Amazing things happen when all of us table turners get together in one place. We'd love for you to join us!
