Disabled people are differently abled people who were also made or Created by the Lord for His glory. We see many disabled people in and around the society, in our families and even in the ministries that we have today with the different talents and abilities to support the families, ministries and even in the government sectors for the welfare of the society. in fact we are the real disabled people who are not accepting the mentally and physically challenged people in the society, in our families and in the ministries.
we are not accepting their talents..
we are not including them amongst us..
we are not taking care about them..
we do not have any concern towards them..
and Not respecting the mentally and physically challenged people.
WHAT MEANS BEING DISABLED?
According to the legal definition set forth by the Americans with Disabilities Act, a person with a disability is ‘someone who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity.
WHAT ARE THE EXAMPLES OF DISABLED?
According to the World Health Organization, disability has three dimensions: Impairment in a person’s body structure or function, or mental functioning; examples of impairments include ‘Loss of a limb, loss of vision or memory’. Activity limitation, such as difficulty seeing, hearing, walking or problem solving.
The metaphoric use of disability in the Bible further reinforces the view linking disability with disobedience to God. Israel’s disobedience is compared with disability. In ISAIAH 43:8 – The children off Israel are asked to lead out those who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT THE DISABLED PEOPLE?
EXODUS 4:11 - Then the LORD said to him, “Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?
LEVITICUS 19:14 – You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God; I am the Lord.
ST JOHN 9:2-7 - And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Having said these things, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man's eyes with the mud...
ST MATTHEWS 15:31 - So that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.
ST MARK 7:32cf - And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. ...
DEUTERONOMY 27:18 - “‘Cursed be anyone who misleads a blind man on the road.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
Q. why God allows the people to be disabled / handicapped?
Ans: Before we proceed, we should acknowledge that we are all disabled or handicapped in some way.
The need for eyeglasses indicates - impaired or “handicapped” vision.
Dental braces are a sign of imperfect teeth.
In the Old Testament we see that the reason for the disability is the sin.
Coming to the New Testament, we can see it as the God's plan.
Another basic reason that God allows some people to be disabled or handicapped is that God will glorify Himself through it.
? When the disciples wondered about the man born blind, Jesus told them, “This happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him” (John 9:3).
? When the same disciples later wondered about Lazarus’ sickness, Jesus told them, “It is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it” (John 11:4).
In both instances, God was glorified through the disability
In the case of the man born blind, the temple rulers had incontrovertible proof of Jesus’ power to heal;
In the case of Lazarus, “many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him” (John 11:45).
Another reason why God allows disabilities or handicaps is that we must learn to trust in Him rather than in ourselves.
EXODUS: 4:10 - 17
When the Lord God called Moses in the wilderness, Moses was reluctant at first to heed the call. In fact, he tried to use his disability to excuse himself from service: “Moses said to the Lord, ‘Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent. . . . I am slow of speech and tongue’” (Exodus 4:10).
But God knew all about Moses’ problem: “The Lord said to him, ‘Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say’” (Exodus 4:11–12).
In this amazing passage, we see that all human ability—and disability—is part of God’s plan and that God will help His obedient servants.
Examples:
Joni Erickson Tada suffered a diving accident as a teenager, and for the past five decades she has lived as a quadriplegic. In her booklet Hope . . . the Best of Things, Joni imagines meeting Jesus in heaven and speaking to Him about her wheelchair: “The weaker I was in that thing [my wheelchair], the harder I leaned on you. And the harder I leaned on you, the stronger I discovered you to be. It never would have happened had you not given me the bruising of the blessing of that wheelchair” (Crossway Books, Wheaton, Illinois, 2008).
How can she speak of her “bruising” as a “blessing”? Only by the grace of God. With that sentiment, Joni echoes the apostle Paul who accepted Christ’s sufficient grace for his thorn in the flesh with these words: “I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. . . . For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9–10).
Finny Cross Bee Who loosed her both eyes by the operation in her teenage. Who is well known English song writer who wrote 1000’s of songs for the glory of God.
Frances Jane van Alstyne - more commonly known as Fanny Crosby, was an American mission worker, poet, lyricist, and composer. She was a prolific hymnist, writing more than 8,000 hymns and gospel songs, with more than 100 million copies printed. She is also known for her teaching and her rescue mission work. By the end of the 19th century, she was a household name. Crosby was known as the "Queen of Gospel Song Writers" and as the "Mother of modern congregational singing in America", with most American hymnals containing her work. Her gospel songs were "paradigmatic of all revival music", and Ira Sankey attributed the success of the Moody and Sankey evangelical campaigns largely to Crosby's hymns. Some of Crosby's best-known songs include "Pass Me Not, O Gentle Saviour",
"Blessed Assurance Jesus is mine",
"Jesus Is Tenderly Calling You Home",
"Praise Him, Praise Him",
"Rescue the Perishing", and
"To God Be the Glory".
Some publishers were hesitant to have so many hymns by one person in their hymnals, so Crosby used nearly 200 different pseudonyms during her career.
Do not focus your mind on your disability but on Ability which God has given to you.
Crosby also wrote more than 1,000 secular poems and had four books of poetry published, as well as two best-selling autobiographies. Additionally, she co-wrote popular secular songs, as well as political and patriotic songs and at least five cantatas on biblical and patriotic themes, including The Flower Queen, the first secular cantata by an American composer. She was committed to Christian rescue missions and was known for her public speaking. At six weeks old, Crosby caught a cold and developed inflammation of the eyes. Mustard poultices were applied to treat the discharges. According to Crosby, this procedure damaged her optic nerves and blinded her, but modern physicians think that her blindness was more likely congenital and, given her age, may simply not have been noticed by her parents. Disability is not the matter when we have a mind to achieve something for the Lord.
2 Samuel 9:1-13
coming to the text and the context of the passage - David asked, "Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul to whom I may show kindness for Jonathan's sake?"
Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and he was summoned to David. The king said to him, "Are you Ziba?" And he said, "At your service!"
The king said, "Is there anyone remaining of the house of Saul to whom I may show the kindness of God?" Ziba said to the king, "There remains a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet."
and many words we see in this passage.
here in this passage, David brings him to the Palace, he handed over the properties which are belongs to Him and given him the life and the position for life time.
here we see the Concern, Respect and Care of King David towards Mephibosheth.
Acts 9:32-35
text from the Acts of Apostle is talking about a person named Aeneas who had been bedridden for eight years, for he was paralyzed.
Here my focus is on the disciple of Jesus Peter rather the Aeneas resident of that particular place.
many times we give 10, 20, 50 or 100 rupees to the poor, Sick and the needy who always sits in front of the Church gates and feel ourselves that we are Saints, holy people and God's people doing the grate things to the needy and poor. but coming to the passage, peter did not give the money and left him there in his position but he helped him to come out of his condition which helped him to never get back into his past condition.
Finally coming to the Gospel According to the Mark 3:1-12
we see three characters..
1. Stubborn heart of the Pharisees
2. The Compassionate Heart of Jesus
3. The Heart of the SICK man with the Hope.
The Earthly ministry of Jesus will teaches us how to care the needy and Disabled, how to respect the Disabled, how to help the Disabled and how equally treat them with us in every area of the life. Jesus' ministry is the model for every believer to carry the mission.
May the Good Lord will gives us the Heart of Jesus to carry the mission of the Lord as individuals, as the Church at large by taking Care and giving respect and Accepting them equally with us.
May God Bless Us All!
