Free and Rejected Healthcare

“The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved. For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me. Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?” (Jer 8:20-22 AV)

The curse of the prophet is that he can see the true condition of himself and those whom he is attempting to reach.  In this particular passage, Jeremiah laments that from all that God had sent to heal the nation from their sin, in the end, it was rejected.  There is balm in Gilead.  There are physicians there.  It is just that the people of God do not want it.  They would rather be sick in their sin than to take God’s remedy to overcome it.   This results in the prophet being in astonishment.  He is depressed.  He knows that the day to reap fruits is gone.  There is no more planting for an eventual harvest.  Opportunity has ceased and the people have not changed.

Part of being a hospital chaplain was seeing the frequent flyers.  Those patients who came in to seek relief from symptoms while refusing the cure.  Specially when their disease would eventually be fatal, it was difficult to minister to these people.  Part of survival was to protect one’s emotions so that the health care provider not go down repeated down spirals of despair.  Just this morning I was reminded at how far the bride of Christ is to the holiness that could be her glory.  She has become too entertained, too impulsive towards her desires, too independent and separated from her bridegroom that her backsliding is as Judah compared to Israel.  We have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  Israel did not.  We have the complete word of God and more revelation than they ever did. Yet we are filthy.  This is the condition of the bride of Christ from the top down.  It isn’t just those in the pews.  It includes our leadership as well.

We assume that we are different.  Surely, we believe, the LORD would not require a severe time of cleaning for the body of Christ as He did Israel in her captivity.  But why not?  Why is it the body of Christ believes we are immune from the judgment of God for our falling away?  Why do we believe that persecution cannot come to us because we might be the raptured generation?  Perhaps.  Perhaps not.  Sometime has to break.  The body of Christ cannot continue as she is without the LORD doing something.  For His glory and for our good!