And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.  Mark 16:15

 

As Christ's disciples, we strive to tell the world about his love and compassion, and about the road to salvation.  While Jesus was a man on this Earth, He told others about God through His words and by His actions, and there were many times when He was a medical mission team.

 

Although many of us are not blessed with the talent to be flamboyant evangelists, each of us has the ability to demonstrate our faith and to showcase God's love by our own words and actions.

 

And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, "Do you see anything?" And he looked up and said, "I see men, but they look like trees, walking." Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.  Mark 8: 22-25

 

Because others knew of the power of the Lord, they brought this man to Jesus and asked for a touch.  He provided healing.  When we demonstrate Christ's compassion by touching and caring about those in need, His presence and His touch is the real message.

 

When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I will; be clean." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.  Matthew 8: 1-3

 

When an ill person approached Him, asking for help, Jesus chose to demonstrate God's love and provide healing for the leper.  I'd surmise that the impact of this healing was not only physical, but must have been a monumental spiritual and emotional event for this man.

 

Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee. Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him. And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue. Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened." Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly.              Mark 7: 31-35

 

Although Jesus sought to not bring fame onto Himself, the reaction of those He healed was predictable:  they "proclaimed it widely" (Verse 36). 

 

One of the most difficult concepts for medical mission team members to grasp is the little-m-medical-and-big-M-Mission truth.  The demonstration of love, the sharing of the Good News, the offering of the opportunity for salvation forever....this is what medical mission work is really about.  This is much more important and has a much longer impact on the people and their souls than does the provision of some antibiotics or the suturing of a cut on the arm.

 

Jesus chose to provide medical healing, and, no doubt, those who were impacted by the physical cures were happy about that.  Likewise, those that feel improved with some antibiotics or vitamins or ibuprofen that we provide on a mission team field experience are happy with those physical feelings.  But, just like the sick who were healed by Jesus wanted to tell everyone about it, we, as mission team members, have the opportunity to share and demonstrate the real message of God's love and salvation.  The people we treat can see if we care, can feel the compassion, and can learn from our words and actions.  We are "going into the world and preaching the Gospel" by offering to see and touch and care about those who are struggling in this world.

 

Jesus healed their physical ailments; we have the opportunity, through the provision of medical Mission care, to allow Him to heal their souls for eternity.