After a full year of ministry, I was tired and looking forward to a rest. Instead, I just spent two of my three weeks of vacation in the Dominican Republic in bed trying to recuperate from the influenza. We figured I was contaminated before I left or while traveling through the New York or Santo Domingo airports, three days before my symptoms of a congested head and bodily weaknesses began to appear. After six days I began to improve and, then, to my dismay, I began to get worse. Our friend and doctor in the Dominican Republic had been sick too, but she got better after a week while I got worse. She arrived shortly thereafter at our condo with the famous traditional criolla tea[1] for me to take and other local medicines which quickly began their work, so that I could begin what would become a blog I promised Bill I would do this January.
What
topic would be good? In my context, how about, sick people in the New Testament
who were not healed instantaneously? (Because Bill and I were surely
praying for such an instantaneous healing to glorify God’s name and give me a
happy vacation!) I found four New Testament examples: Epaphroditus, Timothy,
Trophimus, and Paul who demonstrated that illness happens to all, even to
wonderful and faithful Christians.
Epaphroditus (Phil. 2:25-30) was sent to Rome
to represent the church of Philippi, bringing a generous donation to help pay
for Paul’s expenses since he was under house arrest. He took a lengthy trip by
land and sea not only to deliver some money but also to join Paul in his
ministry. And what happened? Paul had to take care of Epaphroditus who fell
seriously ill! How frustrated Epaphroditus must have felt! Paul came to care
deeply for him. Epaphroditus almost died, but with Luke’s care and God’s
ultimate intervention, Epaphroditus survived.
What
do we learn from this incident? Christians under important pressing altruistic
ventures can still get sick! Their time plans can be torn to shreds. If
Epaphroditus had died in this venture to help Paul, Paul may have felt guilty
that he indirectly caused this amiable Christian worker to die. God had mercy
on Epaphroditus, and he avoided death and was able to return home. Even people
who get sick while doing ministry, according to Paul, should be welcomed with
joy and honored.
In
the midst of the many charges of the evangelist pastor at Ephesus, Timothy
(1 Tim. 5:23) had frequent stomach ailments from avoiding drinking any wine.
Usually in ancient times some wine was mixed into water to purify the water. So,
Timothy had “frequent illnesses.” That means that, while he was trying to stop
the Ephesians’ push to heterodoxy, he was frequently not feeling well. Possibly
Timothy as a model for this imbibing church (e.g., 1 Tim. 3:3, 8) had
determined to take the Nazarite vow to avoid all grapes and grape products.[2]
Nevertheless, in this case, Paul charges Timothy just to go ahead and drink a
bit of wine. Idealism at times has to be tempered with practicality.
Well-intentioned goals may have to be adapted because of illness, which sets up
its own demands.
Not
much is said about Trophimus (2 Tim. 4:20) except that he did not deny
the faith like Demas (2 Tim. 4:10) or work actively against the Christian faith
like Alexander (2 Tim. 4:14-15). Paul may have been on his way to Rome when he
left Trophimus ill at the port city Miletus near Ephesus. Maybe Trophimus
planned to accompany Paul all the way to Rome, but sickness kept him from doing
so. Did Paul mention him to Timothy in this letter so that Timothy could check
up on him? Paul uses a participle to describe Trophimus: “being sick.” However,
Paul does not expect Timothy to wait around until Trophimus is better. In Rome,
where Paul is, Luke is there with him. This time Paul is under arrest probably
at a Roman military camp. Paul only expects Mark, with his many Roman
connections, and Timothy, his long-term ministry partner, to be nearby (2 Tim.
4:9-11).[3]
Because of Trophimus’ illness, Trophimus could not become one of Paul’s close Roman
companions, but Trophimus for the time being avoided persecution from the Roman
authorities. Sometimes an illness keeps us from our goals and impedes our time
schedules, but we will continue in our plans when we feel better.
Paul himself suffered from some
intermittent illness that affected his eyes (2 Cor. 12:7-10; Gal. 4:13-16).
Some medical staff consider that the symptoms might align with ophthalmia, such
as Retter’s condition, or intermittent glaucoma, which can be painful.[4]
The Galatians treated Paul the way Paul wanted the Philippians to treat
Epaphroditus. They welcomed him and eagerly listened to his message.
They did not scorn or despise him because he was ill. Because this illness
impeded his ministry, Paul appealed to the Lord to have it completely healed.
But, to the apostle, who had been spiritually brought to heaven itself (2 Cor.
12:3-4), God responded “no” because he wanted Paul to remember that, in the midst
of all the traveling difficulties, spiritual and physical hardships, and
persecution Paul underwent for Christ’s sake, Paul remained strong and whole
because of the indwelling Christ (2 Cor. 12:9-10).
So,
what did I learn from this biblical study to enlighten my situation?
1. Illness can
occur anytime in our earthly fallen world. It is rarely convenient, never
welcomed, and it almost always impairs our time schedules. However, all efforts
should be made for its eradication, even if an illness does lead to death.[5]
2. People
should not be judged negatively if they become ill. Instead, they should take
care of themselves, be taken care of, ask for God’s intervention, and heed good
advice. Jesus taught that every sick person should be treated as if she or he
were Jesus himself and “looked upon” and “taken care of” (Matt. 25:36, 39-40,
43-45). And they should be honored even though they become ill.
3. Ministry can
be done in the midst of illness. Epaphroditus made it to Paul. Timothy and Paul
kept on serving despite their illnesses. God’s grace is sufficient in all
situations (2 Cor. 12:9; Phil. 2:27).
I
was disappointed to get influenza on my own long-awaited vacation, but I was
thankful to be in the Dominican Republic with Bill who took care of me everyday
doing all cooking and cleaning. I was staying in our lovely condominium where
we had plenty of space in a warm, sunny environment and where our local friends
and the condominium managers showed concern. I was able to rest and eventually
get better. I was glad that when I fell ill, I had completed all my recent work
and I did not have an urgent ministry endeavor to do in the midst of my illness
like my New Testament Christian coworkers did!
Aida
[1]
Bill describes how to make the tea in our novel Cave of Little Faces, House
of Prisca and Aquila Series (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2318), 83.
[2]
See further A. B. Spencer, 1 Timothy, New Covenant Commentary Series
(Eugene, OR: Cascade, 2013), 140-41.
[3]
See further A. B. Spencer, 2 Timothy and Titus, New Covenant Commentary
Series (Eugene, OR: Cascade, 2014), 146-47.
[4]
A. B. Spencer, 2 Corinthians, People’s Bible Commentary (Abingdon, UK:
Bible Reading Fellowship, 2001), 209.
[5]
John 11:4; James 5:14-18. See also A. B. Spencer and W. D. Spencer, Joy
through the Night: Biblical Resources on Suffering (Eugene, OR: Wipf and
Stock, 2007 [1994]), chs. 1-2.
