“Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.” (Matthew 25:44,45)
In certain circles, being sick is the same as being in sin. Both are not supposed to be. Those who have “allowed” sickness in their life are made to believe they have fallen short of their duty to stay in divine health. The idea goes like this: firstly, if we were walking where we should be walking we would never get sick to begin with; but, if for some reason we do get sick, we must take dominion over it and command it to leave. If it stays, then we must be walking in unbelief and/or disobedience. The person who does not stay in divine health, or get rid of sickness when it comes, is looked upon in the same way that a Christian who compromises with sin is looked upon.
Even as we are not to have fellowship with a brother who is living in unrepentant sin, so some treat the sick the same way. If you’re sick you best get healed and quick or you are deemed an embarrassment to the body of Christ and made to feel like a leper or outcast. Once you are restored to divine health you can once again take your place among the “super-saints” who live in a realm where they never get sick, or know how to repulse the attack of the enemy as soon as it comes.
But Jesus will one day reprove those who failed to come and minister to Him when He was sick. Ministry to the sick should never be a ministry of condemnation. Ministry to the sick is not claiming that they are well when they are not; nor is it demanding and commanding that they must be healed and then condemning them if they don’t immediately improve. Showing compassion to the sick; letting them know that you are keeping them in prayer; seeing if there is anything you can do to help them; spending time with them; is the kind of visiting the sick which will one day be rewarded.
Job still has his “comforters.” Jesus still has His condemners. Go ahead, touch the “leper.” You just may be touching Jesus.