Though there were no institutions like nursing homes in the days of Jesus, there definitely were the same kinds of people who lived in them. That society had no social security, government health insurance or orphanages. The poor and helpless either were cared for by family or were thrown out to beg on the street. In the Bible we read a story of one woman we will call Rosemary, who teetered on the edge of destitution. Rosemary was a widow being supported by her only son. Then the worst happened. That son was struck down by some disease or accident. The morning as she followed his coffin on the way out of the city she wept not only for the loss of her child, but also because her future seemed dark and foreboding. Then Jesus came!
Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow…Luke 7:11-12 ESV
It is interesting that village of Nain was only about 12 miles from Nazareth; but this is the only time we know of that Jesus visits there. In the same way that Nain was close to Jesus’ home, nursing homes are close by every one of us. We drive by them every day without realizing that inside those walls are people who are just like Rosemary. While some receive regular visits from loved ones, most are simply forgotten.
Easter is now past and many of us are planning where we will go or what we will do on our summer vacations. Why couldn’t we also plan to make a shorter trip and begin to visit people like Rosemary who live near us and bring them the message that God has not forgotten?
Walking With Lambs 
Reblogged this on praise2worshipdotnet and commented:
Nursing home ministry is recognizing that we are a part of a community rather than a calling – like being called to be a missionary. When Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself” a lawyer tried altering the meaning of neighbor in order to skip out on loving those he didn’t feel comfortable with. The question isn’t whether we are called to visit those in long term care; but what each of us can do when we get there!
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I think sometimes we hesitate to do something because we have never done it before and have no idea what to expect. My first year of teaching I took my 9th grade class to a nursing home, having persuaded them that the older people would be blessed by their presence, and that the elderly also have a wealth of experience and memories to share about times in history before these kids were born. As the students went and shared with the residents their poems, songs, and conversation, they were surprised at how much they enjoyed the experience. One young lady came up to me and told me she had discovered that she loved old people and wanted to work with them in the future.
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Thanks for stepping out on that exciting adventure of faith with your class! Awesome!
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