“Heal the Sick”
Scripture Reading — Luke 10:1-12
“Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’”
As a missionary, I sometimes traveled with health-care workers from the Luke Society, a medical mission organization, to remote villages in the Philippines. There we met people who usually didn’t have access to healthcare. The Luke Society workers were able to diagnose and treat illnesses and provide dental care, and we all shared the love and good news of salvation in Christ. Sometimes this work resulted in the planting of new churches as well.
Through the centuries, many new believers have cited physical healing as a significant factor in coming to faith in Christ, especially in frontier mission locations where there were few Christians and few doctors. Such healing—whether through miraculous gifts or through professional health care—aligns with Jesus’ instructions to heal the sick. This is an essential part of bringing the gospel. The good news of God’s kingdom is about wholeness in all aspects of life, now and forever.
In mission work today we use the term “kingdom professionals” for people who are called to reach people for Christ through their profession. They are trained not only in the Bible and missions, but also in professional skills that can give them access to unreached people whom traditional missionaries might not be able to reach. Perhaps you are one, or you may become one.
Lord, guide us to use our gifts, training, and experience to be your mission agents wherever we are and wherever you may lead us. Amen.
About the author — Stan Kruis
Stan Kruis graduated from Calvin Theological Seminary in 1984 and began serving as a missionary in the Philippines, where he met his future wife, Bessie. Together they served in church planting and leadership training in the Philippines. After completing a Ph.D. in intercultural studies at Fuller Theological Seminary, Stan returned with Bessie to the Philippines in 2014, where he taught missions at the Asian Theological Seminary in Manila. Now retired, they live in Michigan. Stan and Bessie have two married children and one grandchild.
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