‘Sick people matter’

Elaine Storkey looks at how the Gospel writers highlighted Jesus’ compassion towards the sick, focusing in on two specific healings noted uniquely by doctor Luke

Since the COVID pandemic we seem to value good health even more. Those awful images of people struggling to breathe, being carefully turned over in bed by a group of nurses, are not likely to fade from our minds any time soon. Nor are the memories of those who died from the outbreak, many of whom worked in the area of health. Hopefully, we’ve got a better understanding of viruses now. We’re even becoming more conscious of how what seems to be a common cold can turn into pneumonia and sepsis and quickly become life-threatening. My old indifference to various complaints has been replaced by twinges of acute anxiety whenever I am told that a friend or family member is showing certain symptoms.