Some people look at a disabled person and think “The real person is trapped inside that body”, a thought which is based on the Greek idea of the body as a carriage for the soul or the “real person”. What is the biblical perspective on disabled people?
We are are in fact a “living soul” (Gen 2:7), dust animated by the breath of God, and the soul is not separate from the body (see this post for more details ). Thus when we see a disabled person we see a disabled soul, not a disabled carriage-for-the-soul.
We are in fact all disabled souls, because even the finest physical specimen is disabled by the curse of sin under which he or she was born.
Such a person may appear to be in perfect health, but the truth is that the effects of sin can be seen in everything from their DNA to their limited life span.
A disabled soul in a wheelchair simply has disabilities arising from the curse of sin that are more visible than those of someone generally considered to have “perfect health”.
The good news is that one day those who love and follow the Lord will be free of the curse of sin, and there will be no more mourning, or crying or pain because the first things will have passed away (Rev 21:4). There will be no need for wheelchairs or doctors on the new earth because everyone will truly have perfect health.
About David Burge
David Burge was the Editor of From Death to Life for 6 years and the chairperson of the Conditional Immortality Association of NZ from 1993 until his death in 2010 from Leukemia.
"He was a genuine leader, a gifted, enterprising, focused and humble person who could be relied upon to make the most of his own gifts and to take others with him. David was not afraid of responsibility, but rose to every opportunity granted him to serve His Lord and Saviour. He was inspirational, a man of courage and vision, who earned the complete confidence of all who knew him. He carried heavy burdens lightly, and displayed unfailing, cheerful good will towards all."from A Tribute to David Burge by Warren Prestidge . He was the father of eight and dearly loved husband of Tarnya . He pastored the Takanini Church for 12 years and he had cerebral palsy.
