Disabled Jesus, part 2a

Perfection is Not Able-Bodiedness: Wholeness part 1

The first four posts of this series were a general introduction and three posts on God’s solidarity with us in the sufferings of Jesus Christ. Now I’m moving on to the second part: Wholeness.

¹⁰ But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” ¹¹ Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? ¹² Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” ¹³ But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.”

Exodus 4:10-13 ESVUK

Perfection is Not Able-Bodiedness: The Passion narrative challenges the societal “cult of normalcy,” showing that Christ’s resurrection body is not “healed” in the sense of removing all scars. His body is resurrected with his impairments, suggesting that disability is part of the new creation, not a defect to be eliminated.

However, that is how I have felt, not because of the Bible, but due to the actions of some Christians who misunderstood things. I even had a prayer to remove the spirit they thought was causing my autism. To be fair, I didn’t know I was autistic then, and they were trying to cast out what they saw as bitterness and anger. Like many, they confused autistic meltdowns with anger, which is a trigger but not the same.

My main triggers are sensory; I feel overwhelmed when too much information comes at once and I struggle to filter it. At a party with many conversations happening, I can’t focus on my own discussions. Bright lights, loud sudden noises, and background music also trigger me, but music loud enough to cover nearby conversations can be helpful.

Through the eyes of the disabled, the Passion is a strong and comforting story of a God who is close to, and deeply involved in, the experience of being vulnerable.

Moses’ complaint in the Bible reading I have chosen is typical of how people think. “I’m no good at public speaking,” he says to God. Yet God has chosen him. God’s reply, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?” makes it clear that a disability does not prevent God from calling someone or using them. God is not a tyrant who makes people disabled. God was not the driver of the car that disabled me, but God is saying he is the god of the disabled, including the mute, deaf, seeing and blind. Disabled people are not partial people. God is not claiming responsibility for all physical conditions. God is challenging Moses’ lack of faith.

The very next line in that passage is important. God says to Moses in verse 12, “Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” God says he is in control and can overcome Moses’ limitations. It is the same for all neurodivergent and disabled people. God can use you as you are, you don’t need to become whole as a person. You are a whole person.

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