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A nurse was working with a patient to educate them about their new diabetes diagnosis. Insulin would now be required, and he would be giving himself shots daily. She wanted to make sure he knew exactly what to do before he left the office, so she grabbed her supplies and walked through the process step by step.
She drew the insulin into the syringe, and with an orange in her hand, she demonstrated how to inject it.
“Is that clear?” She asked.
He nodded yes, grabbed his supplies, and left the office.
A week later, she had a follow-up with the man to make sure everything was going as it should. He had been keeping a log of his numbers every time he checked his sugar levels.
She was astonished! These numbers were way too high.
“Have you been doing the insulin like I showed you?”
He nodded yes.
Baffled, she said, “Okay, show me. Show me what you do.”
So, he got the supplies, drew up the insulin in the syringe, pulled that orange out of his pocket, and injected the orange.
The orange. Not himself.
He had completely misunderstood. That was only meant to be a demonstration to bring about knowledge and understanding. Not that he would receive benefit from any action taken on the orange!
Seems a little silly, doesn’t it?
In healthcare, it’s called health literacy, which means ensuring the patient clearly understands what is being said or demonstrated for their health.
This is just one instance. This happens all the time in the healthcare industry. People’s lives are affected because of the misuse of tools, equipment, medication, and practices.
Romans 3:19-20
“19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.”
Many of the Jews still believed they were saved by keeping the law. In their minds, that’s why God gave it to Moses. The law was what justified them. Or so they thought.
Jesus had come to show them the truth, that He alone was the perfect sacrifice, and that only by believing in Him could someone be saved.
Even after Jesus’ death and resurrection, there was still confusion about the purpose of the law. Paul clarified that.
The law can justify no one. Not one person can do enough good things and follow the rules to save themselves. No one.
“rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.”
The purpose of the law isn’t to save us; it’s to reveal to us our inability to uphold it and our guilt. It points out our sins. It says “don’t lie”. Well, I’ve lied. Therefore, I’m guilty.
The law was misused. It became the focal point instead of God. They were missing it.
Some today still miss it. They trust in their good works to be enough to earn them a place in Heaven. They believe if they follow all the rules, they will be good in God’s eyes.
But the scripture here is clear. All who are under the law are guilty before God. That’s ALL of us. The law has revealed our guilt, and only one person has the power to save us.
Jesus.
Do you know Him? Can I invite you to learn more about Him? Go to follow.lifeword.org and begin that journey today. Walk closely with Jesus. As we do, we see things more clearly, ourselves included, and realize just how much we need Him.
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