Why the Church is NOT a Hospital

It was Augustine that said that “the Church is a hospital for sinners.”  This statement came out of the way hospitals operated in his context.  The first hospitals were started by Christians, which is why so many of them bear religious names today.  These early Christian hospitals were not nearly as advanced or efficient as ours are today.  Depending on the time of day and people around, you may not even be guaranteed “professional” medical care.  More than anything else, the first hospitals were exactly what the name implied; a place that provided hospitality to those that needed it.   

This was a heart ministry more than it was a professional one.  It was marked by its radical willingness to accept anyone at any time, and to be with them during their time of suffering.  That IS the sense in which the church is supposed to be a hospital for sinners.  It is to be a place that recognizes that we indeed are all in this together.  One person’s struggle with sin is not theirs to bear alone, but the whole communities'.  Since we all struggle with sin, there is no “professional staff” among us that can fix us and ensure that we never deal it or its effects again.

Today, hospitals have changed.  Our medical system may not be perfect, but I am thankful for it.  Hospitals are no longer places where you MIGHT get medical care if there is a qualified doctor or nurse on duty.  They are places where this care is guaranteed.  Sure, you might have to wait longer than you’d like to receive it, the staff may not be as nice and courteous as you’d like, and you may end up paying a lot of money for it.  But you are guaranteed that the treatment you receive will be administered by individuals who have been trained and equipped to discover and fix the problem that ails you, even if they are not as hospitable as you’d like.   

This is the kind of hospital I want to take my daughter to when she is running a 105 degree fever in the middle of the night!  I could care less about having someone to hold my hand, pat me on the back, and offer sympathy.  I want someone to figure out what is wrong and to fix it - NOW!  This is a far cry from the kind of hospital Augustine envisioned when he compared the church to one.  Problems were often not fixed at the hospitals of his time.  In fact, hospitals were sometimes a last resort for those who were sick, dying, or had no other place of shelter or care. 

“Why would we want the church to be a place like that?” we might ask.  To which Augustine might reply: “because it is not the church’s job to function the way a modern hospital does.”  As much as I love the idea of a place where I can take my daughter to “fix” any kind of emergent health problem she might have, it is not up to the church to fix people spiritually.  Maybe you’ve heard well-intentioned church-goers say something like: “Well, I tell you what’s wrong with that family; they need to get back in church!”  And then what?  They won’t have any marital struggles?  Sorry, the statistics aren’t in our favor on that one.  They won’t have any financial problems?  Wrong again!  Their kids will behave like perfect angels?  I bet a poll of church nursery workers would prove that to be a fairytale.   

As difficult as it is for us to accept, the church is NOT about fixing.  It’s about leading people to repentance and faith in Jesus.  This is a never-ending task, because it addresses a never-ending need.   

Jesus tells the Pharisees that would rather fix sinners than lead them to repentance a famous parable about a prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32).  When this prodigal returned, Jesus tells the Pharisees:

"...the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate (Vv. 22-24).

Can you imagine how differently things would have gone if the father would have first tried to "fix" his son?