What I believe is significant is that one of Jesus' disciples (Luke) was a physician - a doctor. True, they didn't have as advanced medical treatment, but we can see that Jesus must have approved of doctors. I believe that in this day and age God has given us many doctors, nurses, and other health professionals to be "healers." That is not to say, however, that faith doesn't play a part in our health. When my sister had her surgery, it went much better than the surgeon anticipated, because she had so many people praying for her (it was actually a miracle, because the surgeon was quite surprised that it went much better than expected).
God gave us scientists to discover medical breakthroughs - God gave them amazing brains. God still plays a part in health care and healing, but, now, He brings it through other hands. We are still humans, however advanced; therefore, we cannot always know everything or we make mistakes. During those times, only God can heal, either in heaven or here on earth. 
Only faith healing? I don't think that is an appropriate option, unless there are not medical professionals at hand - then you practically have to go by faith. The best option: use all the healthcare professionals God has given you and pray that they are blessed and have the wisdom to heal.
First and foremost God makes no mistakes. If a disciple became sick, would he go to Jesus first or Luke? One might say 'obviously Jesus, He can do miracles', but the sick woman went through many doctors before she came to Jesus to touch his garment, and people needed faith back then just as much as today to even be healed ('The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed...'). Often we try many things before we are desperate enough to try Jesus, but faith hardly increases this way. Sometimes one has to simply accept God's mysterious dealings with oneself (Paul's thorn in the flesh), which Western Christianity is becoming more and more unwilling to do for lukewarmness and comforts sake, it is even considered foolishness. That said, I'm sure Jesus isn't offended or jealous if we seek a doctor, because in the end we are only human, and if you need medicine, take it, Jesus loves it, (take some wine for your stomach) and that's what the herbs and fruits are for, but not at all costs and not if the intention is to prolong your life so you can waste it on yourself, because whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
ReplyDelete"And Satan answered the Lord, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life." This is what we're not supposed to do, because it is the mark of someone who is afraid of death, which we're not. If God needs you, He will keep you alive and well enough: sinful people often had their lives ended prematurely and abruptly, for example the sons of Eli, who took of the peoples' sacrifices and lay with the women of the temple and died on the same day, whereas godly people usually live/d long lives and had good health up until their death. This is not a rule, the most prominent exception being Jesus himself, who needed not a hundred and twenty years to save a people, like Moses, or even 30, only 2 or 3 years of public work, thereby being the best example to show that not how many years you live counts, but whether you do the will of God. Timothy overworked himself quite hard: "Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me." Note how this is not condemned anywhere. But it would be today, as I read only recently in a church letter where they explicitedly stated they they want to avoid overworking anyone. Times change I guess. But in the end God never forces anybody to overwork or even work at all, it is ourselves who do so. If it's out of love for your neighbour as in Timothy's case, it's awesome, and you will be rewarded. If it's for money or other worldly things it's pointless and a 100% in vain.
Good article!