Jesus and the Health Care Crisis

Having said in an earlier posting (9/3/09) that more than reforming the health care delivery system Americans would benefit from reforming ourselves and our lifestyles that feature bad diets, too little exercise, and too much stress, I want today to say that Jesus had a prescription for the crisis in health care which He encountered in His own time, and I believe it is still a good prescription for us.

When Jesus encountered people who suffered from illness or injury, regardless of what the illness or injury was, what did He do? He healed them! He never asked for proof of insurance. Was not deterred by anyone's inability to pay (See the case of the bankrupted woman whom Jesus healed in Mark 5.24-34). Jesus never turned away people because He already had too many patients. And, when the need for health care was greater than He could deal with personally, He trained and sent out others with authority and power to heal in His name. And it all worked!

There was a time, actually for the better part of two thousand years, that health care was largely the responsibility of the Body of Christ. Physicians and hospitals were ministries of the Church. Following the Lord's example, Christians undertook to help the sick and infirm not for fame or for profit, but because it was the right thing to do. There still are dedicated medical ministries and missionaries who go and meet the needs of people in all corners of the world. But, here in the U.S.A. the "system" has broken down. And the only fix we hear about these days is to put the whole thing in the hands of the government? That definitely was not what Jesus did, and I don't believe it is what He would have His Church do now.

Of course, trying to suggest to largely post-Christian, post-modern America that the Church should play a key role in anything concerning the general public is decried by the ACLU and attacked by atheists and other foolish people as unconstitutional. But what would help get the system back on track is not less privatization, but more. If the Body of Christ were to devote itself to lifting up and empowering Christians willing to dedicate themselves to the many healing sciences, I believe the Church, and much of the public would support it. And, if other private groups wanted to compete with Christians in the health care field let them. But please, don't let us put our health in the hands of the government!

It's like this. When Jesus was asked about what Jews should do with coins inscribed with the likeness of Caesar He responded by saying, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and give to God what is God's." Well you know what? Our lives and health are not the property of the state. We are God's, even fashioned in His own image. He has claimed us as His, promised to take care of us, and gone to extreme lengths (Think: The Cross) to not only redeem us and provide for our needs in this life, He's done everything necessary to assure us eternal life! It's about time that the Church get's back to doing the work of Jesus, and once again start to provide healing to all who need it.

How about opening a growing number of Christian health clinics open to all, regardless of ability to pay? Those who can, should of course pay, and insurers should honor payments to such clinics. As for those who can't pay, well the Church would minister to them in faith, and out of the love of, and for, the Savior. How about "bailing out" struggling hospitals and other health care facilities by the Church taking them over? If I was in the upper echelons of the Church, and I am about as far removed from the upper echelons of anything as you can get, but if I was, I would get real busy working on plans to step in and start caring for Americans. Who knows, it might even regain some of the credibility the Church has forfeited.

I do know that Jesus, when confronted with health care crises in His time, did not pass it on to anyone else but took care of the needs himself. Time His Church started doing what Jesus did.