Christians and Medicine
Luke 4:40 Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him (Jesus), and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them.
Luke was a close friend of Paul, who referred to him as “the beloved physician”. Perhaps Luke’s interest in medicine is the reason his gospel gives such a high profile to Jesus’ acts of healing.Luke is the only New Testament writer clearly identifiable as a non-Jew. I think it is safe to say that God does not despise medicine – he uses it and works through it. There are times when God will heal you miraculously without any medical intervention at all. However God will also use medical intervention to bring healing.
To vaccinate or not to vaccinate? Part of the debate with vaccines is balancing the good of the person with the good of the community. This is one of the arguments that medical professionals use as to why you should get a vaccine. They have been proven to stop the spread of disease.If you think back one hundred years ago, many of the diseases that killed people have been eradicated with science and medicine and the use of vaccines. If you are arguing for the good of the community then you could argue that Christians should take vaccines under the command of loving your neighbor as yourself.
However there is a large and growing segment of the Christian world who feel opposite of this opinion. In regards to our health, our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. We have a responsibility to take care of our bodies as best we can. Does God protect us? Yes. Yet there are ways and means that God uses to protect us.
There is no way to say definitively that Christians should or should not get vaccinated. I think it’s important for everyone to do their due diligence and be convinced what they think is the right thing to do. The question of Christians getting vaccines should be approached like so many other issues that are not black and white issues. Always err on the side of grace. Granted, there may be some who feel very strongly about this topic and that is their right. Just make sure you approach others who may be on the other side of your opinion with grace and accept them as the Bible calls us to do.
