THE USE OF GENERAL ANESTHESIA . . .
(putting a person to sleep) for surgical procedures had come into routine use by the early part of this century. So routine, in fact, that a surgeon at New York Hospital began a campaign to curb its use. A certain Dr. James believed many patients would be much better off with only a local anesthetic. He had done his homework and could explain, in theory of course, why the human body ought to recover and heal much more quickly without the added shock of being put in a state of suspended animation.

There was only one problem. Dr. James couldn't find any patients who would allow him to test his theory on them. They all thought it sounded scientific, even reasonable. But it also sounded — fearfully uncomfortable. The thought of being cut open and having their insides rearranged while they were still awake just didn't sit well with them. But Dr. James continued to do his best to persuade patients. And most of them agreed. It would be a good thing — for someone else to do.

But passion and persistence paid off. In 1920 Dr. James found a volunteer. Surgery was scheduled. For the very first time an appendectomy would be performed with anesthesia used only to deaden the area around the incision. The patient was fully awake when Dr. James' steady hands cut through, removed the diseased tissue, and closed the wound. After surgery, the patient reported only minor discomfort.

It was a good thing. It could have been disastrous otherwise because the patient and the surgeon were the same person. For lack of a willing volunteer, Dr. James had performed the operation on himself!

Early in Jesus' ministry, He told the people from his hometown that they would eventually respond to him by saying, "Physician, heal yourself!" (Luke 4:23) In other words, "Dear doctor, if you think your prescription will really work, why don't you take a dose yourself? You may want to do surgery while I'm awake, but I wanna be put to sleep for my operation!"

Dr. Paul Brand (a physician) and journalist Philip Yancey have written a book entitled Pain: The Gift Nobody Wants. Dr. Brand, who grew up son of English missionaries to south India, achieved world renown for his research on leprosy and related research on the dynamics of pain. It was he who first discovered that lepers loose fingers and toes and other appendages, not because the disease eats them away, but because leprosy attacks the nerve endings. And without the ability to feel pain, people so abuse themselves that the body deteriorates. Cuts and wounds go unnoticed, even when they're about to burst open with infection. Burns are more severe because the signal system from the skin to the brain that usually says "This is HOT; get outta here!" isn't working. In other words, the affects of leprosy are basically the results of a life without adequate pain.

Jesus Christ came saying, "I want you to have healthy souls, but you've got to understand, this is going to hurt. Pain is part of the deal."

And our natural response is, "Don't think so, buddy. I'll take all the Christianity you've got as long as it keeps me comfortable. After all, isn't that what life is all about?"

But without an adequate sense of emotional pain, we're blissfully unaware that the wounds and burns in our souls have become infected and grown worse. Not only that, because we don't sense the hurt, we lose the capacity to respond compassionately to others.

And the prescribed therapy is to allow the Lord to do surgery on our heads and our hearts while we're fully awake. Our tendency is to say, "No way. I'll live with the disease. If You really believe this is what's required, Good Doctor, do it to Yourself!"

So He did . . . the Great Physician, Himself, endured all the agonies of the Cross.

We evangelicals make much of the fact that Jesus' death was not just a good example. We work hard to drive home the point that He actually paid the penalty for sinners by His death on the Cross. And rightly so!

But we mustn't loose sight of the fact that Jesus' work on Calvary was, in fact, an example also. He was showing us that a willingness to see pain as an agent of healing and health is a part of what He expects in the lives of those who are committed to becoming more and more like Him.

Looking for pain? No way. We're not masochists. But we must be willing to experience the pain — if the pain can heal. That's the deal.

Trusting the Physician with you,
Richard