October: Day 18: Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke

October: Day 18:
Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke

(Refutation of Prejudices That Make People Not Want To Be Treated by Doctors)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Holy Church now glorifies in its hymns Saint Luke, whose memory is celebrated today, as an Evangelist and writer of the Acts of the Apostles, and as a doctor. Saint Luke was born in Antioch and was considered one of the 70 apostles chosen by the Lord Himself. During the suffering of the Lord, after the defeat of the Shepherd, the sheep of the flock scattered and Saint Luke abandoned the Lord. When the news of the resurrection of the Savior reached Luke, he did not believe the joy and wondered. From such a confused state the Lord Himself brought him out, appearing to him on the road to Emmaus. The Savior walked with Luke and Cleopas to Emmaus unrecognized and convinced them of the truth of His resurrection with the words of Holy Scripture. Then He revealed Himself to them during the breaking of bread and became invisible. After the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, Saint Luke, in the rank of bishop, was a co-worker of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in spreading the Christian faith.

Saint Luke was skilled not only in the art of medicine, but also in painting. He painted icons of the Mother of God, to whom She imparted special grace, and of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. Saint Luke died a martyr's death, being hanged in Achaia on an olive tree, around the year 95 A.D.

II. The Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke, who was a physician and therefore considered it entirely possible to combine the duties of a physician with the high calling of a holy apostle and evangelist, denounces those Christians who consider it a sin to be treated by physicians. Such people are infected with very strong prejudices, the inconsistency of which is not difficult to demonstrate.

a) There are people who, in justification of their aversion to doctors and their art, say: "Doctors will not save you if God does not save you." True, without God's help the help of the most experienced doctors is not effective; but it does not follow from this that it is unnecessary and sinful to resort to doctors during illness, but that the sick person should resort not only to doctors, but also and first of all to the Lord God. Therefore, Sirach, giving advice to the sick, says to him: "My child, when you get sick, don't ignore it. Pray to the Lord, and he will make you well. Confess all your sins and determine that in the future you will live a righteous life." Then Sirach continues: "Then call the doctor — for the Lord created him — and keep him at your side; you need him" (Sirach 38:9, 12).

b) Others consider it a sin to consult doctors and follow their instructions because they are guided in their judgments about this by a blind faith in fate. “Whoever is destined by God to die at a certain time,” they say, “will die with all the aids of medical art and with the observance of all the rules of caution, but whoever recovers has nothing to fear from death, even if he does not undergo treatment at all.” But such concepts of fate are not consistent with Christian teaching, which requires that in our needs we turn to God with prayer for help and work; in particular, it requires that in illnesses we seek healing also in prayer and the mystery of anointing with oil (James 5:14), and in the person of the Apostle Paul, who cared for the health of his disciple Timothy (1 Tim. 5:25), he indicates a model for our imitation. What is the use of all such suggestions from the word of God, if we admit the correctness of the opinion that God determines our destiny, completely disregarding our behavior, completely not requiring from us our own efforts in the matter of arranging our fate?

Those who consider it a sin to be treated either out of blind faith in fate, or God’s unconditional predetermination of their fate, or for any other reasons, are in danger of falling, instead of this imaginary sin, into a real sin, the most serious: by their carelessness about restoring their health, they can hasten their death, and through that become guilty of the sin of suicide (which is terrible to think about).

Let such people remember the following words of the Holy Father of the Church, Gregory the Theologian: “If I decide to wear out my body,” says Saint Gregory the Theologian, “then I will have no one to use as a co-worker in good deeds; but I know why I was brought into existence, I know that I must ascend to God through deeds... So we are obliged to take care of the body - this relative and fellow servant of the soul; for although I blame it as an enemy for what I suffer from it; but I love it as a friend, for the sake of the One Who united me to it.”

c) Some people refuse treatment during illness, among other things, because doctors prescribe them to eat meat on fast days. They decide to remain sick, to lose their lives, rather than break the fast, to indulge while fasting. This is undoubtedly fine if they feel fairly healthy, if their health is not threatened by a serious illness and a dangerous decline in strength. Not only doctors, but no one should be listened to when they advise breaking fasts to please the flesh, to indulge sensuality, without any pressing need. Nevertheless, one should not go to extremes here either: the prudent indication of a “pious” doctor about the serious danger to health from excessive fasting and the prescription of strengthening food should be taken into account. One should not always and in all cases refuse such advice. Is this prudent? Is such zeal appropriate? Fasting was established by the Holy Church in order to curb the passions of man, but it should not extend to the point of exhaustion of strength. The patient is exhausted, weakened, the doctor finds it necessary to give him more nutritious and healthy food - he can follow his advice without any doubt or embarrassment. The Holy Church requires strict observance of fasts from healthy people, and always shows indulgence to the sick and weak. Thus, the Apostolic Canon 69 says: “If any bishop, or presbyter, or subdeacon, or reader, or singer, does not fast during the holy forty days before Easter, or on Wednesday or Friday, except for an impediment from physical infirmity, let him be deposed, but if a layman, let him be excommunicated.” Here strict fasting is prescribed for all believers, but an exception is made for the weak and sick. The same rule is given by Saint Timothy of Alexandria: “A sick person," he says, "because of his exhaustion, may be allowed to eat and drink, depending on what he can bear, even during the Great Forty Days, before the onset of Easter. Women who are in labor pains at this time are also allowed to eat and drink” (Canon 6). Saint Basil the Great speaks especially clearly about eating food: “For us, all food is equal in worth, and in terms of benefit, we distinguish between the harmful and the healthy and useful in all food: he who eats something out of necessity does not commit iniquity" (Canon 86). All these rules are included in the Church Canons as a positive legitimation of the Church. Thus, the conscience of a sick person who eats meat on fast days should be completely calm. He “does not commit iniquity” if he eats out of necessity, on the advice of a believing doctor, to restore health.

So health must be protected as a precious gift from God. In case of illness, after diligent prayer to God, it is permissible to find a skilled doctor - a Christian (according to the Canons of the Church, one should not seek medical help from a non-believer, for example, a Jew or a pagan) and, with prayer to the Creator, who gives healing, use medical aids.

d) Some people refuse medical help on the grounds that the saints did not approve of treating diseases and did not treat themselves. The groundlessness of this prejudice is not difficult to discover:

1) The saints themselves provided medical assistance to everyone; many of them resorted to doctors or home remedies. Thus, Saint Sampson the Innkeeper was also a doctor. He, as it is said in his life, "from his medical skill granted healing" (June 27).

2) Saints Cyrus and John, Saints Kosmas and Damianos were also doctors; also the Holy Evangelist Luke was a doctor, as we have already said.

3) Saint Theophylact also built hospitals (March 8).

4) The saints also resorted to doctors. Thus, in the life of Saint Zosima of Phoenicia it is written that when the wife of one famous man, named Arcesilaus, accidentally wounded her eye with a needle, then the Holy Bishop John the Chozebite hastily came to the house of that patrician and, seeing his wife suffering fiercely from an illness, immediately ordered the doctor who was there to treat the sick woman with medicines (June 8).

5) The saints did not consider it a sin to use home remedies. Thus, in the life of Saint Athanasios of Athos it is reported that when he and his disciple Anthony were returning to the Holy Mountain of Athos, Anthony's legs ached so much from the difficult and long journey that they became swollen and very inflamed, and he could not even continue on his way. The Venerable Athanasios, taking a handful of the grass on which they were walking, rubbed it in his hand and, covering it with tree leaves, tied a handkerchief around Saint Anthony's sore spots - and Anthony's illness was relieved (July 5).

6) In the life of the Venerable Eupraxia the maiden it is also written that when she cut her own leg instead of wood, the abbess of the monastery in which Saint Eupraxia lived brought her to her senses by pouring cold water on her face. And another time, when Eupraxia, having tripped over her own clothing, fell from the height of a building and bled from the injury, the abbess applied oil and salt to the sore spot (July 25).

III. So, having rejected harmful prejudices, let us in necessary cases turn to medical help, remembering that the main source of healing is the Lord, to Whom we must first turn for help; it will be given if we heal our souls from sins by means of grace, in most cases the main causes of all our illnesses; and after this we will not be hindered in seeking help from doctors, whom the Lord can, after our repentance, make wise for our salvation.

Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.