Therefore, doctors—are from God; so, if there is no love, there is no faith—you sin if you do not seek treatment as much as you can (not everyone can afford a hundred thousand hryvnia surgery—funds are not available or sufficient, but the intention to treat must be there, and to treat as much as possible—for humility will give God’s grace). And the proud, who “hope” arrogantly and haughtily that God will miraculously heal them—here they suffer, and there they bear no fruit. If I do not have love (the main sign of which is humility), then I am nothing, and from no self-willed, not according to the mind of Christ, feats, there will be no benefit! Thus, all of us, who are not yet Christians (not all over whom the canonical baptism has been performed—are Christians!!!) need to be treated (only by methods and means blessed by the Church!!!), but with a thought of repentance, about God…
Do not be lazy to read chapter 38 of the Book of Wisdom of Jesus, Son of Sirach…
When a virus, infection, or some mechanical injury (cut, blow, burn, etc.) occurs—briefly, anything that disrupts the normal functioning of the body—it triggers a protective reaction at a subconscious level (natural reflexes) aimed at “troubleshooting” and restoring the normal operation of all organs and systems, then it begins to fight with the help of the immune system. Through symptoms, we learn about the disease and see its clinical course, and we can only control the severity of symptoms (and all existing medicines are aimed at relieving symptoms, not the disease itself: for example, during the flu, the body itself produces antibodies, and medicines only help keep symptoms within acceptable limits: to prevent the temperature from being too high, severe headache and runny nose, to breathe freely; or a fracture—the doctor works with symptoms—sets bones together, takes the fracture in a cast, anesthetizes as necessary, while the body itself heals the bones—thus in all cases we keep symptoms within acceptable limits—this is the essence of “treatment,” helping the body, and it heals itself). When the body temperature is 37.1 – 37.5 degrees Celsius—we do not lower it, there is no need to introduce extra drugs (or provide external mechanical cooling load)—the temperature will rise to the same level anyway, and the body will expend calories to raise the temperature, instead of directing the expended energy to overcome the disease. But when the temperature is 40 degrees or more—it means that this symptom is out of control of the body, it is not coping (to control the temperature)—it is urgent to reduce the dangerously high temperature. The disease will not disappear after lowering the temperature, but the body will be able to continue to heal itself in more or less “normal” conditions. We have provided so many examples from the realm of physical medicine to somewhat understand in spiritual life (examples from biological life are most suitable for illustrations of spiritual life). And now we rise to a higher level, where not the body and soul are healed, but the spirit, the “personality is born” into eternity, the formation of the personality occurs. Here the disease is one—godlessness, pride, selfishness, egotism, and psycho-somatic “diseases” are symptoms (just manifestations—V.A.) of this godless, egotistic life. Until the disease is healed, there will be symptoms, there will be discomfort—and this is a great mercy of God. The most terrible disease is the one that has no clearly expressed symptoms, or there are none at all. Thus, all our psycho-somatic pains, all discomfort indicate that we are abnormal, that we are sick, and we need to be treated—go to the hospital—the Church, to the doctor Jesus Christ (because only in the Church and by Christ is the disease of eternal death healed).
Imagine a situation at the dentist’s, when the patient asks: – Doctor, please take away this drill machine, do not push all kinds of needles into my teeth (for nerve removal), because it all causes me pain, because to the pain, with which I came, you add more suffering! Thus, treating pain is not possible without pain. Those who avoid pain and think they can be healed without it, being sick, deceive themselves, and prepare for themselves even greater suffering, because pain is treated by pain, and an unhealed disease progresses… The law of spiritual life, by which the Church lives: death overcame death; pain overcame pain! Therefore, the correct behavior of a Christian during illness, suffering is not: “Lord, have mercy!” (in the pagan understanding—deliver from torments, do not torment, do not be angry, let’s forget…), but: “Lord, have mercy!” in the Orthodox understanding: Lord—give patience, courage, strength to endure the healing medicines, mercies, which You generously pour out in Love on me, do not listen to me when in fear I will argue against Your will… We do not say: – Doctor, have mercy—stop treating me, stop tormenting me, let me go… Patience, patience, patience… “He who endures to the end will be saved (will be healed—V.A.).” And it happens: began treatment, initially endured, and then snapped. Endured? – Endured! Suffered? – Suffered! And healed? – No, because did not endure to the end! (Example: ran away from the dental office: endured the pain of drilling a tooth, but when it came to pulling the nerve—could not stand it, ran away… Endured, it hurt, treated, but all in vain, it got even worse… Did not endure to the end!). “By your patience possess your souls”, “It is impossible not to come to sorrows”, “In this world (which is painful, lies in evil, in which all are sick and whom the Lord-Doctor heals—V.A.) you will experience sorrows, but take heart—I have overcome the world”—says the Truth. We can ask God for one thing: “Relax the streams of Your grace (healing providential sorrows, diseases, trials), because You see—if you continue (non-stop), or increase your mercy—I will perish”. It’s like, for example, asking a dentist to rest a bit, because the nervous system (or it just seems to us) will not withstand. Rest a bit—and back to… Treatment must be completed to the end, otherwise we have suffered in vain. He who endures to the end, who completes the full course of treatment—will be healthy.