To vote for Jesus is to vote for policies that that recognize and protect the sanctity of life by prohibiting euthanasia...

This week, we have been addressing the issue of euthanasia. Specifically, we have been asking and answering the questions “What policies would Jesus promote when it comes to euthanasia? Why would Jesus take the position that He would take? How would Jesus engage in the conversation regarding euthanasia?”

We defined euthanasia, also known as assisted suicide, physician-assisted suicide, doctor-assisted dying, and more loosely termed mercy killing, as taking deliberate action with the express intention of ending a life to relieve persistent and unstoppable suffering. There are two main classifications of euthanasia. The first, which is referred to as voluntary euthanasia refers to euthanasia that is conducted with the consent of the patient. The second, referred to as involuntary euthanasia refers to euthanasia that is conducted without consent.

We looked at various arguments used by advocates and opponents of euthanasia. We then began to look at what the letters that make up the Bible reveal about euthanasia. We were reminded that every human being bears the thumbprint of God. We were created in God’s relational image. We were created for a relationship with God vertically and for relationships with one another horizontally and to represent Him on earth.

 

And as part of that representation, humanity possesses a moral, spiritual, and ethical nature that does not exist among the rest of the creation. Every human being on the planet has been woven together with a personality and a moral, spiritual, and ethical nature from the moment of conception. Throughout the pages of the letters that make up the Bible, humanity has been divinely designed with a dignity of life and humanity has been divinely designed with sanctity of life.

And because of that reality, the Lord forbids that any human being willingly and thoughtfully take another’s life. We saw this reality in Exodus 20:13. Yet, while Jesus and the authors of the letters that make up the Bible repeatedly reinforce the dignity and sanctity of life, the letters that make up the Bible also reveal the reality of the mortality of man. We then asked “how are we to navigate the tension between the sanctity and dignity of life and the mortality of man when it comes to the issue of euthanasia? And does the message and teachings of Jesus and the Bible give us any specifics when it comes to the issue of euthanasia?”

 We discover the answer to these questions in an event from history that is recorded for us in the opening sections of a letter in the Old Testament of the Bible called the book of 2 Samuel. At this time in history a man named Saul was the king of the Jewish nation. Saul, however, was a king who selfishly rebelled against the Lord by refusing to obey the commands of the Lord.  As a result of his selfishness and rebellion, Saul found himself engaged in a military battle against the Philistines, who were the hated enemy of the Jewish people. As a result of this battle, Saul and his sons died.

An Amalekite, who discovered Saul and his armor bearer’s body on the battle field, decided to tell David that he had done what King Saul’s armor bearer refused to do, which was to kill King Saul, so that he would not suffer. The reason why the Amalekite lied about what actually happened to King Saul is because the Amalekite believed that he would receive recognition and a reward from David for killing King Saul. After all, King Saul had been trying to kill David for years. After all, after Saul was dead, David would be King.

So, if he took credit for killing King Saul, David would hook him up for helping him become king. Or so the Amalekite thought. What happened, however, was not what the Amalekite expected, as we see in verse 11-16:

 ¹¹Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so also did all the men who were with him. ¹² They mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and his son Jonathan and for the people of the LORD and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. ¹³ David said to the young man who told him, "Where are you from?" And he answered, "I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite." ¹⁴ Then David said to him, "How is it you were not afraid to stretch out your hand to destroy the LORD'S anointed?" ¹⁵ And David called one of the young men and said, "Go, cut him down." So he struck him and he died. ¹⁶ David said to him, "Your blood is on your head, for your mouth has testified against you, saying, 'I have killed the LORD'S anointed.'"?

David responded to the news of King Saul’s death by killing the person who had claimed to put the king to death. You see, David believed the Amalekites story. David believed that the Amalekite put King Saul to death in order that King Saul would no longer experience pain and suffering.  The Amalekite took deliberate action with the express intention of ending a life to relieve persistent and unstoppable suffering, didn’t he? The Amalekite’s actions were the textbook definition of euthanasia, by the way.

The Amalekite claimed that he had killed the king out of mercy for the king. However, while David believed the Amalekite’s story, David did not respond to the story by giving the Amalekite reward and recognition for his actions. Instead, David ordered that the Amalekite be killed. Did you notice the reason why he ordered the Amalekite to be killed?  "Your blood is on your head, for your mouth has testified against you, saying, 'I have killed the LORD'S anointed.'” You see, David viewed what is the textbook definition of euthanasia as murder. And because he viewed what the Amalekite did as murder, David ordered that the consequence of capital punishment be imposed on the Amalekite.

And it is here, in the event from history, that we discover the answer to the questions “What should the policy would Jesus promote when it comes to the issue of euthanasia? Why would Jesus take the position that He would take?” in that to vote for Jesus is to vote for policies that that recognize and protect the sanctity of life by prohibiting euthanasia.

You see, to vote for Jesus is to recognize that humanity has been created in the image of God, and created for relationships and to represent Him on earth. And as part of that representation, humanity possesses a moral, spiritual, and ethical nature that does not exist among the rest of the creation. To vote for Jesus is to recognize that for Jesus, the issue is not quality of life; the issue is sanctity of life. To vote for Jesus is to recognize that all of humanity has an appointment with death and that the Lord is sovereign over life and death. And to vote for Jesus is to promote policies that advocate for the sanctity of all life and provide opportunities for people to finish life with dignity and with comfort as they approach their appointment with death.

Now a natural question that arises here is “Well Dave, that sounds great, but what does this practically look like in the life of someone who is suffering as a result of a terminal illness? To answer this question, I would like for us to spend some time providing some guiding principles when it comes to medical care at the end of one’s life.

First, there is a difference between withholding food and water and withholding medical care and treatment. When food and water is withheld, the guaranteed result is death. However, when medical care or treatment is withheld, such as removing someone from life support systems, there is no guarantee that the result will be immediate death.

Second, there is a difference between prescribing medication to ease pain that might kill and intentionally prescribing medication that you know will kill. If a patient is prescribed pain medication that turns out to be too great a dose and that results in death, there is no intent to kill; the only intent is to alleviate pain and suffering. To prescribe medication that you know will kill is to have intent to kill. A Biblical response to end of life care that follows the message and teachings of Jesus incorporates the principles of pain management, proper nutrition, and a focus on the dignity and sanctity of life that considers that the Lord is the sovereign giver and taker of life.

Third, concerning medical care toward the end of one’s life, a living will is extremely important for two reasons. First, a living will removes much of the stress and pressure that family members could experience when it comes to making major medical decisions, because in a living will, those intentions are already clearly spelled out.  Second, a living will provides necessary direction to health care professionals that you might not be able to give if you suffer a serious medical condition.

Now you might be thinking to yourself “I am so glad I read this today! What an uplifting message!” If those thoughts are running through your mind, I want to remind us what the message and teachings of Jesus teach us about death. You see, whenever you see the word death in the Bible, think of the concept of separation.

When we physically die, our soul is separated from our body. As a result of selfishness and rebellion, we experience spiritual death, which is separation from God and the relationship with Him that we were created for. Now if we physically die, where our soul is separated from our bodies, while we are spiritually dead, separated from God, the letters that make us the Bible tell us that we experience eternal death, which is eternal separation from God.

You see, the question is not whether or not we live forever; everyone lives forever. We were created as eternal beings. The question is where are we going to live for all eternity. So when we experience physical death our souls are separated from our bodies as we move to where we will spend all eternity.

And because of the reality, we are to vote for Jesus by promoting policies that protect that sanctity and dignity of life, during our time here on earth in our physical bodies, until the Lord brings us to where we will spend all eternity.