"his disciples asked him again" - When He Lived as a Mere Son of Man

A Station on Park in Tokyo

When He Lived as a Mere Son of Man

When a Japanese boy was seriously sick, he seriously thought that he might die.  But a female medical doctor gave him certain medical drugs that miraculously cured him.  The boy was so thrilled and got determined to be a medical doctor someday himself.

As time went by, the boy graduated from a medical school to become a physician.  But, what he saw in a university hospital was ugly sates of dying people.  While in movies or TV dramas, a dying man usually left impressive words to crying family members surrounding him.  But, reality was ugly.  Patients in their last weeks or days before death behaved in ugly manners without human dignity.  So, he decided to be an end-of-life expert.  He changed the hospital to work in to a hospital specialized in end-of-life care. 

Through various experiences, he found that steroid, when used at proper timing, worked well and stabilized symptomatic states of many patients in the end-of-life period, although guidelines told not to use it readily for old men.  

He also found that use of morphine (hydromorphone) was often rejected by old patients as wrong information prevailed that use of morphine led to intoxication or mental troubles.  But he reached a conviction that proper use of morphine helped relief of suffering of dying old patients.  He started to use morphine in the form of adhesive skin patches to confirm the effect.

So, the medical doctor saw hundreds of old men passing away.  He focused on applying medical care that gave less pains to dying patients.  If a patient is noticed that he or she is given, say, only half year to live, he thinks, medical service workers including a medical doctor should concentrate on making the patient feel less pain and keep quality of life rather than inserting an intravenous line to give unnecessary nutrition.

Within days before death, old dying patients sometimes develop delirium or psychotic disorders that take away human dignity from them and make family members sad.  So, the medical doctor thinks that it is reasonable that the mankind came to produce religion and develop the concept of Heaven and the God to cure themselves from extreme sadness they felt facing death of closest family members, friends, etc.   

However, Christ Jesus said that He was from the God and we were from this world.  And we could get to Heaven only through Christ Jesus.  

Probably human religions before Jesus had been not sufficient to save people, so that the God sent His Son to correct and enhance human religion.  Indeed, no matter what race a man is of or no matter what religion he believes in, a man dies within a maximum of 130 years.  Death is universal among the mankind, even for Christ Jesus when He lived as a mere son of man around Jerusalem.        

    

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Mark 10 King James Version
9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
10 And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.
11 And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.
12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.

"Go not from house to house" - If One Was Promised Eternal Life

A Park around Tokyo

If One Was Promised Eternal Life

A few decades ago, a publisher of a monthly magazine in Japan asked readers to post real stories (non-fiction) about death of their families, friends, and people around.  Most of their stories told peaceful sates of death of closest family members.     

Although Japan is not a Christian country, dying persons were not afraid of the hell but believed that they could enter the paradise, despite their fear of being dead.

An old dying woman told her grand son that death was not anything special but a natural event.  An old dying man told his daughter that it was the time to go; when she asked where to go, he replied that he was going to another world.  When a dying man said that he was afraid, his daughter said that there was no need to be afraid, although she was not so sure, and then her dying father got into a peaceful death.  In another case, an old father told in his dying bed to his crying family what should be prepared for his funeral in details and gave an alert to watch out and get cracking. 

There is influence of Buddhism among ordinary people in Japan.  Although most of them are not Christians and do not believe in the one God, the creator of the world, they do believe existence of anther world, the paradise or the Pure Land taught in Buddhism.

A certain reader even wrote that her dying father was entering into another world and coming back to this world for some time at his will while lying in his dying bed.  Her father told her that another world was so splendid that she should also come together now, but his daughter said that it was impossible since she was busy in this world.  Then, her father said that it was understood, and added: "Oh, I lost the key.  I cannot come back any more."  Accordingly, the old father was soon gone forever.  

Nowadays, about a million people die in Japan every year.   But only few people seem to worry about the Last Judgment or whether they can be admitted into Heaven.  Most of factions or schools of Japanese Buddhism teach that anybody who believes in the Buddha or Amitabha Buddha would be welcomed in the paradise or the Pure Land.  Some schools even tell that bad guys can be surely accepted in the paradise due to mercy of Amitabha Buddha, so all the more faithful people are welcomed in the paradise.  There is no strong sense of the Last Judgment by the God, but the Japanese common sense that "let the water carry it away" seems to prevail in the last stage of one's life.   

 

When one dies and goes into Heaven or the hell or another world, money, social status, and past worldly success become useless.  Only the relationship between oneself and the God, the Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, or Satan counts.  And such relationship cannot be bought by money even from Satan who would request one's soul for any wealth or success in this world.

Christ Jesus should not praise any dead man who has earned big money in this world.  But rich men should not be able to think of anything but money they can rely on even after death.  So, they must think that that they should earn money as much as possible, in case, for a need in another world if they think that it ever exists. 

In my personal view, it is most encouraging that the Bible or Christ Jesus tells that anybody believing Him and the God would be given eternal life.

But one of the most impressive stories about someone's death was reported by a nurse who wrote a book on her professional experiences.  A girl in an early elementary grade hospitalized for a specific illness, who friendly communicated with other elder patients of the same illness in the hospital, cried out to her doctor one day: "Please never let me die since others will become so sad, since I am the youngest among those patients."  The nurse wrote that the girl finally lost her life due to the fatal illness, but she lived well until death, which moved the nurse.

If one was promised eternal life, one might wish others their happiness and mind them more than one's own death like this Japanese little girl. 

      

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Luke 10    King James Version
6 And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.
7 And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.
8 And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:
9 And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
10 But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say,

11 Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.

"Peace be to this house" - How a Man Survived a Crisis at 8,000 Meters

 

Around Tokyo

How a Man Survived a Crisis at 8,000 Meters

In 2013, Yuichiro Miura at his 80 stood on the top of Mt. Everest (with the height of 8,848 meters (29,029 ft)) for his third time but as the oldest man who accomplished this great feat.  But he had succeeded in reaching the summit of Mt. Everest in 2008 at his 75.  Even in 2003 Miura at 70 had stood on the top of Mt. Everest as the oldest man at the time together with his second-eldest son Gota.  But Miura is mostly known as the skier who skied down the slope of Mt. Everest from a 8,000 meter point as recorded in the 1975 film named The Man Who Skied Down Everest.  Yet, Miura's son might be a hero as a man who survived a crisis at 8,000 meters.

When Yuichiro was climbing up Mt. Everest in 2008 with his son Gota who accompanied Yuichiro for assistance in case, Gota suffered from altitude sickness at a point over 8,000 metes and was about to almost lose his life, but was narrowly saved by taking Decadron (dexamethasone) for himself, which he happed to carry with him as he had read the book "Last Breath" telling how a climber suffering altitude sickness was saved by taking Decadron. 

Gota went up to a 7500 meter level without oxygen as he had done so in 2003, but started to take about 2 liters of oxygen per minute when he passed a 8,000 meter level as with his old father.  After that, he felt discomfort and breathing difficulty.  Gota decided to go down with help from local guides, while his father Yuichiro continued ascending as he aimed at securing the honor as the oldest man who stood on the summit of Mt. Everest.  

A device that indicated oxygen saturation (SpO2) of Gota's arterial blood showed the value of 52% (normally 90%).  The oxygen bottle he was using showed 150 atmospheric pressure as the remaining pressure.  He tried to calculate how long oxygen could be taken from the bottle based on the formula of (amount of oxygen x remaining pressure) / (flow rate of oxygen per minute).  But his brain could not work.

To cure himself, Gota took an injection of Decadron by himself and started to take 4 liters per minute oxygen.  He called a medical doctor who stood by in Japan via a satellite phone from the slope of Mt. Everest and got advice to get another shot 2 hours later.  Then he continued descending to an intermediate camp while hearing a Japanese voice of someone importunately calling to him, "Don't rest.  Hurry up.  Go back to the camp!"  It is a kind of near-death experience.  With effect of Decadron and 4 liters of oxygen per minute, he finally survived.

Climbers who suffered cerebral edema at the altitude of 8,000 meters or above surely came to a miserable end.  But Gota could remarkably survive due to the mysterious voice, which made him forget a fear of death, persistently encouraging him to continue descending in addition to Decadron and 4 litters per minute oxygen.

This episode might be useful for patients suffering from corona viruses and needing artificial respirators.  Appropriate medicines such as Decadron, enough oxygen, and encouraging and comforting voices like one coming from one's father must save such patients.        

NOTE:  Decadron (dexamethasone) is a corticosteroid, similar to a natural hormone produced by the adrenal glands, used to treat arthritis, skin, blood, kidney, eye, thyroid, intestinal disorders, severe allergies, and asthma. Decadron is also used to treat certain types of cancer and occasionally, cerebral edema. The brand name Decadron is no longer available in the U.S; it may be available as a generic.

(https://www.rxlist.com/decadron-drug.htm)

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Luke 10    King James Version

3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.
4 Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.
5 And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house.
6 And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.
7 And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.

"Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him" - No Followers of Christ Jesus Died from Viruses

 

Around Tokyo

No Followers of Christ Jesus Died from Viruses

The body clocks controlling the circadian rhythm inside the human body regulate work of autonomous nerve system.  The autonomous nerve system influences capillary blood vessels.  The capillary blood vessels deliver immune cells to tissues in the body.  Therefore, setting properly the body clocks is the key to suppressing corona-viruses and other disease germs.  

These daily rhythms help us to survive by making sure we are the most alert at the most stressful times of the day, making sure our organs run smoothly with our meal times and making sure we fall asleep at the right time.
(http://samtalksabout.blogspot.com/2014/05/are-we-ignoring-our-body-clocks.html)

Blood includes white blood cells including lymphocytes consisting of T cells, B cells, natural killer cells, etc. constituting the immune system against corona-viruses and other disease germs.  Put simply, for the immune system to work properly,  capillary blood vessels should work properly.  For capillary blood vessels to work properly, the autonomous nerve system should function properly.  For the autonomous nerve system to function properly, the body clocks controlling the circadian rhythm should work properly, since the whole body is built on hierarchical, networked, and tightly nit relationships of each element. 

Especially when the parasympathetic nerve system in the autonomous nerve system becomes dominant, lymphocytes increase to enhance immunity.  To make the parasympathetic nerve system dominant, it is important to increase blood flow by performing appropriate physical exercise, deep breathing, and warming the body.  

However, in stress-full life, the sympathetic nerve tends to be dominant.  When one feels stress, the brain nerves reflecting the stress would send corresponding signals through nerve systems in the whole body to result in distortion of body clocks, disruption of the autonomous system, contraction of capillary blood vessels, and insufficient activation of immune cells.

But when you feel love of Christ Jesus, who is at least the Son of the God, it would provide a deep feeling of relaxation in you, and thus your body would be freed from adverse effect of stress, keeping or enhancing immunity to defeat corona-viruses and other disease germs.

In this context, to be loved by the God is the final solution to suppress corona-viruses and other disease germs.  In fact, past Christian saints all conquered epidemics, pandemics, and biological crises that attacked them in slams,  ghettos, and rough places, since they believed that they were loved by the God.  

The Bible never reports that any followers of Christ Jesus died of viruses, since they believed the love of the God and kept their body clocks in a normal state according to the natural rhythm of life given by the God without interference of Satan. 

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Matthew 10 King James Version

4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.