Christian science - using prayer or medicine?

Updated 04.05.2021

No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon" (Matt. 6:24).

Mammon is the god of material possessions. This verse is sometimes interpreted as meaning that you cannot be of this world and in the Spirit at the same time; that you cannot place your faith in material things and God at the same time; that you cannot rely on material medicine and prayer and then expect that a healing will take place. However, is this interpretation going too far given the context of this verse? In the previous verses Jesus warned his followers about putting too much emphasis on accumulating worldly things and not in building up "treasures in heaven". It is more important to build your relationship with God; to build your understanding of Him.

"Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what, he shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment"(Matt. 6:25).

Jesus didn't say don't eat or clothe yourself but rather don't put the acquisition or use of these things before the worship of God. Your spiritual life is more important. Would he have said don't do anything to lessen your suffering because God won't be able to help you if you do? This would have been totally at odds with his message of love and compassion. You eat and drink to prolong your life so why is this any different to taking medicine to prolong your lifeU. Some people say that disease e is a belief of mortal mind. Using the term belief suggests that the disease is not real. It is real to the mortal mind which is the organic computer running your body and controlling your senses. It is not real to the spiritual man.

On another occasion he said that material things and societal rules should be observed but not so as to lessen the importance of God.

"Then he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's: (Matt. 22:21). This does not mean that if you follow the worldly rules you can't give God His due. He is not saying that the material world does not exist and therefore you don't have to follow its laws. Rather that you put them in their proper place in your priorities.

Jesus never asked someone if they were seeing a physician or taking herbal remedies. He only asked if they had faith before he healed them. In fact a woman who had an issue of blood and had "suffered many things of many physicians" (Mark 5:26) only touched his garment and was healed; no questions asked, only faith required.

In the New Testament Jesus turned the water into wine and fed the multitude with five loaves and three fish. Jesus didn't say to those present 'if you have faith you will no longer be hungry or thirsty'. No one present would have denied the belief that what they were about to drink was water. The only belief about the human condition that needs to be denied is that God is not all-powerful in our lives. Would any one present at either of those miracles have had faith that God could turn the water into wine or feed the multitude? Yet Jesus gave them wine and food to meet their human needs. This is proof that God can intervene and change the rules of nature without reference to the belief or actions of the benefactors of the miracle. He can do this even without their human knowledge of their need. Jesus raised the dead who presumably knew nothing of their physical condition and were not in a position to deny the reality of their physical demise. Furthermore their loved ones and companions around them also believed them to be dead. Yet Jesus's understanding was such that he could restore their physical life. The condition of the physical body, the state of consciousness or the regime of food or medication that the body is undergoing has nothing to do with whether a healing will take place or not. It depends solely on the depth of understanding and the faith of those praying.

"That your faith should not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God" (I Cor.2:5). Your faith should not stand on man's wisdom. It should be based on the Spirit and on God's power. Standing by itself this verse could be interpreted as meaning that you shouldn't rely on medicine rather the power of God. In a sense this is true. It certainly makes prayer more efficacious. But does it mean that you can not take medicine or talk to someone about your condition? As we have seen Jesus never put such a limitation on his ability to heal someone. All he said was don't place too much emphasis or faith in the physical needs.

What is the alternative to men's wisdom to which Paul is referring? "The hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: "(I Cor. 2:7). This wisdom is the existence of our spiritual being which existed before the world did. "Not in words that man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual" (I Cor. 2:23). The wisdom which we have from God, which we can only understand through the Spirit and not through man's words or knowledge.

"Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness" (Rom. 6:16)?