doctor's life support

7th July: The Rabbi (2) -- A Challenge

Soon I had arranged my tools on the table. I plugged in a small electric saw and... buzzzzz! It sounded awful I admit. 'Hold it! Hold it! Are you planning to use that on me?' he shouted. 'Yes, of course,' I replied, trying to reassure him by the tone of my voice. 'But what do you really want to do to me? Are you going to remove the plaster from my arm -- or split my whole body in two?'

'Don't worry, rabbi,' I said. 'This may look like any other saw, but it is entirely different. It has been engineered to cut plaster and only plaster. Would you like to have a practical demonstration?' 'As long as you use your own flesh for the test,' he quickly responded.

I then moved the blade of the saw to the palm of my hand. As soon as it touched the skin, it stopped. I knew it would. There was no risk involved. The continuous buzzing of the electric saw accompanied my words as I proceeded to cut through the cast. 'You see, rabbi, it cuts the plaster perfectly, but causes no harm to soft surfaces. It looks frightening, but it is real.'

I then steer the conversation to a spiritual course again. 'I was humming a song when you entered my office a little while ago, rabbi. That song says that I was a wretch, but God's amazing grace saved me. It probably sounded frightening to you, but it was real! You are a rabbi, and here you are listening to the testimony of a Christian doctor. Twenty minutes ago you would have said, 'It is impossible' but here you are. It's real! How can you deny that Jesus fulfilled all the Old Testament prophesies concerning the Messiah by saying it's impossible and not give yourself the opportunity to see it's reality?'

The eyes of the rabbi were fixed on me. What sort of thoughts were dashing through his mind, I do not know.

Further reading: Jn 3:1-17.

A and AE