Transplant

There are over 70 organs in the human body. Each organ has a unique purpose. For example, we can live without some organs, such as the spleen, appendix, or gall bladder. There are, however, five organs vital to life: brain, lungs, heart, kidney, and liver. If these organs stop working, even temporarily, the person may die without medical attention. There are various reasons why someone’s vital organs may stop functioning correctly. Maybe the person has a genetic condition. Perhaps a disease has destroyed a particular organ, or an injury has damaged an organ. I can’t imagine how scary hearing, “We need to put you on the transplant list” would be. Yet over 100,000 people are on the waiting list; every 9 minutes, another person is added to the national transplant waiting list (Donate Life America).

I heard a story of a man who needed a lung transplant. He went on to tell of his wait and the process of receiving his donor’s lung. He explained the trip to the hospital and the thoughts he and his family had while waiting for the procedure. Then, the recovery and the anti-rejection medicine needed for the rest of his life. Why would someone go through all this? The pain of surgery and recovery. Knowing your life depended on taking these pills every day. Because he loves his family and wants to live, he wants to be there for all the significant and not-so-important days. If he stops taking this medication, he will, in all likelihood, die. So, of course, he will do as the doctor instructs and get as many years as possible.

His story made me think about my life. I am grateful all my organs continue to work as they should. But I thought about my spiritual life. How is it working? Am I living on borrowed time with a heart that isn’t beating correctly? Am I in danger of living a diminished life because I may ignore the life-giving relationship Jesus gives me? Then, I realized every person requires a spiritual heart transplant. We are all born into sin, and without Jesus as our Savior, we will continue down the road that leads to destruction and eventual death. Jesus stands in the place of anti-rejection medication for our spiritual life and the life to come after we die.

My question is, why do so many people reject Jesus as Savior? Without Jesus’ sacrifice, we would all spend eternity in hell and separated from our heavenly Father. Many people don’t want anything to do with Jesus. They may think there is nothing after this life, so they don’t need him. They may not see their sin-filled life as offensive to God, or they may be afraid of how their friends and family would react if they accepted Jesus as Savior. Many people give into the lie that they are a “good person” and will get into heaven on their own merits.

While listening to the man’s story, I was drawn to the fact that he would have died if he had not received a new lung. And death would have the final say over me if someone (my parents) had not told me about the life-giving and saving gift of Jesus. He stood in my place and took all my unrighteousness on himself so that I could spend eternity with God. He is not a one-person savior but willingly died for every person who would accept this free gift. People die every day because there are not enough organs for everyone waiting. One of the beautiful things about Jesus’ sacrifice is that no one has to die without the security of spending eternity in glory. He desires that no one remain on the waiting list. There is more to life than just what we experience here on earth. After we die, there is a life coming that will never end, and this is the life that matters. This coming life is the life that Jesus died for so that we may live (2 Corinthians 5:15-21).

There is a myth that when a rich or famous person needs an organ transplant, they are at the top of the list. This assumption is not valid. Strict standards must be adhered to when allocating organs to a patient in need. Likewise, many people think they are not good enough to receive salvation. Or that salvation is only for others who have lived or acted in a certain way. This assumption is also false. Jesus died for everyone, and the life-giver does not reject anyone who comes to him in repentance. God promises in John 3:16 that he sent his son so that no one would perish.

In many cases, the only way a person can receive an organ for a transplant is if someone dies. Someone’s family must make the heart-wrenching decision to donate their loved one’s organs so that a stranger can live. This act is selfless for the family and may help them as they grieve their loss. There may be a few reasons for the decision to donate, but in the end, the recipient gets a chance to live. After the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, God chose to send his only son for us so that we may live. Jesus is our donated organ. He had to die so that we may have eternal life with his Father. However, we must accept the gift and repent of our sins.

I wouldn’t imagine that after all you have to go through to receive an organ, you would not take the anti-rejection medication for the rest of your life. A recipient gets another chance to live; I am sure they don’t want to take that for granted.

Accepting Jesus as Savior gives us another chance to live with God the Father. God restores us to him in the way he intended from the beginning. I want to stop taking it for granted and remember that someone had to die for me. There are many reasons why someone may reject Jesus. None of them are valid and will lead to eternal destruction and death. Spend time daily in Bible study and prayer, and take the medication God provides. John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly.” Jesus came so that we may live, not just exist, but have life abundantly.

The man’s story showed the importance of anti-rejection medication so that he may live to see his family grow and enjoy more time with them. Don’t reject Jesus. Accept him so that he may give you a new heart. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” Surgeons don’t save the diseased organ to use in another patient. It is as good as dead and discarded. I want to do the same with my old self. I don’t want to resurrect it and keep it for another day. I must abandon it and live in the new life Jesus provides me.

Don’t wait any longer on the transplant list. Embrace Jesus fully and enjoy the new life you receive.