The Ultimate Transfusion

When Christ suffered in Gethsemane, he was exposed to every poison, toxin, illness, pain, and sin possible. Satan made sure of that. If there was any chance that the Savoir would succumb to even one of the poisons- Satan would not risk sparing a single one. Therefore, we truly can know that Christ was exposed to everything.  And as we learn in the scriptures, he overcame everything.

I am astounded at how we can find the similitude of Christ's atonement everywhere in our daily lives. We can apply Christ's situation above to our knowledge of current modern medicine. When our bodies are exposed to anything foreign, our body has one of two choices- fight it off and become immune, or succumb to the illness. Therefore "you cannot serve God and Mammon." You are either infected, or immune, there is no middle ground.

One way we have discovered to get around this is through vaccines, blood transfusions, and inoculation. We have found in many cases, the way to heal or to become immune from disease is to expose one's blood to another's who has already developed the antibodies, so our bodies, through exposure, can copy, and create our our immune resistance.

The process of chemotherapy and bone marrow transplants comes to mind in this situation.

"In an allogeneic transplant (meaning, coming from another source), stem cells are donated to the person from another person, a genetically matched stem cell donor. This is usually a family member, a brother or sister with the same tissue type."

The process of a bone marrow transplant involves a donor, and a receiver.. Both the donor and receiver must go through intense, painful procedures to prepare them for this life saving transplant. Before the transplant the receiver is bombarded with chemotherapy, depleting any immune system they may have left.

Then, the transplant occurs. but success is not guaranteed.

The donor's stem cells can cause a common, sometimes serious complication of allogeneic transplants called graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD). This is an immune reaction whereby cells from the donor's immune system recognise the patient's body as foreign and attack it."

Christ, through Gethsemane, Golgotha, and the Garden tomb, overcame it all. His blood, through his atonement, became the ultimate antidote. He was exposed to everything, and his blood became immune to it all.

So how does this apply to me?

We are subjected to the barrage of Satan's spiritually damaging chemotherapy every day. And the radiation ratio is increasing. 

We do not have perfect immune systems, spiritually or physically. But, if we allow Christ to transfuse his perfect, immune blood into our lives, we can become truly IMMUNE. Christ's blood has the antibody for ANY pain, ANY sickness, ANY poison Satan can throw at us. 

This is where graft-vs host disease comes in. We can have the perfect donor, someone who is willing, and able to give us that transplant, someone whose blood IS immune. But unless we are a close enough genetic match to Christ- our bodies may violently reject the transfusion. " I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine." We must come to know him (have similar tissue type), take his name upon us (become related), maybe undergo some chemotherapy to deplete our system of damaged cells before our body may truly accept the sacrifice he has given for us. That is why he can never force it upon us. Our bodies, like a non-matching donor, would reject the transplant, no matter how much he wants it to work. 

So how do we get this transfusion? Is there a way?

When we take the sacrament each week, do we view the sacrament as just a cup of water? If that is the way we see it, that is the extent of the infusion we will receive. An insignificant replenishment of fluids. But is is meant for so much more. 

What would happen if we saw the sacrament as if it were a vaccine? A bone marrow transplant? How easily do we trust our modern medicine? I know for a fact I have been immunized against tetanus. I know that if I step on a rusty nail. I am ok. And yet I haven't trusted in the sacrament providing me that same power over the spiritual sicknesses I encounter. 

As we partake of the body and blood of Christ, we can receive immunity from all lives challenges. That is literally what we are partaking of- his immune blood. I am starting to understand that there IS power in the sacrament, through Christ's atonement. If we see the power in that, and have faith that the sacrament can do that for us, I believe we truly can overcome ANYTHING.