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The first heart transplanted into a human occurred in 1964 at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi when a team led by Dr. James Hardy transplanted a chimpanzee heart into a dying patient. The heartbeat for 70 minutes before stopping. The first human to human heart transplant was performed by cardiac surgeon Christiaan Barnard in December 1967. The patient was Louis Washkansky of Cape Town, South Africa, who lived for 18 days after the procedure before dying of pneumonia. The first successful United States heart transplant was done at Stanford University by Doctor Norman Shumway in January 1968. Subsequently, another transplant was done at St. Luke’s hospital in Houston Texas by Denton Cooley in June 1968. The recipient, Mr. Thomas only survived 8 months before dying of rejection of the transplanted heart. A series of five subsequent heart transplants were done that month by Dr. Cooley followed by a number of transplants in Houston that year before the program was canceled. In 1984, at two years old, Elizabeth Craze became the youngest surviving heart transplant patient. The heart transplant that God himself promised us through the prophet Ezekiel that man must receive before truly walking in the spirit of holiness and wholeness. The great Physician’s (Jehovah–Rapa); God heals, provided a way to stop “spiritual death” by open heart surgery. “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” Ezekiel 36:26 (NKJV). Heart disease is primarily caused by the narrowing the arterial walls within your body by a substance called “plaque”. Eventually, the plaque builds up so much in your arteries that blood is unable to flow to the heart because of “blockages”. Thus, the possibilities of a heart attack or in my case and others, by–pass surgery is needed to “by–pass” the blockages. Your “flesh” has become a hinderance to your heart functioning properly. It’s a more desperate situation when dealing with our spiritual heart condition. Jesus is our best Spiritual Diagnostician. God is present and waiting to do all of the spiritual healing and surgery.
In the New Testament we are “poor in the spirit.” Indeed, we are “blessed” if we begin to believe this diagnosis for our spiritual condition. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3 (NKJV). Because my heart was different my life, actions, words, motives, and goals were different. He enabled me to fulfill the law of God by the power of the Holy Spirit through agape love that only He possesses and cultivates. “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death” Romans 8:2 (NKJV). Heart disease accounts for almost one-third all deaths in Western Countries, and most of these deaths are due to coronary artery disease and hypertension, or high blood pressure. Disorders of the heart and circulation are many and varied. There are at least three that we want to consider today, they are due to congenital, bad diet, and lack of exercise. As we all know, the heart regulates the life of the physical body, we should also be aware that the same is true in the spiritual scheme of things. In each instance listed above, should the heart become worse, heart failure is sure to ensue. Thanks be to God that medical technology has made it possible that when this heart failure occurs, a heart transplant is an option. Though this procedure is relatively new and still not yet perfected, the concept is a very old one. For one day in the ancient past King David cried out to the Lord and ask Him for a purified heart and renewed spirit. “Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me” Psalm 51:10–11 (NKJV). David seems to be saying that his heart condition was congenital. That is, he was born with this defect. He declares this truth in such a way not as to cover up the wrong he had done, but with the right theological perspective that allow us to see ourselves as God sees us. He realizes now that just because he’s been elevated from shepherd boy to king does not negate the fact that he is human, and that being human meant that he was “sharpen in iniquity and in sin did his mother conceive him.” David tells us that he was born with this heart condition. It seems that if you knew that you had a problem with your heart, you would do all you could to keep it healthy. It has been proven that diet plays a major role where heart disease is concerned, however, we should, therefore, consider our spiritual diet.
Keeping in mind that not everyone is born with a physical heart condition, but everyone is born with spiritual heart disease. What temptation or testing of the flesh to David can also happen to anyone of us. He was man, who had the high compliment of being “a man after God’s own heart” committed horrible sins because he detoured from his diet. We need to be watchful about what we take into our spirits. That is to say “what we allow to come into our hearts and minds.” There are two ways in which we ingest: through the eyes and the ears. David fell into the trap of “lust of the eyes” and “lust of the flesh” with Bathsheba. There are many today that fall prey to the same enemy of their soul and control their heart as well: “everything that glitters isn’t always gold.” So many people see life from the fantasy tale perspective, wanting everything that looks good such as money, luxury cars, expensive jewelry, attractive men and are what the masses seek because this the diet of many. The words of Jesus come rushing into my mind reminding us that our diet must mot consist of physical food alone, but every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Here David was, suffering with a congenital heart condition and compounding the problem by leaving his proper diet. Since the heart is so important to what we think, say, and do, we each need to regularly do open heart surgery with the scalpel of the Word under the guiding hand of the great physician, the Lord Jesus. This is why we need to pray for deliverance and healing, because, we need to believe for a new heart, for a heart transplant. Romans 11 is an important piece of Paul’s discussion of the Church in relation to Jews and Gentiles. In it he describes Gentiles as being grafted into a tree which represents Israel. Here the emphasis is not on the transplant saving the life of the recipient, but the recipient providing the life for the transplant which would otherwise die. Jesus talks of himself as the vine and Christians as branches but mentions the necessity of us producing fruit. Paul also talks of Christ as the head of the body, enabling each part to do its work.
So, if one part of the body is diseased the whole suffers. As Christ’s body is formed by spiritual transplantation, is it not possible that we can view physical transplantation in the light of this? As biblical writers can conceive of Christ giving life to us as we are transplanted into his body, can we not also see that physical transplants can legitimately grant life to their hosts. “You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?” Romans 11: 19–24 (NKJV). The concept of unity is vital to the body of Christ. This is no doubt why the Bible uses the picture of transplant as a picture of the church. The concept of receiving this new heart can only come from the result of a spiritual transplant from the Heavenly Father. As Christians, we should strive to love others around us, especially those who do and speak evil against us. We should pray for the person who annoys us at work. We should by all means avoid confrontations that takes away others peace, because this also teaches us how to develop patience. He didn’t just want to save me from my sins but also wanted to empower me to be a new and better person right now. When you war against others, so are also warring against your spiritual heart. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” Matthew 6:19–21 (NKJV). God gave us access to the power to overcome our old sinful nature, but the old nature did not disappear.