In the time of Jesus, the average lifespan was about half of the expected lifespan of today, and 50 was a grand old age. It is hard to imagine how much more quickly life had to be lived in that time, and how much more you would have to pack into so many fewer years. Medical care was very rudimentary; even the wealthy, with the best food, drink and care available, could die from the flu or other illnesses easily treated today. Lazarus, the daughter of Jairus, and many others probably died from illnesses easily cured today. It could not have left Jesus himself unaffected.
In the United States, we take for granted a world without polio, small pox, malaria or a host of other diseases. Even AIDS, which was a death sentence just 20 years ago, is now manageable. People today are suffering in increasing numbers from diseases such as dementia, various cancers, and heart disease, at least in part because we are living long enough to suffer from these conditions. And we are living longer all the time because of the amazing advances in medical care, which provide higher quality of life along with advancing years.
I am grateful today to be living in a time when medical care is so advanced. Without the learning and skill of surgeons and doctors, I would not be here to write this, and the world would look totally different for the people who love me.
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