Safe Comfort or Risky Sacrifice?

Historically, Christians have been sacrificial servants to the sick

We have a rich heritage of people who have risked their lives for the glory of God and the betterment of man

Men, women, and children have given their life for God to serve those who are sick.

When everyone else ran and left those who were afflicted, historically, Christians have stayed - at great cost to themselves - to meet the physical and spiritual needs of those who were hurting.

The Antonine Plague (165 - 180 A.D.)

A terrible pandemic broke out across the world and so many people died.

Historians believe that close to a quarter of the entire Roman Empire (which stretched across most of the known world of the time) was killed by this terrible plague.

During this sickness, Christians stayed behind and ministered to the sick.

The Plague of Cyprian (250 - 270 A.D)

A terrible plague again broke out across the world, claiming the lives of those it infected.

Again, Christians took to their post and cared for the sick.

Dionysius, a bishop of the time period said this:

“Heedless of the the danger… they took charge of the sick, attending to their every need.”

However, what is extremely impressive and worth noting is that the Christians of the time didn’t just serve fellow Christians.

They also helped those who believed differently than they did and even persecuted them.

Pontianus, a church historian of the time period said this:

“Good was done to all men, not merely to the household of faith.”

Some sociologist believe that the death rate in cities with Christians during this plague was half of the other cities without Christians.

Listen to this quote from a Roman Emperor of the time named Julian. Keep in mind he was a pagan Emperor who hated Christians:

“Atheism [I.E. The Christian Faith] has been specially advanced through the loving service rendered to strangers, and through their care for the burial of the dead. It is a scandal that there is not a single Jew who is a beggar, and that there the godless Galileans care not only for their own poor but for ours as well; while those who belong to us look in vain for the help that we should render them.”

We can choose comfort and isolation or sacrifice and self-denial

The Bubonic Plague (1347, 1361, 1374, 1665, 1890)

Also known as the Black death, the bubonic plague first appeared in 1347.

It popped up again in Europe in 1361, 1374, and continued to come back in intervals until the Great Plague of 1665.

It also broke out once more in Asia in the 1890s.

It is believed that the disease was transmitted by fleas who lived on rats.

The Bubonic plague is considered the worst pandemic the world has ever seen.

It killed over 1/3 of Europes entire population - wiping out entire cities.

It is estimated that around 50 million people died due to the black death.

The sickness caused swelling, dark patches on the skin, the coughing up of blood.

Not know what to do or how to stop the black death, cities called for entire evacuations and people left and ran from the disease.

Christians, however, stayed behind to care for the sick and bury the dead.

One notable Christian we should mention is Martin Luther

We know Martin Luther as the man who presented his 95 theses to the Catholic Church, sparking what is now called the Reformation.

But Martin Luther should also be remembered for his faithful and sacrificial heart during the Bubonic plague.

When the Plague came to Wittenburg in 1527, Martin Luther refused to flee the city and instead, stayed behind and refused to protect himself at the expense of leaving the dying sick.

He stayed behind to minister to the sick and care for them in their need.

This decision ended up costing him his daughter Elizabeth, who contracted the Bubonic Plague and died.

We die at our posts. Christian doctors cannot abandon hospitals, Christian governor

We can choose comfort and isolation or sacrifice and self-denial

We can choose comfort and isolation or sacrifice and self-denial

Martin Luther was clear that during time of crisis and pandemic, we cannot abandon our responsibilities and those who need us to save our own skin.

History tells us that our brothers and sisters in Christ who have gone before us did not neglect to glorify God by saving themselves and neglecting to serve others - at great cost to themselves - during plague and pandemic.

The question for us, today, is what will the history books say about us.

Will they say that during COVID-19 men, women, and children who claimed the name of Christ sacrificed themselves for the physical and spiritual needs of mankind and put forth their service at great cost to themselves?

Or will it say that people who called themselves Christians boarded and isolated themselves in their homes in fear and left the world to care for its own?

Which leads us to the decision we have to make:

We can choose comfort and isolation or sacrifice and self-denial

During the time of Jesus, people who had diseases - particularly leprosy - were considered the less than human outcast of society.

No one wanted to be around them or touch them in fear of becoming unclean and contracting the disease as well.

However, we find that on multiple occasions Jesus touched the sick to heal them.

All throughout the Bible we find references for us to do the same.

We are called and commanded to risk our lives for the good and health of those who are sick.

Listen to just a few of the verses the Bible gives us:

Ezekiel 34:1–4 ESV

1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? 3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. 4 The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them.

ezekiel 34:1-

James 5:13–15 ESV

13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

James 5:

1 John 3:16–18 ESV

16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

1 John 3:17 ESV

17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?

1 John

1 John 3:16-

During this time, we do not have to choose between faith and common sense - they go hand in hand.

When it comes to worship meetings, yes, there may be a period of time that wisdom tells us to refrain from meeting in person and stick to our livestreams and videos.

But in regard to serving others, I see no where in the New Testament where we given the liberty to excuse ourselves from sacrificial service to the needy to save ourselves.

In fact, the New Testament teaches the exact opposite. Look what Jesus said to his disciples:

Luke 9:23–24 ESV

23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.

As Christians, for the glory of God, we must always consider our life to be of less importance than the lives of others.

It is natural to want to live.

Again, we don’t have to choose between faith and common sense.

We are called to serve the sick and needy, not lick their doorknobs and suck on their used tissues.

We can have sense and still be sacrificial.

Martin Luther said that is was not wrong to flee from death. But our flight from death cannot come at the expense of our responsibilities and the lives of those who need us.

Because we do get to choose whether we live comfortably or sacrificially, but we do not get to choose the consequences of our decision.

We will be held accountable for how we react

Listen to what Jesus told his disciples:

Matthew 25:31-

Matthew 25:31–34 ESV

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

Matthew 25:35-

Matthew 25:35–38 ESV

35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?

Matthew 25:35–40 ESV

35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

Matthew 25:41-

Matthew 25:39-

Matthew 25:41–43 ESV

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’

Matthew 25:39–40 ESV

39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

Matthew 25:

Matthew 25:44–46 ESV

44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

When we get to the judgment throne of God, he will not be primarily concerned with the amount of theological and intellectual knowledge we have accumulated in our life.

Instead, he will judge us based off of what we did with that knowledge and how we used it to make a difference in this world and glorify him

Conclusion:

As we wrap up, I want you to consider this quote from Charles Spurgeon:

“Atheism [I.E. The Christian Faith] has been specially advanced through the loving service rendered to strangers, and through their care for the burial of the dead. It is a scandal that there is not a single Jew who is a beggar, and that there the godless Galileans care not only for their own poor but for ours as well; while those who belong to us look in vain for the help that we should render them.”

“Fear to die? Thank God, I do not. The Cholera may come again next summer - pray it may not. But if it does, it matters not to me. I will toil and and visit the sick by night and by day until I drop. And if it takes me, sudden death is sudden glory.”

How have you reacted to this pandemic?

Remove all of the excuses you can give about why you aren’t living sacrificially and just be honest with yourself.

Could you rightly say that right now you are living faithfully and sacrificially?

Could you rightly say that right now you are living faithfully and sacrificially?

Or are you characterized by fear, selfishness, and self-preservation?

Remember, the choice is yours, but so are the consequences.

Italy:

This week we are intentionally and specifically praying for the nation if Italy, in addition to our prayers for our nation and local community.

And so, I wanted to show you that there are Christians out there who are caring for the sick - in Italy - at great risk to themselves.

Watch this video by Samaritans Purse.