How Do I Love my Neighbor While I’m Locked in my House?

If there was ever a time for the church to step up it is right now! Loving one another and loving our neighbors is the express will of Christ and it is our mission objective in this world.

I came across a story that said in Italy the Mafia is delivering groceries to the people. I told my son about that and he commented that they must think, “This is our time to shine!” Well-said, Elisha. Now, I’m certanly not advocating for organized crime, but I will say that they have the right idea in this instance. If they get it then so should the church. This is quite metaphorically-literally our time to shine!

Christ’s people emulate Christ Himself (Jn. 8:12) in being the light of the world (Mat. 5:14-16). We are distinctly not to be part of the chaotic darkness. Instead, like the nighttime moon, we reflect the light of the Son in order to pierce the darkness and illuminate the world around us.

The principle features of light are that (1) it can be seen and (2) because light and heat radiate together it can also be felt. In the same way, true righteousness is practical and not esoteric: It is comprised of behaviors that (1) can be seen by the world around us, and that (2) can be felt by them as they directly benefit from it. Pay attention to the subset of behaviors the Scriptures take time to accolade. More on this in a bit...

At the same time we’ve heard disagreement amongst some Christians about the way we ought to approah this problem:

While many, many local churches have chosen to abide by the government’s guidelines...

Some churches have refused to stop congregating!

In arguing for the latter, some cite the first ammendment,

Some also say that if we have enough faith then the virus can’t harm us.

THESE ARGUMENTS ENTIRELY MISS THE POINT!

Sometimes the better question isn’t WHAT CAN I DO? but rather WHAT SHOULD I DO?

As an ancient tent-maker wrote a long time ago to a local church in the ancient city of Corinth apparently answering their objections to what was being asked of them:

(1 Corinthians 6:12 NIV): “‘I have the right to do anything,’ you say—but not everything is beneficial. ‘I have the right to do anything’—but I will not be mastered by anything.

And again,

(1 Corinthians 10:23, NIV): “‘I have the right to do anything,’ you say—but not everything is beneficial. ‘I have the right to do anything’—but not everything is constructive.”

Why Paul? Why would a Christian voluntarily lay down their rights? He must be glad you asked, because he answered that very question in the next verse:

(1 Cor. 10:24, NIV): “No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.”

Who is our neighbor? Well if you remember the story of the Good Samaritan, Jesus ansered that question by highlighting the very one society looked most down upon. In other words, our neighbor is at least the least. (But see Lev. 19:15!)

Radical Sanity Must be Characterized by Biblical Wisdom and Logical Thinking

I doubt it will come as a sock to anyone when I tell you that contagious disease did not begin in 2020. Even Covid-19 had it’s start in 2019 (hence the name)!

The Torah (Genesis-Deuteronomy) reflects a time from more than 1,000 years before Christ walked through Galilee, which was about 2,000 years before you would ever hear this sentence. So the Torah describes a time 3-mellinia ago, and yet even the Torah gives instruction to the people on how to deal with possibly infectuous disease(s).

Take some time to read Leviticus 13-15. It’s worth it. For now I’ll give you the “cliff-notes” version. Spoiler-Warning(!): Anyone who may be contagious with an infectious disease must do two-things.

Quarantine themselves

Wash themselves thoroughly

DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR??

In other words the current program of social distancing is a thing that God Himself has prescribed for His people in Scripture.

Today we are dealing with a virus that is invisible, and sometimes leaves carriers only mildly symptomatic or even asymptomatic. Yet they are carriers. This means that they can be actively sick, potentially never-ever realizing that fact, carry the virus to someone who is immunocompromized, and that person can die! Hear this: It is not doing good to others to insist on our own rights, while violating the well-being of our neighbors! That kind of thinking is selfish.

Answering Objections:

(1) God can protect us or heal us.

Let me be clear: God can keep you well, or heal you if you become ill. (I know this because I should be dead, but God intervened and sovereignly undertook to see that my life was spared. But how did God do that? He used learned doctors and medical wisdom to do the things that needed to be done to preserve my life.) However even though God can do anything—(definition of God!)—we should recognize that even Jesus abided by the dictum not to put the Lord to the test (Mat. 4:7). God is sovereing to act freely.

In Daniel 3:1-30 we read about the three Hebrews who willingly allowed themselves to be thrown in the the fiery furnacem, trusting God, when the situation called for it. I can’t help but notice though, that we never read about them doing belly flops into the flames when times were less intense.

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“If they make no use of intelligence or medicine when they could do so without detriment to their neighbors, such people injure their bodies and must beware lest they become a suicide in God’s eyes. By the same reasoning they might forgo eating and drinking, clothing and shelter, and boldly proclaim their faith that if God wanted to preserve them from starvation and cold, he could do so without food and clothing. Actually that would be suicide. It is even more shameful for them to pay no heed to their own bodies and to fail to protect them against the plague the best they are able, and then to infect and poison others who might have remained alive if they had taken care of their bodies as they should have. They are thus responsible before God for their neighbor’s death and are a murderer many times over. Indeed, such people behave as though a house were burning in the city and nobody was trying to put the fire out. Instead they give leeway to the flames so that the whole city is consumed, saying that if God so willed, he could save the city without water to quench the fire.”*

—Luther, “WHETHER ONE MAY FLEE FROM A DEADLY PLAGUE,“ of the Bubonic Plague

(2) Shouldn’t Christians resist government when it limits our religious freedom?

Again let me be clear: there is a time to resist government —(think of the three Hebrews referenced above, cf. Dan. 3:1-30), however it takes wisdom to discern when that time comes. And personally I do not believe that time is now. If ever (God forbid!) our religious liberties are threatened in this country and we are tyranically prohibited from worshipping our God, then as God gives me grace I have every intention to be a leader in the resistance.

But that time is not now, since the current program of socail distancing is in line with and not contrary to Scripture.

Radical Sanity Characterized by Biblical Wisom will Manifest Itself in Active Love

My expectaion of any person I deal with: respect

My expectation of another Christan: love

To respect another person is to purposely avoid bring that person harm while seeking my own well being. On the other (greater) hand, to love another person is to sacrifice my own well being if necessary while purposely seeking to help others.

The Bible has lots to say about true righteousness. Remember what we noted earlier: God’s light can be seen and felt by those around us. In fact it is the fruit of the spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) that they can taste emanating from our lives. Fruit does not befefit the tree so much as it benefits those are able to find life by partaking of what the tree has to offer. Even so our own righteous lives are meant to bring others to partake in the life of Christ.

Listen to some Biblical snippets of what righteous lives look like:

Job 31:29–32 (NLT): “Have I ever rejoiced when disaster struck my enemies, or become excited when harm came their way? No, I have never sinned by cursing anyone or by asking for revenge. My servants have never said, ‘He let others go hungry.’ I have never turned away a stranger but have opened my doors to everyone.” —Job, ancient sufferer

Micah 6:8 (NIV): “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” —Micah, Hebrew prophet

Matthew 7:12 (NIV): “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. “ —Jesus, carpenter, prophet, king

Acts 10:38 (NIV): “...how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.” —of the earthly ministry of Jesus

1 Peter 2:12–13 (NIV): “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. 13 Submit yourselves...” —Peter, ignorant and unlearned fisherman

James 3:17–18 (NIV): “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.” —James, brother of Jesus, pastor in Jerusalem

“Be excellent to each other” —Bill S. Preston, Esq. of Wild Stallions

—Ok so that last one isn’t in the Bible, but the principle it advocates is certainly Biblical!

As has been noted: This is the one time when doing nothing is doing a lot!

We must each do our part to reflect Christ’s light to the world. If there is something good you can do to actively, particularly help your neighbor and minister to their needs during this hour of crisis then by all means do it.

However, there is one thing we can all do for now: We can remain radically sane, exercising Biblical wisdom, and manifesting that wisdom in love. Let’s abide by the social distancing guidelines as much as possible for a little bit longer. We’ll have our day in the sun again, but until then every day is a day in the Son.

Let me close with this quote my Martin Luther who ministered about 500 years ago during the Bubonic Plague. It is particularly of relevance today:

“No, my dear friends, that is no good. Use medicine; take potions which can help you; fumigate house, yard, and street; shun persons and places wherever your neighbor does not need your presence or has recovered, and act like someone who wants to help put out the burning city. What else is the epidemic but a fire which instead of consuming wood and straw devours life and body? You ought to think this way: “Very well, by God’s decree the enemy has sent us poison and deadly refuse. Therefore I shall ask God mercifully to protect us. Then I shall fumigate, help purify the air, administer medicine, and take it. I shall avoid places and persons where my presence is not needed in order not to become contaminated and thus perchance infect and pollute others, and so cause their death as a result of my negligence. If God should wish to take me, he will surely find me, and I have done what he has expected of me and so I am not responsible for either my own death or the death of others. If my neighbor needs me, however, I shall not avoid place or person but will go freely, as stated above. See, this is such a God-fearing faith because it is neither brash nor foolhardy and does not tempt God.”*

-----* From “WHETHER ONE MAY FLEE FROM A DEADLY PLAGUE“ originally written to Reverend Doctor Johann Hess as Reproduced in The Annotated Luther, Volume 4: Pastoral Writings

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