Trusting God

"...Use medicine; take potions which can help you; fumigate house, yard, and street; shun persons and places where your neighbor does not need your presence or has recovered, and act like a man 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 offal. 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 persons and places 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." https://blogs.lcms.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Plague-blogLW.pdf

This quote comes from "Whether One May Flee from A Deadly Plague: To the Reverend Doctor Johann Hess, pastor at Breslau, and to his fellow-servant of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Martin Luther." Luther wrote this letter in response to the plague that swept through Europe. This plague decimated Europe. It had a 60% mortality rate. Luther's advice is still valid today even though the virus we face is not as devastating as the "Black Plague" I believe Luther is telling us to make wise and prudent decisions and look for opportunities to care for our neighbors.

Luther states that we should shun persons and places where our neighbor does not need our presence. Do we need to be present in worship for our neighbor? Hebrews 11:19-25 "Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."

God calls us to worship him. The writer of Hebrews tells that we meet to encourage one another. Do we need to worship together? Yes. Is it beneficial for our neighbor if we worship together? Yes. Should we meet in worship? Yes. Should we take precautions to protect each other? Yes. Should we not meet if we are high risk? Yes. Should we stay home if we are not feeling well? Yes.

Can we meet safely? Many people think we cannot. They are basing this on the assumption that the public is not intelligent enough to meet without exposing others. Therefore, there are those in leadership that feel that worship should not happen. They see no need for worshiping together. God's Word says differently. I believe we need to take reasonable precaution to stay safe. I believe we need to make wise and prudent decisions. I also believe that we need to come together in faith and worship our God. We do this to encourage one another in the true faith. Let us trust God and serve him with gladness.