The altered lifestyle mitigation efforts of the COVID-19 global pandemic of 2020 no-doubt raises questions in the minds of believers as-to the purpose of pandemics and to remember their historic impacts.
God sends plagues across the land (pandemics)[1] to remind the world to repent of their sins, to believe in Him and the salvation work of his Son, and to love and serve their neighbors.
Almost a decade into the Reformation of the 16th century, the bubonic plague struck Wittenberg Germany in 1527. The event caused believers to question their responsibilities under such conditions – could they leave the village to escape the disease, or were they obligated to stay?
In a letter to a fellow pastor[2] (and published as a pamphlet so that others could read it) Martin Luther addressed these questions.
He deduced those without obligations to serve their neighbors were free to leave, while those with obligations were duty-bound to stay. Those staying were required to take appropriate precautions to avoid spreading the disease and to help their neighbors through the crisis. Some that stayed were obstinate[3] and avoided rendering aid or taking preventative measures under the pretense their unique trust in God demanded no action or lifestyle changes.
Luther illustrated the perverseness of such an attitude:
By such reasoning, when a house is on fire, no one should run outside or rush to help… Anyone who falls into deep water dare not save himself by swimming but must surrender to the water… Likewise, if someone breaks a leg, is wounded or bitten, he should not seek medical aid… but shall bear it until it heals by itself. Freezing weather and winter… can cause death. Why run to get inside or near a fire? Be strong and stay outside until it becomes warm again… Why do you eat and drink… until hunger and thirst stop of themselves?… Where would all this end? … What else is the epidemic but a fire which instead of consuming wood and straw devours life and body?
(Martin Luther[4] )
Contrary to such obstinance, Luther reiterated the necessity to help our neighbors in every time of need.[5] Otherwise, through our neglect we may find ourselves guilty of suicide or murder. To claim that inaction demonstrated a trust in God was sheer folly:
This is not trusting God but tempting him.
(Martin Luther[6] )
While physical (material) plagues infect the land, spiritual plagues infect the church. [7] Both leave lasting impacts, the former a temporal death, the latter an eternal death.
Satan prowls as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, he knows his time is short[8] and will try anything within his power to pervert the pure doctrines of the church and infect believers with plagues of spiritual darkness.
The aforementioned 16th century Reformation was an especially spiritually rich period, in that it triggered a rediscovery of the pure doctrines contained in Scripture and clarified the responsibilities in our vocations and stations in life, all intentionally documented for posterity.[9] (I’m embarrassed to admit I was ignorant of the particulars of this rich history until I started to rediscover it for myself several years ago.)
After identifying several spiritual plagues infecting the church, in 2019 I documented my observations in an essay, Be Zealous and Repent.
Like all believers, I was duty-bound to send the essay to those responsible within church leadership[10] and request we help our neighbors[11] by curing the infections and implementing preventative measures to keep the disease from spreading. Instead of acknowledging the infections or any necessity to cure or prevent them, they asserted that I did not trust in God and that my action of writing—indeed the very existence of the essay—was the proof of my lack of trust.
Doesn’t this sound perverse? Using Luther’s examples: If a house is on fire, should one not escape nor anyone help? If drowning, should one not swim nor anyone throw a lifeline? If injured should one not seek medical aid? If freezing should one not seek a warm building? If hungry should one not seek nourishment? What else is such inaction regarding spiritual dangers but the same sort of perversion?
When these kinds of physical dangers are ignored, they result in suicide or murder by negligence—a temporal death—but the danger of spiritual plagues and neglecting to treat them can lead to eternal death.
Inaction against spiritual plagues is just another way to tempt God,[12] inaction does not prove or demonstrate a trust in Him.[13] Scripture (and history) records boundless examples of those that trusted in God while acting in faith.
Luther was not ignorant to the parallels between physical plagues and spiritual plagues, he began the last paragraph in his letter pleading for help in fighting against Satan’s spiritual plagues:
We admonish and plead with you in Christ’s name to help us with your prayers to God so that we may do battle with word and precept against the real and spiritual pestilence of Satan in his wickedness with which he now poisons and defiles the world.
(Martin Luther[14])
He closed his letter with a simple prayer, still appropriate today:
May Christ our Lord and Savior preserve us all in pure faith and fervent love, unspotted and pure until his day. Amen. Pray for me, a poor sinner.
(Martin Luther[15])
When the church is plagued with a spiritual pandemic, what mitigation efforts should be taken? Should we Stay at Home and avoid rendering loving aid to our neighbors?[16] Should we ignore those infected yet are otherwise asymptomatic? Please reply and let me know if and where Scripture sanctions inaction in such cases.
[1] Leviticus 26:21, Revelation 9:20, Revelation 18:4
[2] Luther, Martin (1527). Luther’s Works, Vol. 43: Whether One May Flee From A Deadly Plague. Published by Fortress Press 1999, Philadelphia, PA. 119-38.
[3] Luther, Deadly Plague: Near paragraph 26, Et al.
[4] Luther, Deadly Plague: Near paragraph 14.
[5] A Catechism According to God’s Word. The Ten Commandments, The Fifth Commandment, What is meant by this: “We should fear and love God, that we may not hurt or harm our neighbour in either his soul or body; but rather to help and befriend him in every spiritual and bodily need.”
[6] Luther, Deadly Plague: Near paragraph 26.
[7] Finnish Independent Apostolic Lutheran Congregations (I.A.L.C.)
[8] 1 Peter 5:8, Revelation 12:12
[9] A Catechism According to God’s Word. The Augsburg Confession, Summary of Faith and Doctrine.
[10] Minneapolis Independent Apostolic Lutheran Church (M.I.A.L.C.) at Dayton, Minnesota.
[11] “Service to God is indeed service to our neighbour.” (Martin Luther, Deadly Plague: Near paragraph 22.)
[12] Matthew 4:7, Deuteronomy 6:16, 1 Corinthians 10:9
[13] Luther, Deadly Plague: Near paragraphs 26, 28.
[14] Luther, Deadly Plague: Near paragraph 44a.
[15] Luther, Deadly Plague: Near paragraph 44b.
[16] Genesis 4:9, Galatians 6:1-2, 1 John 3:16, James 4:17