A response based on Martin Luther’s letter to the Rev. Dr. Johann Hess, entitled, “Whether one may flee from a deadly plague.”
The year is 1527 and the Bubonic plague is cycling through Europe—again. In 1347, fleas feeding on diseased rats were infected, and the plague had spread to humans in Europe from Italian and French ports. A third of the population of Europe died from the plague, with high concentrations of death among the poor due to living conditions. Reformed minister Johann Hess wrote Luther for his opinion regarding a Christian response to the plague, asking specifically, “Can believers flee the plague?”
Luther’s own German prince wanted him to flee Wittenberg for Jena to avoid the plague. (1) Luther refused, believing he had a responsibility to care for the sick and the dying. Instead of fleeing, he brought several victims of the plague into his home and cared for them, resulting in his son Hans being infected (though he survived). His second child, Elizabeth, died before her first birthday; some believe it was due to his wife’s exposure to the plague during pregnancy.
As westerners in the modern world, this kind of threat is foreign to us. We’ve become inoculated to the health risks that many in other parts of the world face every day. For us, death has become something we’ve cheated through good hygiene, healthy habits, and modern medicine. History is filled with health threats and high death rates. I wonder if the coronavirus would have registered in Luther’s day alongside killer diseases like the plague infecting and killing so many. So before we continue, at least consider your response to this pandemic in the context of history and less advanced countries. It might be time to face your human frailty and reassert your dependence on a sovereign God who loves you.
Luther’s response to Hess “focused on a Christian’s responsibility to care for the sick and to use the means given to limit the plague's destruction.” (2) Christians have often taken the lead in caring for the sick and dying throughout history, out of a desire to fulfill the second great commandment to love their neighbor (Matthew 22:37). I’m going to summarize some of Luther’s thoughts as we face a potential pandemic in the coronavirus (COVID-19).
First, there were some that believed the plague was sent by God as punishment and refused to take precautions to keep themselves healthy and curtail the spread of the disease. Luther rightly condemned this type of thinking and charges these fatalist personalities with murder for the death of those they failed to protect. He argues that if a house is on fire we would not conclude it is God’s will and sit idly by as the fire spreads across the city. On the contrary, we rush in to save lives and use all means at our disposal to stop the spread of the flames. If we fail to act, we are in part responsible for whatever life and property is lost. He says, “No, my dear friends, that is no good. Use medicines; take potions which can help you; fumigate your 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.” (3)
Applications from this point? If you’re sick, stay home and don’t infect others. I know that might require loss of pay for some, but loving our neighbor means protecting them from disease. If you’re sick, get medical help. Don’t conclude getting the virus is judgment and give up. God calls you to use all the means he has provided to live out your calling. Simple things you can do—like washing your hands and disinfecting surfaces—helps put out the fire and keep the virus from spreading. Finally, don’t be around the sick unless you are responsible for caring for them.
Second, Luther argued that the desire to flee the plague was natural and honorable. Jacob fled from Esau; King David fled from Saul and Absalom; and Elijah fled from Jezebel. Luther says, “All of them fled from death when it was possible and saved their own lives, yet without depriving their neighbors of anything, but first meeting their obligations toward them.” (4) Fleeing sickness is not wrong, so long as we fulfill our responsibilities to our neighbors. Parents should not flee their children; masters should not flee their servants; believers should not flee their neighbors; the rich should not flee the poor. One way of managing disease is the quarantine of those who are sick, which Luther urged for the protection of the community based on Old Testament handling of leprosy (Leviticus 13-14), but not the withholding of appropriate care.
Realize that your fear of the coronavirus isn’t unfounded and taking steps to avoid it isn’t wrong. Avoid travel and public places if you can, but don’t let fear reign. There is a danger of missing the grace of God in allowing fear to grasp your heart. Take your fear to your Heavenly Father, and allow the Spirit to build your “faith muscle” in these insecure days. Don’t tackle fear alone; allow the body of Christ to minister to you (even if by phone). Realize that one of Satan’s tactics is to elicit fear so that God’s love doesn’t fill our hearts with faith. At the same time, don’t put yourself at risk unless you are responsible to care for someone who is sick.
Third, and finally, consider your responsibility to your neighbor. God has called us to love our neighbor and to see ourselves as bound to our neighbors. As the Good Shepherd, Christ lays down his life for the sheep, and calls us to lay down our lives for one another. Luther identifies three groups that cannot flee in a crisis: pastors, civic leaders, and health professionals. These may avoid the plague, he argues, only if there is someone else in these roles to provide care. “No one should leave neighbors unless there are sufficient care givers (Matthew 25:41-46).” (5) Ministering to the sick requires strong faith in God. Luther argues that if your faith is weak there is nothing wrong with fleeing, but he hopes that your faith will be strong enough to sustain you as you live and minister to those who are sick. If we feel compelled to stay and serve our neighbor, we must commend ourselves to God. He says, “Now if a deadly epidemic strikes, we should stay where we are, make our preparations, and take courage in the fact that we are mutually bound together so that we cannot desert one another or flee from one another.” (6)
This is the second blow we deal to Satan. (7) The first, not letting fear rule our hearts; and the second, devoting ourselves to our neighbors.
After our third child was born, one of my children became ill with rotavirus, and it spread to everyone but Debbie and our infant. We were a mess! One of our church members spent several days with us caring for me and our children, putting her own health at risk. Her risk of getting sick was high, though a long term health risk was minimal. In the same way, we should entrust ourselves to God and devote ourselves to serving our neighbors. Some of us have specific responsibilities because of our calling and careers, but all of us have the responsibility to care for each other. So before you “hole up” at home for the next month, consider your responsibilities to your neighbor.
If the coronavirus spreads to our community, each will have to decide how to respond. In the meantime, may God grant us grace to live in faith, take practical measures of protection, and prepare to minister to the sick, even at personal risk.
Now can someone tell me where to buy some germ-x?
—Pastor Tim
