In
1527, Wittenberg, Germany, was hit with the Bubonic Plague, and though it
lasted only months, it was fatal to a thousand or more. Martin Luther’s friend,
Rev. John Hess, wrote Luther asking what a Christian should do in such a disastrous
time. Luther responded:
“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
inflict and pollute others and so cause their death as a result of my
negligence.... And if my neighbor needs me, I shall not avoid such place or
person but will freely go to help him.”
Luther
maintained hospitals or trained persons should be first to help the sick. But
if such persons could not be found, “…we must give hospital care and be
nurses for one another.” Thus, Luther
and his wife Katie opened their home to help the infected. While others fled
the city, they stayed to treat those needing care, even putting their own
family in danger.
We
live in a broken and sin-riddled world and regularly see its results. Inescapable
disaster or sickness will come upon us, even though we attempt to build entire
industries to deal with such troubles any day may bring. We set up
infrastructures, formulate backup plans and build “safety nets” to defeat the weaknesses
and failures of life. But we rarely expect disaster to come to us and may seek
to blame others when it happens.
We
humans cannot conquer every problem. Intelligence or wealth won’t do it. In
fact, when a real threat comes, such as this Covid19 pandemic, we tend to panic
and wilt, hiding from others or grasping at any solution. Some think the shifting
sands of government or human cleverness or stockpiled provisions are the
answer. But no financial security, educational degree, or dream of a sunny retirement
will comfort us when we clutch our chest as our heart gives out.
We
need the gift of eternal life in Jesus that only God can give. To stand strong
in the storms of life requires not more shifting sand of personal opinion, but a
rock-solid faith in Jesus. He taught that a simple faith in our Heavenly Father
is our best safety net. Fools may spurn the Gospel until the day of disaster, but
even then Romans 10:11 tells us, “Anyone who believes in Him will never be put to shame.”
Martin
Luther realized the importance of the Gospel of Jesus as he said, “We need
to hear the Gospel of Jesus every day, because we forget it every day.” The
distractions and troubles of life may try to extinguish our faith or drive us
into a frenzy seeking a cure. But the death and resurrection of Jesus show God loves
us and has forgiven us, and that He will also raise us up on the last day.
Yes,
there will actually be a resurrection on the last day! Jesus defeated death by
His own death and secured our salvation through His resurrection. As Romans 6:5 promises, “For if we have been united with
Him in a death like His, we
will certainly also be united with Him in a resurrection like His.” That’s the
best news we can hear any day! So today, do what you can to stay safe, but
remember…
With faith in
Him, we too shall rise. Praise the Lord!
Rev. Bob Tasler, www.bobtasler.com
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