Only three weeks ago, we gathered together and heard how Satan brought Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple, and told him to jump. “After all,” he declared, “it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, so that you do not dash your foot against a stone.’” Jesus replied confidently with another word from Scripture, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”
From our modern perspective, that might not seem like much of a temptation. I have no desire to go bungie jumping, even less without a rope! But Jesus was alone in the desert. The Father had left him to contend with the devil. He was hungry. He was thirsty. He was tired. The Spirit had sent him there. God had placed this challenge at his feet. Why wouldn’t he want to know, to see, to prove how much God cared for him? He was God’s Son, wasn’t he? Wouldn’t it be great to shove it in the devil’s face? What an example that could serve others; see how much Jesus trusted the Lord! Christians today say things like it, “Let go and let God.” Or “Step out and trust God.” It sounds so right, but Jesus wouldn’t test God.
Only three weeks ago, I preached on that Psalm the devil quoted. I encourage all of you to read it again. (This will still be here when you are done.) At the time, the first cases of COVID-19 were reported in Washington. At the time, Italy hadn’t been devastated. At the time, it was just starting to get hard to find toilet paper in the stores, but the panic and fear was starting. The words of Psalm 91 take that fear away. God remains in control. Those whom Jesus calls his own are safe from the devil’s traps. God’s shelter and protection go with the Christian wherever they go. Indeed, we have nothing to fear.
Have things changed? Well, no. God is still in control. We are still secure. He still goes with us and protects us wherever we go. We can trust in him. In another way, yes. The stories out of Italy are tragic. The few cases in Washington have spread to every state. The cases we know about (testing is limited) in our own area are few, but increasing. This virus is so contagious that it cannot be taken lightly. Though, the severity of the illness is still debatable, those who get the worst of it, get very sick, many die, and hospitals can quickly be overwhelmed. Events have been cancelled. Children have been sent home. Businesses are closing down. Gatherings are limited. If they can slow the spread, the hospitals can keep up. If the hospitals can have enough beds, enough ventilators, enough doctors and nurses and respiratory therapists, lives will be saved.
How should we react? What should we do? Remember what hasn’t changed. God is still watching, caring, protecting, and keeping his people for this life and the next. The Christian has nothing to fear. Yet we value life, all life, from conception to natural death. We love our family. We love the family of believers. We love our neighbors. We love our communities. We submit to the governing authorities. But what does that look like? How do we Christians demonstrate our trust in God, not fear? How do we Christians keep from testing his love, as if challenging him to care for us? How Christians not give false bravado to the world, “see how much I trust God”? And in the midst of this difficult time, how can we Christians love our families, our friends, our neighbors, and our communities?
If you still have Psalm 91 open, (if you skipped reading it before, I’ll give you a second chance), compare the words of Satan to the Words of the Holy Spirit. They are subtly different. I think these words Satan skipped offer us the path through the hard place of where trust, testing, and love meet. Psalm 91 actually says, Yes, he will give a command to his angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways; They will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. (Psalm 91:11) That little phrase, to guard you in all your ways, speaks loudly. How was jumping off the temple the way Jesus should go? How is exposing ourselves or others to this dangerous illness the right way for us to go? Where does your path lead? Perhaps it still leads to work where you can’t avoid everyone. The Lord will be with you there. (And your path can certainly lead to a sink and soap and water. It doesn’t require shaking hands or sharing too many spaces.) Perhaps your path allows you to stay home. With technology today we can still stay connected. Perhaps your path leads you to look out for your neighbors who may be more vulnerable. Do they have your number? Have you offered to help? Perhaps, your road leads you directly into the path of this sickness, you may have to care for a loved one. You may be one of those that the rest of us depend for our health. Serve confidently, the Lord will keep you in all your ways.
Finally, the question that has been weighing on my mind and my heart, does our path lead to gathering together in the Lord’s house? We have streaming capabilities. I can visit one on one (though I kind of think it defeats the purpose if I am entering multiple homes.) We can speak and pray over the phone. At the same time, we could keep our gatherings under the banned number. I have and can continue to take precautions to fight the illness. Those who should not be there (those with vulnerable immune systems or who are feeling ill) are encouraged to join us online. Isn’t a time of fear and trouble the exact time, Christians need to be around the word together? Aren’t we blessed to pray with each other and encourage one another? Isn’t the bread of life essential food for us? Can fear take that away? Will we forgo the celebration of Jesus conquering death and hell and giving us resurrection and life because of this virus? It doesn’t sit well with me. My heart declares that my path leads to the Lord’s sanctuary.
Realities, however, seem to have taken our options away. Though state government hasn’t specifically banned churches from gathering in numbers under 25, the spirit of their orders should make us consider very carefully whether it is wise to continue to meet. 25 is the specified legal limit to gatherings, but the president and our governor have encouraged people to limit their groups to under 10. If this is what our health officials are saying that they need to have the resources to combat the illness and slow its spread, is it for us to defy them?
The reality of my life is also difficult. Living with an emergency nurse increases the risk that I may be exposed. I cannot purposely break a quarantine and risk the health of others. For these reasons, though I have my own feelings about where our paths should go and meet and though we long to be able to spend our time together, I do feel that it is necessary to follow the guidance of those who are set above us. For this reason, I don’t think we can hold our regular church services or Bible studies. (You can read our synod’s response here.) As long as I am healthy, I am willing to meet with small groups of you, either in your homes, out in this lovely fresh air, or in our sanctuary. We can still in this way, confess our sins together to receive Christ’s absolution, hear God’s Word for our mutual encouragement, lift up our hearts in prayer together, and if desired receive Christ’s body and blood for our eternal good. At our normal service times, I will stream live on Facebook to share the confession of sins, the prayer of the day, the proper readings for each Sunday, and my regular sermon. I encourage you to participate as families in your homes, responding as you would if you were standing in the Lord’s sanctuary.
This is not the way any of us envision observing Lent, but during this prayer and repentance, we will focus on our Savior’s work. May this serve as another reminder of sin’s cost and our Savior’s love. In the case that we are not able to gather even for Easter, Christ’s victory is undiminished even if the songs only ring out from our own homes.
I have been fatally optimistic about this outbreak. From the moment it reached our shores, I have believed that most of our population would be exposed. At the same time, I haven’t felt that it would take a more serious toll than most other illnesses that run through our lives. We have always had illness. Death is always a threat. Every flu season people die. Every day drivers are seriously injured or killed. This too shall pass. Even more, The One who lives in the shelter of the Most High will stay in the shadow of the Almighty. I am not a prophet. I am not a disease specialist, but my God knows all and rules over all. In him I will trust, and in the end we will all rise with him. Now that’s a reason for optimism.