Jesus and quarantine!

How Jesus Dealt With Quarantine
Timothy W. Teague 12/9/20
Simplead Ministry

In his book titled, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, Carl B Truman, relates how he challenges his first year students with one question: “Did the towers on 9/11 fall due to gravity?” In reality there were circumstances that expedited the fall, but the answer is a resounding, yes. There are always circumstances that precipitate events and human behavior regardless of natural physical laws.

The current world crisis of Covid 19 has hit us like a tsunami without warning. The entire world has been taken hostage by a virus apparently traced back to a laboratory in Wuhan, China. Evidence is yet to be produced but the fact remains to be dealt with —a real time physical health threat has taken over the world. Our long time friend, Normal, has taken on a new identity. Everything from familial life in celebrating holidays together, to small businesses in our neighborhoods and all across the nation, have been threatened and in some cases, eliminated. The list of questions surrounding the virus are too many for mere simple answers. Out of much confusion surrounding a global virus unlike any we’ve dealt with before —finally came an agreed upon response, just quarantine everyone. I am not virologist and I only know one person who is. Myself like millions of others across this nation, listened to the reasoning of national and local leadership – and we quarantined. Like it or not 2020 will be a year of remembering the quarantine monster that few of us liked. I looked for a model in scripture to ease my frustrations. What would Jesus do? How would the ultimate Healer respond to such a demand?

There is one template found in scripture that can give us some insight as to how the Lord himself dealt with the issue of quarantining those who are ill. It is found in the event of Jesus healing ten lepers.
Luke 17:11-19 (NASB) While He was on the way to Jerusalem, He was passing between Samaria and Galilee. 12  As He entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met Him; 13  and they raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14  When He saw them, He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they were going, they were cleansed. 15  Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, 16  and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine—where are they?” 18  “Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?” 19  And He said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has made you well.”

You see the virus is real, just as the towers that Truman spoke of were. But surrounding the “fall” of the virus (global pandemic) are the hundreds of voices giving guidance as to how to respond to the virus. Questions arose! Was quarantining everyone the answer? I remember a woman interviewed by a news station early in April when she said, “You quarantine sick people, not those who are well.” Herd immunity was denied a place at the table so we did as we were told, we quarantined. We shut down America from Wall Street to the back street. We even shut down churches (which has everything to do with my article). We were all quarantined for the sake of the nation. The quarantine made us lonely, sad, grievous, angry and disconnected from the world just outside doors.

I prayed much about all the chaos surrounding the quarantine issue. I searched scripture to find a model or template as to how we as believers should respond to the leadership of our national and local communities. Looking at the above passage in Luke enlightened me on several points Jesus taught about the idea of quarantine.

Jesus honored quarantine/distance rules. Jesus did not lay down his Lordship or his Priesthood here. He dealt with a community of lepers quarantined because of their health. This disease put them in a social class of being outcasts and kept them disconnected from those deemed healthy. They were social distancing from others due to a health issue.

Jesus could have called the lepers to him or he could have gone to them. He chose to do neither. Read the story closely. The lepers called out to him…actually they had to raise their voice quite loud. The lepers recognized quarantine rules and Jesus responded likewise. According to Jewish ceremonial law the lepers were to stay 300 feet away from socializing with those outside their community of disease. Jesus seemed to honor that rule of law. They were disconnected socially from friends, relationally from family and even from worshipping in the temple.

But Jesus does something unique. He sends them to the local priest who by the same ceremonial law were the only ones who could certify the lepers as being cleansed. Although he could have ignored the law, Jesus chose to respect Jewish ceremonial law and honor the quarantine by not exposing unhealthy people to healthy people.

I’m not necessarily a fan of social distancing, face masks or quarantine. Jesus had the answer all along but He still respected the rule of law and a current health issue. I have respected all of the above mentioned rules, although I may not agree with them. I am not a virologist. But I am someone who can render unto Caesar what belongs to him as Jesus did with the lepers. I can abide by stipulations that are meant to protect us during this Covid 19 health crisis.

We have cried out to the Lord as did the ten lepers and I believe He has heard our prayers. He hasn’t “healed” all of us and for some believers the virus has stolen the lives of loved ones and friends. He sees us. He hears our cries. He does what He always does, He responds. He gives instructions that seem to defy what we want Him to do. He sends us to professionals who have the only civil authority to declare healing. The same professionals who certified healing for the lepers were the same ones who developed the laws of separation or quarantining. Hence, Jesus by example here accepted quarantine as a means to an end. Since He is the Alpha and Omega maybe we should trust Him to get us to the omega of this virus pandemic.

Jesus honored ceremonial authority. I am reminded that the respect Jesus had for ceremonial law may have come from the fact that He came to fulfill law himself (Matthew 5:17). Jesus on many occasions broke ceremonial law when it was determined between He and his Father that there was no other way (John 5:19,30;8:28) to do His will. With the ten lepers a lesson in gratitude was the end to the means of quarantine. Jesus would honor ceremonial law by sending the ten lepers to the priest. Much was happening around Jesus at this time and it seems wisdom would serve him on this occasion more than simply dismissing ceremonial law.

The bottom line here is that Jesus respected those in authority in dealing with a community ravaged be a medical crisis —leprosy. Regardless of our personal opinions we have a mandate in Romans 13 is very clear on this issue. Romans 13:1-2  Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2  Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. I don’t know about you but I don’t want to be found as having “opposed the ordinance of God” (vs.2)! Maybe there’s a bigger picture here I can’t see. Maybe it’s not for me and you to see (Acts 1:7). I am convinced that our forward vision is somewhat interrupted when we can only see through a “glass darkly” (1 Corinthians 13:12). I am going to have to somehow come to the place where I can, with a sense that God is in control, honor those in authority over me…and you.

In respecting ceremonial law about leprosy Jesus was respecting the authorities who put that law into place. There was a time and place for religious resistance but this wasn’t it. Jesus shows us that there are times when community wide and even nation wide obedience is better than sacrifice. Time will tell who is right and wrong about Covid 19. But in real time response we have to have a sense of respecting those in authority over us. Until our faith or the opportunity of sharing the gospel is threatened we have an obligation to follow instructions from those in authority for the purpose of staying healthy.

Jesus never approached the lepers. He ministered to them from a distance. He healed them by His Word which amounted to instructions of going elsewhere for a declaration of that healing. It seems that all that was necessary for healing was His presence. He didn’t have to “touch” them physically and one of ten was soon to realize this. I am reminded of Luke 5:17 where we are told “as he [Jesus] was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.” Did you catch that? The power of the Lord was present to heal the listeners. The presence and power of Jesus is incredibly efficient to accomplish his divine will in spite of restrictions from civil authorities.

Finally, Jesus received worship at his feet from one of ten who were healed. Although there are many ways of interpreting this passage I want to focus on the one leper who found it in his heart to return to worship Jesus. There was still a leper colony quarantined. Out of that community of diseased men and women were ten who sought healing to find freedom from their quarantine. Ten found healing by the authority of Jesus that was greater than any other authority on earth. Only one would return to give gratitude.

Note that in his return to Jesus the leper did not touch Him. Maybe he didn’t know he could yet. Maybe he had not finished his journey to the priest to receive certification of healing. Maybe he was overcome with gratitude toward Jesus and couldn’t help himself. I mean…have you seen lepers? Do you know what he endured before his healing? Maybe there were some issues he had to come to accept before grabbing the Healer and rejoicing in a celebratory dance. We don’t really know. But what we do know is what scripture tells us. The leper fell on his face and knelt at the feet of Jesus to worshipped him. This is true worship in the presence of Jesus! Scholars differ here on the manner in which he probably worshipped Jesus. Did he actually touch the feet of Jesus as Mary did when she wiped his feet with her tears and her hair (Luke 7:36-38)? Again, scripture isn’t as detailed here as it is with Mary’s worship experience. My personal thought is that he did not touch Jesus. I imagine the leper knelt as his feet and worshipped him as culture taught peasants to do with kingly and priestly leadership —without touching the one worshipped.

Jesus never tells the man to stand and rejoice with him. He doesn’t tell him to in any way respond to him with human touch. Jesus tells the leper to “stand up and go because your faith has made you whole.” Jesus seems to go out of his way to not come in contact with the leper for any purpose. Before he was healed and even after he was healed, there was no contact between them. But in this “social distancing” event we find true worship continued. We find healing continued. We find the presence of Jesus so overwhelming that this former leper could only kneel and worship the One who healed him. Oh what lessons we could learn here about the incredible presence of Jesus! Jesus didn’t stop healing because of a distancing or quarantining rule. He is much greater than the laws of quarantining. His presence is much more powerful than a measure of six feet between him and anyone seeking His healing touch. Jesus managed to work with laws and ordinances without upsetting the judicial and priestly order of rule for his time and still do His Father’s will.

Jesus healed ten lepers and only one returned to worship Him in gratitude! One out of ten! The one who returned to worship Him was a Samaritan. The least expected to return was the one who did return. Could it be, for the sake of imagination, that only ten percent of those who find deliverance, redemption, healing, salvation, and restoration actually ever find a place in their heart to honor Jesus by true worship from their heart? Remember Mary (Luke 7)? Here is what Jesus said about her: Luke 7:47  “For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.”

I think there are two issues here for us to consider. First, to soften our hearts toward those in authority over us and the idea of quarantining us. Have a sense of respect for our pastors who are desperately working to comply with multiple voices of instruction! Second, we should question our hearts as to the purpose of our worship. Being together is how the “body of Christ” survives. We are connected spiritually. We are building of lively stones that makes up the church (1 Peter 2:5). Coming together in a place of worship is important but not imperative. People worship Jesus all over the world who are limited in their physical gathering. I pray that the church can come back to their houses of worship all over America. I long to be worship with my spiritual family. But my worship is not singularly dependent on a place but rather the posture of my heart.

Are we filled with an attitude of gratitude or a disrespectful attitude that says, “I deserve what He gives me!” and then just wonder off without recognizing just what He has done for us? Are we the ones who will go a different direction and not realize the presence of Jesus is so vital to our personhood?

The challenge of Covid 19 is teaching us a great deal about ourselves and about those in authority over us. Jesus taught us that in the midst of quarantine and petitioning Him, that real true worship is not defined by physical circumstances but rather the posture of our hearts. I can still worship Him in his presence!

One thing we know Jesus didn’t do with a place or community that is quarantined. He didn’t stop personal worship with the one who returned. We have to believe He wouldn’t have stopped worship had all ten returned. The point here is that in honoring ceremonial and judicial law, Jesus never stopped performing as the Healer and Deliverer. Can we get that thought to settle in our spirit? Worship did not cease with the order of quarantine! Jesus worked with current ordinances to quarantine but still managed to honor his Father by healing those who needed to be healed. His “touch” was his voice, his Word, and the ultimate end to any time he would heal, which was simply worship!

Someone once said that praise can be given to someone although you may be anywhere near them. I can praise a brothers works even though he may be in another part of the world. But to worship someone, you have to be in their presence. Jesus sits at the Fathers right hand making intercession for us right now (Romans 8:23,34). I can truly worship Him for all he has done for me by just honoring His presence. Quarantine is nothing new. How we respond in worshiping Jesus will depend on your attitude of gratitude. Maybe we should just slow down in all the Covid 19 chaos and follow Psalm 146 which instructs us to “be still and know I am God.” Hopefully we can be found at the feet of Jesus , honoring His presence, with a heart full of worship!