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I hear many Christians saying that government is out of line asking people to wear masks and practice social distancing. It should be an individual choice, they say.
But dealing with infectious diseases isn’t always an matter of individual choice. Typhoid Mary (1870-1938) was ordered not to work as a cook, for instance, because she carried a dangerous infectious disease. “Fifty-one original cases of typhoid and three deaths were directly attributed to her (countless more were indirectly attributed), although she herself was immune to the typhoid bacillus.” – Encyclopedia Britannica
What would Jesus do? In the following passage Jesus heals a leper (or skin disease?) and tells the man to show himself to the priest. The Levite priests doubled as the health department of the time.
A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said,
“Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am
willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.
Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But
go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses
commanded, as a testimony to them.
Matthew 8:2-4 NIV
The same story is told again in Mark 1:40-44 and Luke 5:12-14. The offerings that Jesus is referring to is described in detail in Leviticus 14: 1-32. These include two birds, one to be sacrificed and the other to be released, and the sacrifice of a lamb.
A different story about leprosy (or skin disease?) is told in Luke 17.
As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him.
They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus,
Master, have pity on us!”
When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the
priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.
One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back,
praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and
thanked him — and he was a Samaritan.
Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other
nine? Was no-one found to return and give praise to God except
this foreigner? Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has
made you well.
Luke 17:12-19 NIV
Again Jesus tells the lepers to show themselves to be priests to be pronounced clean according to the rules of the time. Jesus doesn’t say, “I don’t care what the priest thinks!” Instead, he respects the role of the Levite priests as the recognized authorities for dealing with matters of public health. Jesus teaches us to cooperate with the authorities on public health, and other matters, whenever possible.
But dealing with infectious diseases isn’t always an matter of individual choice. Typhoid Mary (1870-1938) was ordered not to work as a cook, for instance, because she carried a dangerous infectious disease. “Fifty-one original cases of typhoid and three deaths were directly attributed to her (countless more were indirectly attributed), although she herself was immune to the typhoid bacillus.” – Encyclopedia Britannica
What would Jesus do? In the following passage Jesus heals a leper (or skin disease?) and tells the man to show himself to the priest. The Levite priests doubled as the health department of the time.
A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said,
“Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am
willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.
Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But
go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses
commanded, as a testimony to them.
Matthew 8:2-4 NIV
The same story is told again in Mark 1:40-44 and Luke 5:12-14. The offerings that Jesus is referring to is described in detail in Leviticus 14: 1-32. These include two birds, one to be sacrificed and the other to be released, and the sacrifice of a lamb.
A different story about leprosy (or skin disease?) is told in Luke 17.
As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him.
They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus,
Master, have pity on us!”
When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the
priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.
One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back,
praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and
thanked him — and he was a Samaritan.
Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other
nine? Was no-one found to return and give praise to God except
this foreigner? Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has
made you well.
Luke 17:12-19 NIV
Again Jesus tells the lepers to show themselves to be priests to be pronounced clean according to the rules of the time. Jesus doesn’t say, “I don’t care what the priest thinks!” Instead, he respects the role of the Levite priests as the recognized authorities for dealing with matters of public health. Jesus teaches us to cooperate with the authorities on public health, and other matters, whenever possible.
