This has been a trying week for me - and it's only Wednesday! I've struggled with feeling peace over the decision we've made to continue to keep our doors open for worship. With the government's recommendation that people avoid groups of 10 or more, it leaves the church open for second guessing - what if in some way a person worships at Life in Christ and is exposed to the virus? Or that the opposite is true and that an exposed person comes to worship and spreads the virus among us.
In Matthew 22, Jesus is approached by a "expert in the law" who asks, "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"
I wonder if the expert was surprised by Jesus' answer. The Son of God did not choose just one commandment but instead replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all you soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself."
Jesus makes it clear that all the commandments are important. And His answer teaches us, through use of the commandments, how to love God and to love each other.
These verses, 37-39, do something else for us - they give us some guidance for dealing with the coronavirus threat we are facing.
Love for God leads a believer to be in God's House. God's gifts are distributed there - His Word of forgiveness, the water of Baptism and the Holy meal served in the Lord's Supper. These gifts calm our worried souls and give the assurance that God cares for His own. The writer to the Hebrews reminds us that "For the Word of God is living and active." The Law in the Word reveals the very depth of our sinful nature. The Gospel in the Word is the good news that in spite of our sinful nature, God shows His own love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
God's House is not the only place where we can love the Lord our God. But God's House is the place where we know without a doubt that God is present, He can comfort and bless us through Word and Sacraments, and that He is generous to give us His gifts of grace that can provide the motivation we need to keep on trusting in the Lord in spite of what we are facing in Covid-19.
The other part is loving our neighbor. Jesus explains what that love looks like. How do you love yourself? With patience and understanding...meeting needs...seeking peace of heart and mind? How we love and take care of ourselves is the guide for loving those around us.
In this case, we are respectful of those who believe that it is in their best interests to self quarantine and stay away from large crowds. We seek to encourage them with the Word through phone contact and personal visits if necessary. We look to provide practical help as is needed. We pray for them that God would quiet their hearts as they give over to Him their worries and fears.
Circumstances may require that we close our church doors for a time as we ride out this terrible virus. Only the Lord knows what we will face today, tomorrow and the next.
As for today, Jesus reminds us to "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well." Then the Lord adds, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
May God give us the faith and strength that, even in these troubled times, we continue to love Him with our hearts, souls and minds and love our neighbors as we love ourselves.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit abide with you all!
