What Would Jesus Do or Not Do?

Monday Ministerial Musings

By Rev. Mark William Ennis

2021 Blog Number 35

August 30, 2021

Vacation Blog #5

Pastor Mark is on vacation and is not writing blogs now. He pre-wrote and uploaded these vacation blogs before leaving on vacation. Because they are dated they may or may not reflect current event.

What Would Jesus Do or Not Do?

The week before I left for vacation I spent a wonderful day down the Jersey Shore. On the way home after a full day, I stopped in a McDonalds for a coffee to go. In the McDonalds was a man who wore a shirt that proclaimed, “Jesus Healed Lepers Without A Mask.” He graciously allowed me to photograph him. As I wear a mask to shield me from Covid-19, he expressed surprise that someone wearing a mask would want a photograph of his shirt.

This shirt is not one I would ever wear. It is factually correct, but misleading. It saddens me that so many professing Christians share this mentality. I can’t imagine how many deaths there have been because of this mentality and those who follow it.

Here are my problems with the shirt, and the thoughts that stand behind it:

It is true that Jesus did heal lepers without a mask. Leprosy is not an airborne disease. Covid-19 is. No mask is needed to guard against Leprosy.

Jesus was divine. We are not. Jesus could do a lot of things that we are not able to do. Jesus told Satan himself to “not put God to the test.” I believe that we are testing God when we don’t live as physicians advise.

Jesus said, “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s.” Our government has the authority to regulate affairs of public health. As Christian’s it is our responsibility to obey the government as long as the government’s orders do not keep us from our first loyalty, God.

When we refuse to prudently follow the advice of medical professionals we endanger ourselves and others. We might even be putting others in danger and show a bad witness to Jesus. We are called  “to love our neighbor as ourselves.” Is endangering others through Covid-19 really loving our neighbors?

It is time for all of us who are Christians to stand up and follow CDC quide lines. We need to “do no harm.” Acting arrogantly and foolishly does not give a good witness for Jesus Christ.

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To read more of Pastor Mark’s writings, please order a copy of his book:https://deepriverbooks.com/books/the-circle-of-seven/