Lessons from Quarantine

3-29-20Sermon Notes “Lessons From Quarantine”

I don’t know about y’all, but with all this change of what is “normal”…with the social distancing and self-quarantine… with the constant stream of information from around the world that is just wall-to-wall virus coverage… I start to get a little antsy. One of my friends put it this way: “I hit a patch of crazy yesterday…but my family helped me get in a better place.” Have you hit a patch of crazy yet? I have.

But I’m trying to learn some lessons from this time of quarantine. I learned something this morning, in fact, from my daughter. Emily Kate said that whenever she and her friends (at college) would get a little antsy, someone would say, “You need an enrichment pumpkin.” The idea comes from a tiger rescue program someone had seen that was trying to find new ways to stimulate and help the tigers in the sanctuary (which is a kind of quarantine if you think about it). They would take a pumpkin, scoop out the insides, and fill it with raw meat. Then they would spray the pumpkin with some kind of perfume or cologne (apparently, Obsession by Calvin Klein works best), and put the pumpkin in the tiger habitat. The tiger would be distracted…go over and check out the new musky smell…then rub their face on it to mark their territory. They would then bat the pumpkin around like a kitten with a ball of yarn, and then finally end up by enjoying the raw meat inside the pumpkin. All in all, the tiger’s well-being was enriched…their senses stimulated…their tiger brains distracted from the reality of quarantine.

So my daughter said, “Dad, sometimes you need an enrichment pumpkin.” I need a new hobby or game or book, to help get my mind off of the quarantine. That’s one lesson. I have more.

I was thinking about the lessons from quarantine when I read the passage from Luke 17 about the 10 Lepers.

11 On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, 13 they called out, 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 went, they were made clean. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. 16 He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? 18 Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17: 11-19)

Can you think of a more prominent example of quarantine and social distancing than a group of lepers? Are there lessons that we can learn from them…from their encounter with Jesus? I certainly think so.

1.They approached Jesus and cried out for mercy.
In other words, they humbly brought their needs to the Lord. This is a pretty good definition of what prayer is. Time apart from the normal routine is a wonderful opportunity to double-down on our prayer practices (and maybe even discover some new practices).

2.They took a step of faith.

When Jesus told them to go and show themselves to the priests, they hadn’t been cleansed yet. They still had leprosy. Why would they need to show themselves to the priests to be declared “clean” when they were not yet clean? But they took a step that way, and it was on the way that were made clean.

3.One came back and praised God and gave thanks to the Lord.

One person– the Samaritan (who was a “double” outcast) – stopped, came back, and said, “Thank you!” Jesus told this thankful Samaritan to go his way, and that his faith had made him “well.” He had already been cleansed of leprosy… but his gratitude, combined with his faith, gave him a new level of wellness.

What if we could learn a new rhythm of living, not only in quarantine times, but when these troubled times pass? What if we could learn a rhythm of prayer, faith, and gratitude? My prayer is that we can all come through this and into a new level of “wellness!”

Join us this Sunday by livestream (through our church website or church app) or on Facebook Live.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Sam