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Who Should Wear a Mask?

Who wears a mask in the Bible?

We are in a time where we are all dealing with whether to wear a face mask. Will this become a new fashion item? Will you wear a plain white one or a multicolored one? How did wearing a mask come about? Will you have a choice?

Let’s look into the Bible to see if we can find ancient wisdom concerning face masks. There are many examples of plagues and pestilence in the Bible in a time when there were no prescription drugs, hospitals, or any other many miracles of medicine.  In the Bible, God reveals how He kept the Israelites alive throughout history.

Leviticus 13:45 (NIV)

“Anyone with such a defiling disease must wear torn clothes, let their hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of their face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’”

Understandingly, your eyes may glaze over while reading through Leviticus. The 13th chapter is all about how individuals are dealt with while having a contagious disease. It is about how an individual moves from being unclean to clean. Leviticus is a very relevant part of Scripture at this point in history.

If we believe Scripture has wisdom for all parts of life, we would say from these Scriptures that the sick person, or the individual with the disease, is responsible for not only taking care of their health but also for telling everyone else that they are sick.

Covering the lower part of your face – or wearing a face mask – was the sick person’s responsibility. Healthy individuals did not wear a face mask. If you were healthy, people did not look down on you or scream at you for not wearing a mask.

The sick person was also responsible for letting others know they had a disease. We live in a world where you are praised for being brave and not telling anyone you might be ill. God wants us to care for one another, and sharing you are ill will give others a chance to show love and kindness.

This Scripture has been in the forefront of my thoughts. It seems we are all treating each other like everyone has leprosy. When I am out walking, people go to the other side of the street to keep from passing me. In the grocery store, no one will make eye contact. We are told we cannot stand closer than 6 feet from each other. This is not how God meant for us to live.

When you have time, I challenge you to read in Leviticus God’s instructions to the Israelites on how to handle pandemics. This part of Scripture might change your mind about how you are living at this moment.

Plagues, pandemics, and disasters will always be a part of this world but will you wear a Biblical mask?

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