Readings for today: Leviticus 11-14
God’s stated goal for His people is for them to be holy as He is holy. “Make yourselves holy for I am holy. Don’t make yourselves ritually unclean by any creature that crawls on the ground. I am God who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Be holy because I am holy.” (Leviticus 11:44-45 MSG) Yes, in Christ the ceremonial laws of Leviticus have been fulfilled. We no longer need to worry about clean and unclean animals. (See Peter’s vision in Acts 10.) We no longer need to fear being made unclean by touching lepers or coming into contact with the dead. Through His shed blood, Christ has not only washed us clean (in the Levitical sense) but also sanctified us permanently! This is incredible to think about as we read about the rituals the Israelites had to perform.
It’s so tempting to read the Bible through western eyes. We read these chapters and immediately our hearts go out to those individuals who are hurting like those who contract leprosy. Leprosy was considered a highly contagious disease in ancient Israel. One they took very seriously. Those with leprosy were removed from community. They were isolated. Quarantined. Often grouped together in colonies where they struggled to survive. They were not allowed to mix with healthy people. They were barred from corporate worship. The local priests - who also served as frontline healthcare workers in their communities - monitored their care closely with the goal of restoring them to fellowship as soon as possible. But most westerners reading these texts react to their pain on a visceral level. We can’t get our heads around why they would be cast our of their homes and separated from their families. We fundamentally believe such measures are unjust and unrighteous. But there is another angle here as well. Reading these chapters through Middle Eastern eyes brings us to a much different conclusion. While we acknowledge the pain and suffering of the individual, we also acknowledge the need to protect the community. When an individual becomes “unclean” by contracting a disease, they are often isolated in order to stop the spread. The same might be true in cases of habitual or addictive sin as well. For example, a Christian recovering from alcohol addiction would need to isolate themselves from situations where temptation might rise that would cause them to drink. Practically speaking, these chapters from Leviticus show us what it means to put the needs of others before our own. To put the needs of the wider community above our own. To sacrifice for the greater good of those around us.
As an aside, it’s fascinating to read these passages in the wake of a global pandemic. These are good words to prayerfully consider as we reflect on our experiences over the past few years. How do we balance the needs of the most vulnerable and less vulnerable in our community? How does the needs of others factor into our decision-making? When is the right time to put the good of the community above our own? When have we gone too far? These are very complex questions and there are no easy answers. Global pandemics impact every sector of society and the public health issues are multivalent. One response here has unintended consequences over there. We need to be praying for our leaders to seek God’s wisdom for the good of our communities and the welfare of our cities.
Holiness, for the Israelites, was a way of life. It impacted their diet, their homes, childbirth, the way they treated disease, and their interactions with others. Why did they follow these laws? What motivated them to break dishes when something unclean fell into them? Or make the sacrifice to remain outside the camp for long periods of time? They fundamentally believed holiness led to human flourishing. They believed God’s ways were better than their ways and would result in greater blessing. Do we believe the same? Do we believe the way of Jesus is better than our way? Do we believe the life Jesus offers us is truly abundant? Do we believe following His commands will lead to blessing? This is the challenge set before us by Old Testament books like Leviticus.
Readings for tomorrow: Leviticus 15-18