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I've recently been reading the book of Leviticus.

Can I be honest for a moment? Will you promise not to judge me?

I hate reading the book of Leviticus. I know as a Christian I'm supposed to love every last page of the Bible. I'm supposed to say "ah what I great love letter that God has written to us." But this book...I understand that I'm supposed to love it and glean wisdom from every word... 

But c'mon. 

As I read these words written thousands of years ago it seems that nearly everything made you "unclean". And the rituals involved in making you clean again were long and bloody. Seriously bloody. Also no trimming your sideburns guys.

But here's where this gets interesting for me. As I read the gospels it seems that Jesus is breaking the levitical law all over the place.

Let me be clear: Jesus said he came to not to do away with the law, but to fulfill it. The book says he was sinless. I believe it. Otherwise I am wasting my time.

But  Jesus didn't avoid touching the people that would make a person unclean under the levitical law. He touched the twelve year old girl that died and raised her to life when you are never supposed to touch a dead body. He allowed the woman with the "issue of blood" to touch him and she was healed when you not to go near a woman during the "issue of blood". He laid his hands on the lepers (big no no) and spit in the dirt as rubbed it on blind men's eyes.

These are all actions that make you unclean.

But the thing is Jesus never caught the disease. He spread life. He wasn't made unclean by touching these people, but rather he made them clean. He spread the good infection.

It was almost as if he considered these people more important that following the rules. Like it was more important to him to spread life rather than fear death.

I don't know...

When I was younger one of my Christian friends would joke that as Christians "we don't smoke, don't chew, don't hang out with those that do." Meaning that we don't hang around with "those" people. They are unclean. We are clean. Christians are afraid to spend time and be real with "those" people because by hanging around with "them", we will be dragged down. Made unclean.

But Christ is our leader. Our head. We should do what he did, right? I want to believe that because of the Christ life in me I spread life to them that need it. Not that they bring me down.

I'm not perfect. Please don't think that's what I'm saying. But what I am saying is don't be afraid of "sinners". Don't be afraid of their "dirt". Those kinds of titles just separate us from the hurting rather than us going in with the healing power of Christ.

Get your hands dirty like Christ did. Let your heart break with the heart broken like He did. After all we are his body, right?

Chad Messer
8/27/2013 11:15:22 am

Thanks. I kinda needed this.

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David Helms
8/27/2013 11:34:01 am

dude, If you this was any kind of helpful to you then that is the greatest compliment I could receive.

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claire
8/29/2013 07:38:24 pm

haha! Leviticus! i'm glad i didn't live in that timeline. those rules were unbearable. Thank you Jesus. &onward to spreading this good infection. :)

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David
9/3/2013 10:34:27 pm

You're absolutely right, Claire. I'm sure I wouldn't be able to hold up under all those laws. I will be forever grateful to Jesus for taking that burden for me.

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