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Our Purifying Sacrifice

Links for today’s readings:

Read: Leviticus 11-12 Listen: (7:20) Read: Acts 8 Listen: (5:10)

Scripture Focus: Leviticus 12.6-7

6 “ ‘When the days of her purification for a son or daughter are over, she is to bring to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting a year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a dove for a sin offering.  7 He shall offer them before the Lord to make atonement for her, and then she will be ceremonially clean from her flow of blood.

Reflection: Our Purifying Sacrifice

By John Tillman

Ritual impurity or “uncleanness” is not about a “gross” factor. God created women’s bodies, sex, childbirth, blood, and normal bodily functions and is not grossed out by them.

As Lindsey Ponder writes in the notes for the Bible Project podcast episode on the topic, “Ritual impurity is any sign of death, decay, and life outside of Eden (it’s not about a person’s sin). Israel’s laws regarding purity and impurity kept life and death—their own mortality—ever present before them. Because Yahweh is the creator and sustainer of all life, anything dying or exhibiting signs of decay can’t be in his presence.”

When Cain spilled Abel’s blood, the ground cried out, not because it was gross but because death claimed its first human victim. (Genesis 4.10) Blood from the experience of childbirth is also a cry to God. It is the cry of Eve, ever suffering and risking death to bring forth life, anticipating the day that her seed crushes the serpent’s head. (Genesis 3.15-16)

The women “purified” according to Leviticus 12 were purified from a battle with death, not from sin or grossness. Thus Mary, who carried Eve’s seed to term and delivered Jesus, made this sacrifice to celebrate her battle won. (Luke 2.22-24)

Like the Israelites, we live in an unclean world, marked by death and decay. Childbirth is not the only way that we “bleed” in our struggle against sin and death. Our bodies cry out from our first breaths to our last. We “touch” death, or are touched by it, in daily life.

Eve and Mary were called to carry Jesus to the world and so are we. A sword pierced Mary’s soul. (Luke 2.35) We will be no different. When contending for the gospel, standing for the truth, and serving and loving sinners, sin, death, and decay oppose us. They touch us. They can harm us.

Harm may come from enemies or friends who resist righteousness or refuse to see the truth. Suffering insults, frustrations, losses, or deaths, both literal or emotional, we may be embittered, angered, or injured.

We may be tainted by the world’s touch, but Jesus never is. He touches the unclean and cleanses them, speaks to the dead and awakens them.

Whatever harms you encounter, whenever sin, death, or decay touch you, take time to be purified. Be purified in the arms of Jesus, our purifying sacrifice.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Small Verse

Keep me, Lord, as the apple of your eye and carry me under the shadow of your wings.

– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime by Phyllis Tickle.

Read more: Separateness Not Superiority

The Spirit of Christ is within us and we are his body. We have Christ’s power to touch the unclean and make them clean.

Separateness Not Superiority
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Much Given, Much Expected

Links for today’s readings:

Read: Leviticus 10 Listen: (3:25) Read: Acts 7 Listen: (8:49)

Scripture Focus: Leviticus 10.1, 19-20

1 …they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command. 2 So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.

Reflection: Much Given, Much Expected

By John Tillman

Some twist the deaths of Nadab and Abihu to condemn actions they want to condemn.

For example, some use it to critique any innovation or change in modern liturgies or worship, some point to 10.9 to try to make this a passage supporting teetotalism, etc. But this passage is not here for us to use to condemn our pet peeves or support our moral preferences.

In scripture, the simplest answer is usually the best, and the simplest explanation of what happened to them is not some secret hinted-at sin, but simply willful disobedience by those who should know better.

They go before the Lord, together, when only one is supposed to enter. They go before the Lord in place of Aaron, their father. In place of fire from the altar, they use fire from another source. Scripture emphasizes this “strange” or “unauthorized” fire as the main reason for their deaths. They do all this knowingly and willfully.

They had just been through (and we have just read) an extraordinarily long and complex ritual training which included warnings that this exact thing could happen. (Exodus 19.22)  Nevertheless, they ignored all they had just learned, and did things in an unauthorized way.

All sin falls under the same spiritual punishment, but not all sins bring the same severity of consequences in our earthly lives. Willful, purposeful sin is treated differently in scripture than just “being sinful” or committing “unknowing” sins. Anytime we know what is right, yet knowingly, purposefully do something else, we exponentially multiply our commitment to sin and rebellion against God.

The severity of the penalty Abihu and Nadab suffer is related to the level of knowledge and revelation they had and the level of position and responsibility they were given. Jesus said to the Pharisees, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.” (John 9.41) To whom much is given, much is expected. (Luke 12.47-48)

If Abihu and Nadab were given much, how much more have we been given?

We serve a greater High Priest, who offered greater sacrifice, for a greater temple, so we bear a greater responsibility.

We, as priests under Jesus Christ, have been given more than they.
May we knowingly obey rather than knowingly rebel.
May we minister in ways that honor all that we have been given in Jesus.

Divine Hours Prayer: A Reading

Then he went into the Temple and began driving out those who were busy trading, saying to them, “According to scripture, ‘my house shall be a house of prayer’ but you have turned it into ‘a bandit’s den.’” — Luke 19.45-46

– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime by Phyllis Tickle.

Read more: Wandering Sin

“Wandering” or “unintentional” sins must be dealt with once one becomes aware of them, otherwise, they become “rebellious” sins.

Wandering Sin
Read more: Much Demanded

God judges those with little lightly and those with much heavily. This should be sobering to us who are greatly privileged.

Much Demanded—Readers’ Choice

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Organizing Against Corruption

Links for today’s readings:

Read: Leviticus 7 Listen: (5:13) Read: Acts 4 Listen: (5:15)

Links for today’s readings:

Read: Leviticus 8 Listen: (5:06) Read: Acts 5 Listen: (6:49)
Read: Leviticus 9 Listen: (3:18) Read: Acts 6 Listen: (2:35)

Scripture Focus: Leviticus 7.35-36

35 This is the portion of the food offerings presented to the Lord that were allotted to Aaron and his sons on the day they were presented to serve the Lord as priests. 36 On the day they were anointed, the Lord commanded that the Israelites give this to them as their perpetual share for the generations to come.

1 Samuel 2.12-17

12 Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the Lord. 13 Now it was the practice of the priests that, whenever any of the people offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand while the meat was being boiled 14 and would plunge the fork into the pan or kettle or caldron or pot. Whatever the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh. 15 But even before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the person who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast; he won’t accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.”

16 If the person said to him, “Let the fat be burned first, and then take whatever you want,” the servant would answer, “No, hand it over now; if you don’t, I’ll take it by force.”

17 This sin of the young men was very great in the Lord’s sight, for they were treating the Lord’s offering with contempt.

Reflection: Organizing Against Corruption

By John Tillman

Leviticus introduces  “organized religion” to God’s people. People introduced corruption.

The Bible’s first “priest” is the mysterious Melchizedek, to whom Abraham gave a tithe of all his plunder after a battle. Other than that one moment, we don’t read of God-followers in the Old Testament seeking God through priests. They went to God directly.

Yet, in Leviticus, God instituted a system of worship managed by a specifically-called group of people. The priests’ first jobs were all physical in nature. They made the sacrifices, divided and placed the animals on the altar, disposed of the waste, and maintained the Tabernacle and its furnishings with the help of their tribe, the Levites.

In return for this service, God gave them a share of the food offerings that were not burned up. Eventually, the priests’ role expanded to teaching and interpreting the law and ministering to spiritual needs through prayer, counsel, and charity.

Centuries later, Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas, broke the regulations in today’s passage by taking more meat than designated and violating the order of the ritual. (1 Samuel 2.12-17). In addition, they violated young women who worked at the Tabernacle. (1 Samuel 2.22-23) God put Hophni and Phinehas to death in a battle in which the Ark of the Covenant was lost. God punished not just the individuals but the entire system of worship.

Any organization is vulnerable to corruption, even ones instituted by God. Priests, prophets, kings—none of them are invulnerable.

Ezekiel prophesied against wicked shepherds, the kings of his day, that abused power, enriched themselves, and increased the poor’s suffering. God stood “against the shepherds” and pledged to be the good shepherd the people needed. (Ezekiel 34.1-4; 10-16)

Corruption is one of the primary reasons “organized religion” has a poor reputation. Wherever there is corruption in the system, God shares the disgust of those who discover corruption and sets himself against those who would deny it or perpetuate it. We shouldn’t be shocked when God punishes not just corrupt individuals, but organizations.

Those in Christ are part of a specifically-called group of people, the Church. We are “organized” into Christ’s body and called to meet spiritual needs through prayer, counsel, and charity.

We cannot ignore or overlook corruption but we also cannot abandon our posts. Despite, and even because of, corruption, we must fulfill our calling faithfully. We must organize against corruption.

We honor Jesus, our high priest, when we oppose corruption and serve honorably.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Call to Prayer

Worship the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion;

For he has strengthened the bars of your gates; he has blessed your children within you. — Psalm 147.13-14

– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime by Phyllis Tickle.

Read more: Offal Leaders

Malachi describes a de-commissioning…feces from the animal would be smeared on their faces, representing impurity and death.

Offal Leaders—Readers’ Choice
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Jesus Is as Serious as Leviticus

Links for today’s readings:

Read: Leviticus 6 Listen: (4:17) Read: Acts 3 Listen: (3:33)

Scripture Focus: Leviticus 6.1-7

1 The Lord said to Moses: 2 “If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the Lord by deceiving a neighbor about something entrusted to them or left in their care or about something stolen, or if they cheat their neighbor, 3 or if they find lost property and lie about it, or if they swear falsely about any such sin that people may commit—4 when they sin in any of these ways and realize their guilt, they must return what they have stolen or taken by extortion, or what was entrusted to them, or the lost property they found, 5 or whatever it was they swore falsely about. They must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the owner on the day they present their guilt offering. 6 And as a penalty they must bring to the priest, that is, to the Lord, their guilt offering, a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value. 7 In this way the priest will make atonement for them before the Lord, and they will be forgiven for any of the things they did that made them guilty.”

Matthew 5.23-24

23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

Reflection: Jesus Is as Serious as Leviticus

By John Tillman

Leviticus treats sin both as an issue between God and the worshiper and between the worshiper and other humans, not as one or the other.

Sins toward God are dealt with solely through the priest, the sacrifices, and worship. But not all sins are solely toward God and not all sacrifices or actions required for worship are directed towards God.

Jesus reinforced this teaching. He taught that wrongs between humans should be reconciled before reconciling oneself to God. “First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.” (Matthew 5.24)

Think for a moment how impractical this was. You travel several days to Jerusalem and purchase an overpriced goat from the money changers. Right before the sacrifice, you remember that your neighbor is angry about a lost mule they loaned to you. To follow Jesus’ command, you leave the goat with the priest, travel several days home, make restitution to your neighbor (consistent with the instruction in today’s passage), and then return to Jerusalem to deal with your sin before God. Is Jesus being serious here?

Perhaps Jesus was engaging in some hyperbole. Perhaps the point would be to make sure you restore relationships with humans before coming before God. Even if we think Jesus was being metaphorically exaggerative, it is clear that in the New Testament and the Old, restitution is part of the process of forgiveness. When it comes to restitution, Jesus is as serious as Leviticus.

It is an abuse of the Christian concept of forgiveness for people to say to their victims, “Jesus forgave me. Why can’t you?” A victim may grant forgiveness as part of their act of worship. Those who do harm must make restitution as part of theirs.

It is not possible to restore every kind of damage. Even the value of a lost mule could be debated. And what if the wrong we have done transcends a financial cost? How do we calculate the cost of someone’s broken heart, hurt feelings, depression, anxiety, or rage?

We need the Holy Spirit’s help in making or receiving restitution. But if we try to dodge our responsibility to at least attempt to restore wrongs, it shows that we have not truly repented of our sin.

Ask God to guide you in necessary restitution and to desire wholeness for your victims more than you desire forgiveness for yourself.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Cry of the Church

Be, Lord, my helper and forsake me not. Do not despise me, O God, my savior. — The Short Breviary

– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime by Phyllis Tickle.

Read more: Waiting at the Beautiful Gate

Jesus didn’t give us the Holy Spirit for warm, fuzzy feelings in our sanctuaries. The Holy Spirit is given to us to heal

Waiting at the Beautiful Gate — Readers’ Choice
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Awareness is the Signal

Links for today’s readings:

Read: Leviticus 5 Listen: (3:35) Read: Acts 2 Listen: (6:35)

Scripture Focus: Leviticus 5:4-5

4 or if anyone thoughtlessly takes an oath to do anything, whether good or evil (in any matter one might carelessly swear about) even though they are unaware of it, but then they learn of it and realize their guilt— 5 when anyone becomes aware that they are guilty in any of these matters, they must confess in what way they have sinned.

Reflection: Awareness is the Signal

By Erin Newton

Ignorance is bliss—but ignorance doesn’t erase guilt. Leviticus 5 addresses two types of ignorance: doing something wrong unintentionally and doing something wrong through haphazard agreements or careless actions.

The story of Watergate is a well-known historical event about political corruption, named after the hotel where political operatives broke into the opposing party’s headquarters and planted recording machines to eavesdrop on their competition. What is less known is the story of Chuck Colson. Colson was Special Counsel to President Nixon during this time. According to his memoir, when the truth about the Watergate scandal was uncovered, Colson felt the Spirit’s conviction to confess to his participation in some of the illegal actions. His previous cavalier disregard for what was right was abruptly interrupted by awareness. He confessed, was convicted, and spent seven months in prison.

The story shocked the world. Who would admit to such a thing? Especially someone with so much power to get away with it. Who wouldn’t fight back? Yet, when someone does something wrong and confesses (such as Colson’s no contest plea), it is a moment of integrity.

Leviticus 5 highlights the reality that people are creatures of impulse, rash decision-making, and limited knowledge. We are gullible, ignorant, self-centered, distracted, and so easily duped. But such shortcomings are not swept aside. Ignorance is not a valid biblical excuse for error.

Awareness, offering, and making amends in our relationship with God are necessary. It is more than an apology or admitting an error was made. Verse 5 (and our character) hinges on the word “when.”  There is an expectation that awareness will come. How? By knowing truth, seeking wisdom, looking inward, and assessing outward. We are not meant to pursue and guard ignorance.

Plausible deniability is not a virtue God desires.

How do we become aware of our own ignorance? By being present, here and now, with your own life, your relationships and commitments. What are you tied to and invested in? Do you really know that person? That organization? That community? Where have you been and where are you trying to go? Look at your own history and past involvements. Keenly observe the direction you are headed (and with whom).

Where the Spirit convicts, admit errors and make amends.

In each of these areas, awareness is the path to freedom. The difficulty is that awareness demands an action, a correction, a confession.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Refrain for the Morning Lessons

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. — Matthew 5.6 (KJV)

– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime by Phyllis Tickle.

Read more: Jesus, Our Restorer

Jesus not only rebuked Peter, telling him to put his sword back in its place, he put Malchus’s ear back in its place, healing him with a touch.

Jesus, Our Restorer — Good Friday
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