Lev 14-15 Clean is no small thing

February 5th, Leviticus 14-15

       Today's chapters bring us some word about being declared clean from leprousy. Again it's about the regulations surrounding it, but an actual story might go something like this...
       There is something not right about a few spots on your hand. You hear rumors of what leprousy looks like and you begin to be cautious about every physical interaction. The condition seems to worsen over the coming weeks, you look at your wife and kids and decide it might be best for you to go see the priest who confirms your worst fear. You are Unclean.  You don't go home again, your escorted to the edge of the city. There your family will bring you your belongs. You step forward to interact with your family one last time. As you step forward, they step back and you see in their eyes what you will see in everyone's eyes for the rest of your days... fearful pity.
       Never again will you embrace your wife. Never again will you wrestle with, tickle, or throw your kids up in the air. Everything has changed. You will walk the streets proclaiming unclean, unclean. The human touch you long for will never be yours again. ( let's not treat each other like lepers during cold and flu season. Human touch has more value than staying germ free. It's  kind of like the Adventures in Missing the Point I talked about on Sunday.)
       When you read these stories about being declared clean, I encourage you to fill in the blanks with what a personal story might look like. The rejoicing that comes from being pronounced clean, the rejoicing today that you and I can be pronounced clean because of what Christ has done for us. Rejoicing that Jesus has taken care of our banishment outside the city and allowed us to be in fellowship because of forgiveness. So lets live this day free to touch people with the love of Christ.