Scripture

 If you unintentionally touch anything of human origin that is unclean, whatever it may be, you are guilty as soon as you realize what you have done.

~Leviticus 5:3, GNB

Quote

The miracle of Christ were not an interruption of the natural order, but the restoration of the natural order.

~Jurgen Moltmann

In the Old Testament and the sacrifical system, the Israelites were forbidden from touching certain things that were considered unclean. Things such as a dead animal, a human corpse or even a person that was considered unclean like a leper. The moment you touched the unclean, you became unclean and repentance an sacrifices were offered for restoration. Or course the Israelites and later the Jews became very exclusive. Many people including lepers, cripples and social outcast were not allowed in the Temple area. The Jews of Jesus day were self-righteous, proud and hypocritical. They would not dare touch a leper but they didn’t mind foreclosing on a widow woman. In this culture, sinners were outcast and untouchable. Righteous people made sure they avoided sinners. This is the bad news; now for the GOOD NEWS!

Jesus reversed this order. Instead of avoiding the unclean, Jesus was attracted to them. He was hated by the bigoted Jews because, as they said, “He was a friend to sinners.” Jesus reversed the Jewish system. They had moral disgust for sinners and suffers and Jesus had love and compassion for sinners and sufferers. Everywhere Jesus went he restored things to their proper order. Man was not created to be blind, cripple or eaten up with leporsy. Jesus restored the broken, the hurting to God’s intended purpose. He touched the unclean and they became clean. As Thomas Goodwin the Puritan said, “Jesus was God’s love covered with flesh.” We cannot possibly exaggerate His love and compassion. Being the pure and spotless LAMB of God, He could have passed judgment on everyone He met, but He didn’t. He did not come to judge; He came to seek and save. When He returns, I think we will see Him as Judge, but the door of mercy is still open and Jesus is ready to show compassion on all who come to Him in repentance and faith. Since I am a sinner and have no righteousness or my own, this is good news.

Extra

My new book of Psalms came in yesterday. It is by Dietrich Bonhoeffer and I am excited to get into it. I will let you know what I think. I am currently on Chapter Six of Dana Ortlund’s book on Jesus, the Gentle and Lowly {The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers}. I am loving it. I finished Perelandra last week and Noah has loaded OUT OF THE SILENT PLANET. One of my goals is to read everything Lewis wrote: it is a much bigger goal than I had imagined.

I hope you have a great day and thanks for reading the blog.