Ministry to the unclean – Leviticus 13:45-46 (February 10, 2012)

Scripture:

Leviticus 13:45-46 Anyone with such a defiling disease must wear torn clothes, let their hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of their face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’   As long as they have the disease they remain unclean. They must live alone; they must live outside the camp.

Observation:

The ordinances given the people of Israel concerning infectious skin diseases were both necessary and healthful for the community.  In an age where medicine was folk technology and contracting illnesses often a death sentence, it was beneficial to keep such disease apart from the general population.  For that reason, people with leprosy, dermatitis or any of many skin diseases were to be set apart from the community.  Certainly other plagues are recorded that were likely influenza or chronic conditions of the respiratory system, but since the skin disease could be easily seen, those with the infection were targeted for quarantine.  But together with the physical separation came a separation of shame.  They needed to “look the part” so others would avoid them.  Wearing torn clothing, keeping their hair disheveled and their lower face covered were clear signals to others that one was approaching that should be avoided.  The thought of the ostracism of a former full-fledged, high-standing member of the community to be plunged into this existence shows the real damage done by the disease.  The cry: “Unclean! Unclean!” was heard even up to the time of Jesus.  Its proclamation was often falsely tied to sin of the sufferer or his/her family, anything to single out the person and give the illusion that the disease could not happen to “us” or “me” (whoever “us”and “me” were).  Since there was no cure for these conditions, unless the Lord interceded, this would be the end of the life of the sick person as a worthwhile human being.  Their isolation “outside the camp” was perhaps more tolerable than their isolation from their dearest loved ones.  This was a hard rule, but one that would keep disease away from the masses nonetheless.

Application:

I must, I MUST resist the spirit of this law.  The ministry of Father Damien Day, who ministered to the lepers isolated to the island of Molokai, Hawaii and contracting the disease himself unto his death, shows the heart of Jesus towards this practice.  Of course Jesus healed lepers, I have that and rejoice in His power and pray without ceasing for the healing of those I know of.   I also rejoice in the development of cures to these maladies though certainly many remain incurable.  It is a shameful part of my culture that we still separate the diseased.  We don’t dress them funny and make them holler their state for everyone to hear.   But we certainly don’t listen to their suffering hearts either; we stay far from death and dying until we have to go there ourselves.  Oh, let me go to them, let me hug them and lend them my ear and my heart.  Let me record their stories and know their pain.  I remember AIDS patients in the 80s who were among the angriest sufferers I have known.  Their complaint: they had done things resulting in their death that others had done and were still doing with impunity and immunity.  My society throws these people away just as ancient Israel did, not because of the fear of infection but because their story doesn’t have a happy ending.  Or does it?  If I believe in the next life, in the power of Jesus Christ to raise believing people from the dead unto His eternal kingdom, then I must work to make their endings happy ones.  There  .. is .. always .. hope.  If I believe nothing else, it is that God saves and delivers from the second death.  And knowing that, I must do whatever I can to bring that life into this one through thought, word and deed.  Let me be as diligent in this as I am in doing any work-a-day toil, communicating everlasting life to the dying.  For certainly we will all die some day.

Prayer:

Father I thank You for this brusque reminder of what life is like without grace, the loveless rule of law that can deepen rather than relieve suffering.  Grant me a path that runs counter to this shame, that I might see You as the lifter of the heads of those who are put down like this.  In Jesus’ name, come and save, Hosanna!  Amen.