Leviticus 13:24-28: a reflection

24“Or when the body has a burn from fire on its skin, and the raw flesh of the burn becomes a bright spot, reddish-white, or white, 25then the priest shall examine it; and behold, if the hair in the bright spot has turned white, and its appearance is deeper than the skin, it is leprosy. It has broken out in the burning, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is the plague of leprosy. 26But if the priest examines it, and behold, there is no white hair in the bright spot, and it isn’t deeper than the skin, but has faded, then the priest shall isolate him seven days. 27The priest shall examine him on the seventh day. If it has spread in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is the plague of leprosy. 28If the bright spot stays in its place, and hasn’t spread in the skin, but is faded, it is the swelling from the burn, and the priest shall pronounce him clean, for it is the scar from the burn.

These instructions concern how a priest was to examine a skin condition arising from a burn, to determine whether it was a serious disease or merely a healing scar. And notice the care and patience required: the priest was to examine it closely, and if the matter was not clear, to isolate the person for seven days, then examine again, watching whether it had spread or faded, before pronouncing a verdict. No hasty judgment was allowed; careful, patient examination was required.

Notice the patience built into the process: examine, wait, examine again. The priest was not to rush to a conclusion; where the matter was uncertain, he was to isolate and wait, and only after careful observation over time reach a verdict, distinguishing a real disease from a mere scar. The concern was to judge rightly, and that required looking carefully and patiently, not jumping to conclusions.

That care is a model for how we form judgments about people and situations. We are prone to hasty judgment, to reaching conclusions quickly on first appearances, without careful, patient observation. But rightly judging, whether a situation, or a person, or a matter before us, often requires the same care the priest was to show: looking closely, waiting where things are unclear, observing over time, before we pronounce a verdict. Do not rush to judgment on first appearances. Take the care to look closely, to wait where a matter is uncertain, to observe over time, before you conclude, so that you judge rightly and not hastily. The patient care the priest was to show in examining is a wisdom we need in judging the people and situations before us; do not jump to conclusions, but look carefully and judge rightly.

Lord, these instructions required a priest to examine a skin condition with care and patience, isolating and waiting where the matter was unclear, and examining again before pronouncing a verdict, so that he would judge rightly and not hastily. Make that care a model for how I form judgments about people and situations. I am prone to hasty judgment, to reaching conclusions quickly on first appearances, without careful, patient observation. But rightly judging, whether a situation, a person, or a matter before me, often requires the same care the priest was to show: looking closely, waiting where things are unclear, observing over time, before I pronounce a verdict. Keep me from rushing to judgment on first appearances. Help me take the care to look closely, to wait where a matter is uncertain, to observe over time, before I conclude, so that I judge rightly and not hastily. Give me the patient care to look carefully and judge rightly, rather than jumping to conclusions about the people and situations before me.