Leviticus 13:45-52: a reflection

45“The leper in whom the plague is shall wear torn clothes, and the hair of his head shall hang loose. He shall cover his upper lip, and shall cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ 46All the days in which the plague is in him he shall be unclean. He is unclean. He shall dwell alone. His dwelling shall be outside of the camp. 47“The garment also that the plague of leprosy is in, whether it is a woolen garment, or a linen garment; 48whether it is in warp or woof; of linen or of wool; whether in leather, or in anything made of leather; 49if the plague is greenish or reddish in the garment, or in the leather, or in the warp, or in the woof, or in anything made of leather; it is the plague of leprosy, and shall be shown to the priest. 50The priest shall examine the plague, and isolate the plague seven days. 51He shall examine the plague on the seventh day. If the plague has spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in the skin, whatever use the skin is used for, the plague is a destructive mildew. It is unclean. 52He shall burn the garment, whether the warp or the woof, in wool or in linen, or anything of leather, in which the plague is, for it is a destructive mildew. It shall be burned in the fire.

The laws about serious skin disease required the afflicted person to live apart, outside the camp, crying Unclean, unclean, cut off from the community and from worship. It was a heavy isolation, a separation from others and from the fellowship of God's people, added to the affliction itself. The uncleanness did not only afflict the body; it separated the person from community, sending them to dwell alone, outside.

Notice the isolating power of this uncleanness: it separated the afflicted from community and worship, sending them to dwell alone, outside the camp. Beyond the physical affliction, there was this deep separation, cut off from others, from fellowship, from the worshiping community. It is a picture of how uncleanness, and beneath it sin, isolates: it separates us from God and from others, sending us, in a sense, outside, alone.

That isolating power of uncleanness finds its answer in Christ. Sin, like the disease, isolates, separating us from God and from the fellowship of his people; it sends us, in a sense, outside, alone in our defilement. But Christ did the unthinkable: he touched the unclean, went to those outside the camp, and bore their uncleanness himself, to bring them back into fellowship. He was himself, at the cross, cast outside, that we might be brought in. If you feel isolated by your sin or your shame, cut off, outside, alone, know that Christ has come to those outside the camp, has borne the uncleanness that isolates, to bring you back into fellowship with God and his people. The uncleanness that sends us outside, alone, has been borne by Christ, who was cast outside for us; do not stay in the isolation of your sin, but come to the One who bore your uncleanness to bring you back in.

Lord, the laws about serious skin disease required the afflicted to live apart, outside the camp, crying unclean, cut off from community and worship; a heavy isolation added to the affliction, a picture of how uncleanness, and beneath it sin, separates us from you and from others, sending us outside, alone. Show me the answer to that isolating power in Christ. Sin, like the disease, isolates, separating me from you and from the fellowship of your people; it sends me, in a sense, outside, alone in my defilement. But Christ did the unthinkable: he touched the unclean, went to those outside the camp, and bore their uncleanness himself, to bring them back into fellowship. He was himself, at the cross, cast outside, that I might be brought in. If I feel isolated by my sin or my shame, cut off, outside, alone, help me know that Christ has come to those outside the camp, has borne the uncleanness that isolates, to bring me back into fellowship with you and your people. The uncleanness that sends me outside has been borne by Christ, who was cast outside for me; keep me from staying in the isolation of my sin, and help me come to him, who bore my uncleanness to bring me back in. Thank you for bringing me in, Lord, in Christ.