Leviticus 15:7-11: a reflection

7“‘He who touches the body of him who has the discharge shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. 8“‘If he who has the discharge spits on him who is clean, then he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. 9“‘Whatever saddle he who has the discharge rides on shall be unclean. 10Whoever touches anything that was under him shall be unclean until the evening. He who carries those things shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. 11“‘Whomever he who has the discharge touches, without having rinsed his hands in water, he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.

Among the laws of purity in Leviticus are provisions in which uncleanness spreads by contact: whatever an unclean person touches becomes unclean, and whoever touches those things must wash and be unclean until evening. Uncleanness, in this system, was contagious; it spread from the unclean to the clean by touch, so that contact with what was unclean made one unclean. This is worth pausing on, for it shows how, in the old order, uncleanness was the stronger force: the clean did not make the unclean clean by touching it; rather the unclean made the clean unclean. But when Christ came, he reversed this. Where uncleanness once spread by contact, Christ's touch instead made the unclean clean: he touched the leper, and the leprosy was cleansed; his purity was the stronger force, cleansing rather than being defiled. In Christ, the direction is reversed: not uncleanness spreading to the clean, but his cleanness overcoming the unclean. Christ's touch makes the unclean clean, reversing the old contagion.

Notice the direction of the old order, and how Christ reverses it. In the law, uncleanness spread by contact: the unclean made the clean unclean, and the clean could not cleanse the unclean by touch. Uncleanness was the stronger, more contagious force. But Christ reversed this. When he touched those who were unclean, the leper, the sick, the dead, he was not defiled by them; rather, his cleanness overcame their uncleanness, and they were made clean. His purity was the stronger force. Where the old order feared contamination, Christ brought cleansing; where uncleanness once spread to the clean, his cleanness now overcame the unclean. This is a wonderful reversal: the One who is holy touches what is unclean not to be defiled but to cleanse it. In Christ, we do not fear that our uncleanness will defile him; rather his cleanness overcomes and cleanses our uncleanness. His touch heals and purifies what it meets. Christ is the stronger force, cleansing rather than being defiled. His holiness overcomes our uncleanness.

That is worth resting in, for Christ's touch makes the unclean clean, reversing the contagion of uncleanness. We can feel that our uncleanness, our sin, our defilement, would only spread and contaminate, that we dare not bring it near what is holy; and in the old order, uncleanness did spread to the clean. But Christ reversed this: his cleanness overcomes our uncleanness, his touch makes the unclean clean, as he cleansed the leper he touched. We need not fear that our uncleanness will defile him; his purity is the stronger, and cleanses us. When you feel your uncleanness would only contaminate, remember that Christ's touch makes the unclean clean. Rest in the truth that Christ's touch makes the unclean clean, reversing the old contagion in which uncleanness spread to the clean, as he cleansed the leper he touched rather than being defiled; for in the old order uncleanness was the stronger force, spreading from the unclean to the clean, but in Christ the direction is reversed, his cleanness overcoming our uncleanness, so that we need not fear our defilement will contaminate him, but can bring our uncleanness to him whose touch makes the unclean clean, his holiness the stronger force that cleanses what it meets.

Lord, among the laws of purity in Leviticus are provisions in which uncleanness spreads by contact: whatever an unclean person touches becomes unclean, and whoever touches those things must wash and be unclean until evening. Uncleanness, in this system, was contagious; it spread from the unclean to the clean by touch. This is worth pausing on, for it shows how, in the old order, uncleanness was the stronger force: the clean did not make the unclean clean by touching it; rather the unclean made the clean unclean. But when Christ came, he reversed this. Where uncleanness once spread by contact, Christ's touch instead made the unclean clean: he touched the leper, and the leprosy was cleansed; his purity was the stronger force. Show me the direction of the old order, and how Christ reverses it. In the law, uncleanness spread by contact: the unclean made the clean unclean, and the clean could not cleanse the unclean by touch. Uncleanness was the stronger, more contagious force. But Christ reversed this. When he touched those who were unclean, he was not defiled by them; rather, his cleanness overcame their uncleanness, and they were made clean. Where the old order feared contamination, Christ brought cleansing. This is a wonderful reversal: the One who is holy touches what is unclean not to be defiled but to cleanse it. Let me rest in that, for Christ's touch makes the unclean clean, reversing the contagion of uncleanness. I can feel that my uncleanness, my sin, my defilement, would only spread and contaminate, that I dare not bring it near what is holy; and in the old order, uncleanness did spread to the clean. But Christ reversed this: his cleanness overcomes my uncleanness, his touch makes the unclean clean. When I feel my uncleanness would only contaminate, help me remember that Christ's touch makes the unclean clean, Lord, and bring my uncleanness to him whose holiness is the stronger force that cleanses what it meets.