Leviticus 14:19-31: a reflection

19“The priest shall offer the sin offering, and make atonement for him who is to be cleansed because of his uncleanness. Afterward he shall kill the burnt offering; 20then the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the meal offering on the altar. The priest shall make atonement for him, and he shall be clean. 21“If he is poor, and can’t afford so much, then he shall take one male lamb for a trespass offering to be waved, to make atonement for him, and one tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering, and a log of oil; 22and two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, such as he is able to afford; and the one shall be a sin offering, and the other a burnt offering. 23“On the eighth day he shall bring them for his cleansing to the priest, to the door of the Tent of Meeting, before the LORD. 24The priest shall take the lamb of the trespass offering, and the log of oil, and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD. 25He shall kill the lamb of the trespass offering. The priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering and put it on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. 26The priest shall pour some of the oil into the palm of his own left hand; 27and the priest shall sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his left hand seven times before the LORD. 28Then the priest shall put some of the oil that is in his hand on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on the place of the blood of the trespass offering. 29The rest of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he shall put on the head of him who is to be cleansed, to make atonement for him before the LORD. 30He shall offer one of the turtledoves, or of the young pigeons, which ever he is able to afford, 31of the kind he is able to afford, the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, with the meal offering. The priest shall make atonement for him who is to be cleansed before the LORD.”

In the rite for cleansing one who has been healed, God makes gracious provision for the poor: if the person cannot afford the usual offering, they may bring a smaller one, and be just as truly cleansed. If he is poor, the law says, and can't afford so much, then he shall take one lamb and, instead of more, two turtledoves or two young pigeons, such as he is able to afford. God does not require of the poor what they cannot give; he makes a way for them to be cleansed with a lesser offering, one they can afford, and the atonement is just as real. God's grace accommodates our poverty, making a way for all to come to him, whatever their means. This shows God's gracious provision that the poor might come to him, whatever their means. God makes a way for the poor to be cleansed, whatever their means. God's grace accommodates our poverty. God does not require what we cannot give. God makes a way for all to come to him.

Notice the graciousness of this provision for the poor. The ceremony of cleansing required an offering; but God made allowance for those who could not afford the usual offering. If a person was poor, they could bring a smaller, cheaper offering, two birds instead of lambs, and be just as truly cleansed and atoned for. God did not shut the poor out of cleansing because they lacked means; he accommodated their poverty, making a way for them to come, whatever they could afford. This reveals something of God's gracious heart. He does not require of us what we cannot give; he makes a way for all to come to him, whatever their means, accommodating our poverty. And this points forward to the gospel, where the way to God is opened not by what we can pay, for the cleansing we truly need is beyond any price we could afford, but is given freely in Christ, so that even the spiritually poorest, who have nothing to offer, can come and be cleansed. God's grace accommodates our poverty, opening the way for all to come to him. God makes a way for all to come, whatever their means. God accommodates our poverty; he does not require what we cannot give. The way to God is open to all, even the poorest. God's grace opens the way for those with nothing to offer.

That is worth resting in, for God's grace accommodates our poverty, making a way for all to come to him whatever their means, as God allowed the poor to bring a smaller offering and be just as truly cleansed. We can feel we have too little to offer God, that we cannot afford to come to him; but God made a way for the poor to be cleansed with what they could afford, and in the gospel opens the way freely to even the spiritually poorest, who have nothing to offer. God makes a way for all. When you feel you have too little to bring to God, remember that his grace accommodates your poverty and opens the way for you to come. Rest in the truth that God's grace accommodates our poverty, making a way for all to come to him whatever their means, as in the rite of cleansing God made gracious provision that if a person was poor and could not afford the usual offering they might bring a smaller one, two birds instead of lambs, and be just as truly cleansed and atoned for; for God does not require of us what we cannot give but accommodates our poverty, making a way for the poor to come and not shutting them out of cleansing because they lacked means, which reveals something of his gracious heart and points forward to the gospel, where the way to God is opened not by what we can pay, since the cleansing we truly need is beyond any price we could afford, but is given freely in Christ, so that even the spiritually poorest who have nothing to offer can come and be cleansed, and when we feel we have too little to bring to God we can rest in knowing that his grace accommodates our poverty and opens the way for all to come to him.

Lord, in the rite for cleansing one who has been healed, you make gracious provision for the poor: if the person cannot afford the usual offering, they may bring a smaller one, and be just as truly cleansed. If he is poor, the law says, and can't afford so much, then he shall take one lamb and, instead of more, two turtledoves or two young pigeons, such as he is able to afford. You do not require of the poor what they cannot give; you make a way for them to be cleansed with a lesser offering, one they can afford, and the atonement is just as real. Your grace accommodates our poverty, making a way for all to come to you. Show me the graciousness of this provision for the poor. The ceremony required an offering; but you made allowance for those who could not afford the usual one. If a person was poor, they could bring a smaller, cheaper offering and be just as truly cleansed. You did not shut the poor out of cleansing because they lacked means; you accommodated their poverty. This reveals something of your gracious heart. You do not require of me what I cannot give; you make a way for all to come to you, whatever their means. And this points forward to the gospel, where the way to you is opened not by what I can pay, for the cleansing I truly need is beyond any price I could afford, but is given freely in Christ, so that even the spiritually poorest, who have nothing to offer, can come and be cleansed. Take that to my heart, for your grace accommodates our poverty, making a way for all to come to you. When I feel I have too little to bring to you, help me remember that your grace accommodates my poverty and opens the way for me to come, Lord, given freely in Christ to even the poorest who have nothing to offer.