Day 64: Love and the Least of these

Leviticus 19, 20 and Mark 9:30-50

These chapters give us the origin of Jesus’ greatest commandment, to love. They also chow us how Jesus turns things upside down with his teachings by elevating the least of these.

Leviticus 19

This section continues more prohibitions and rules for faith and practice. This is also where we get one of the most profound statements about the reality of God’s character. Love your neighbor as yourself. Love is a key aspect of God and as people who are seeking to become more Godlike we should seek to love. This verse specifically speaks to loving the alien in your midst.

Lending weight to the cultural verses descriptive for all times nature of some of these passages, in verse 20 we get a specific punishment for men who sleep with slaves that are not their property. They will not be put to death, because she was not free, not really a woman but property. It is hard to imagine that this is attempting to bring justice to a situation. The man is guilty and is to offer sacrifices, but the woman is not addressed. We hopefully see women as individuals, as creations of God, and as not property. Unfortunately, slavery is still alive and booming in our world, so would this section still apply to a person in these situations? I would say no, because even if someone else considers slavery acceptable we who profess in Christ’s lordship over all would have to find it detestable.

Leviticus 20

This chapter addresses punishment and penalties for those found to have broken statues. These include death for those who have sacrificed their children to other gods. These punishments serve to focus the people on the establishment of rituals and cultic practices unique to the nation of Israel.

Mark 9:30-50

Jesus speaks again here of his death and resurrection and the disciples do not understand. It makes me wonder how many times God tells me something before I actually believe it as truth?

There is an argument that starts about who will be the greatest in Jesus’ kingdom. This argument shows us a little bit about where the disciples thought things were headed. They expected a revolution and the positions of power that might come with a new regime. Jesus turns the table by telling them that the least of these is the greatest. Children had no special status in the ancient days, no value in and of themselves. I wonder who Jesus might pull forward today to demonstrate this truth to us?

Jesus then begins a litany of sins and actions. I don’t think Jesus is advocating self-harm or self-mutilation. I believe these are hyperbolic in nature. The idea here seems to be that we cannot acknowledge our sins and then do nothing to correct them. We must be prepared to make changes, even ones seen as drastic, to live kingdom lives.

Day 63: Vampires and Demons

Leviticus 17, 18 and Mark 9:1-29

These sections of scripture remind me of modern day horror obsession with vampires and demons. All the talk about blood leads me to imagine one of the vampires from a popular television series reading this chapter and deciding to become a “vegetarian,” and the casting out of a demon reminds me of other popular shows. Perhaps it is time for a “scary stories from scriptures” show.

Leviticus 17

Again, in Leviticus we are given rules dealing with the killing of animals. This is part of what leads scholars to believe that there are two sources for this particular book. His discussion of the slaughter of animals is twofold. It is placed here to keep people from the practice of idolatry. Apparently, people were sacrificing to other God’s in the fields instead of giving all honor to the One God. It is also to keep people from indiscriminately killing animals without plans to consume them.

This section then continues with the vampires prohibitions. There is to be no eating of blood. Period. Blood is the life source for living things and therefore sacred. Vampires aside, this practice was often associated with the worship of other gods. For someone who prefers all meat well-done, this is not a difficult prohibition to follow.

Leviticus 18

This scripture deals with sexual relations between people. There is an extensive discussion of incest, thirteen verses to be exact. This includes prohibitions of relationships between people related not by blood, but by marriage. I guess no one told soap opera writers about that little nuance.

Of course, the verse that in our day gets the most attention is verse 22. I really struggle to understand our inordinate level of interest in it. Some say that the use of the word abomination is what makes it stand out. I would beg to differ, as the word abomination is used over 100 times in scriptures and we do not have the same reaction to those issues as we do with male on male sexual activity. This word is applied to:

• Eating meat three days after sacrificing
• Egyptians and Hebrews eating at the same table
• Eating birds of prey
• Acts of idolatry
• Using false or unfair weights during exchange
• Mixed marriages

Very few of these things (idolatry perhaps, but only when its not about our own personal wealth or spending habits) get much play in the angry Christian rhetoric of our day. If we do not still hold to these as abominations, why does this one verse seem unchanged?

Proverbs 6:16-19 lists six things God hates and seven that are an abomination to the Lord. Guess what is not found in the list?

16 There are six things that the Lord hates,
seven that are an abomination to him:
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked plans,
feet that hurry to run to evil,
19 a lying witness who testifies falsely,
and one who sows discord in a family.

I think our obsession about this verse says more about us than it does about God.

Mark 9:1-21

Mark continues showing Jesus’ miraculous works as he journeys closer and closer to the cross. Here we have the transfiguration of Jesus, where three of the disciples see Jesus speaking with Elijah and Moses. Dear sweet Peter even offers to build them shrines to dwell in so that all might know of this miracle.

They engage Jesus in a discussion about why Elijah came first, which just seems odd to me. Jesus responds that the prophet came first to offer a way of seeing things as God does, but the people would not listen. Here he might also be referencing John the Baptist and his gruesome ends.

The disciples bring a boy to Jesus who has been held by a demon for years. They were not able to cast the demon out, even though they had successfully healed and cast out demons previously. Jesus’ response reminds me of those snickers commercials where the catch line is “you’re not yourself when you’re hungry.” This response of calling the disciples faithless and crying out about not being with them long seems out of character to the Sunday School Jesus we all know and love.

It is important to remember that Jesus’ ministry is only one year in Mark and very fast paced. JI believe Jesus is earnestly concerned that the disciples are not picking up what he is putting down.

It is here that we find my favorite verse in Mark “I believe, help my unbelief.” This is my prayer quite frequently. Jesus hears this prayer and is able to heal the boy. He later tells the disciples that this one could only come out through prayer.

Day 62: Ritual cleansing and the Ritual of Healing

Leviticus 15, 16 and Mark 8:22-38

These passages both tell us of ritual occurrences. Leviticus talks about the rituals associated with clean and unclean, specifically related to reproduction and reproductive organs. Jesus initiates an odd ritual to heal a man.

Leviticus 15:

This chapter deals specifically with reproductive organs and the laws associated with them. It is a hard section to read for many modern readers. The idea of blood and semen and other body excretions being ritually unclean is difficult. The ancients seemed to have equated the loss of these things with the loss of life, or potential life and therefore saw them as signs of death.

The discharge spoken of is an abnormal discharge, more than likely gonorrhea.

Again, with the iniquity! Men are “unclean” until sundown after ejaculating, as are the beds they are on, cloths, and any woman who is with him. Women however are unclean for seven days after their menstrual cycle. It is interesting that they can stay at home, clean and cook for others without the others becoming unclean during this time period.

Leviticus 16

In priestly theology, it is the transgressions that are willful or brazen committed by the people who make the Holy of Holies impure enough to be cleansed once a year. The priest gives an offering for his sin and other priests sin before offering up a sin offering for the people and a scapegoat for the transgressions of the people. The scapegoat carries the sins of the people away from the camp into the wilderness where they can no longer make things impure.

Mark 8: 22-38

Jesus again takes someone aside and heals them using a ritual that includes spit, and putting his fingers in their ears. Two things that are less than comfortable for this preacher to think about. He tells this individual to not even go back to the village. Jesus knows that his time is running short and each excited new believer gets him closer to hot water.

Jesus then talks openly with his disciples about his death and resurrect. Peter rebukes him and Jesus rebukes back. I wonder how often I have told God that God could not, should not behave in one way. I wonder if I am willing to admit to being rebuked.

Day 61: Homes and Yeast

Leviticus 14 and Mark 8:1-21

In Leviticus, we continue with the priestly orders for declaring people, things and homes clean or unclean. In Mark Jesus continues to try to teach his disciples that the kingdom of God is unlike anything they have reference for in their lives.

Leviticus 14:

This passage gives rites for purification of those suffering from scale illnesses. It also however addresses homes, specifically homes that seem to have some sort of disease, perhaps like mold. What is unique to me are the rituals for discussing cleanliness of homes. They only fall under the first set of steps to clean or rather declare clean. If the disease is not stopped by the removal of stones and plaster affected, then the house is destroyed.

This I’m sure is twofold. One, people are worth more time an effort to find clean. And, a house cannot make the sanctuary unclean because it cannot enter the sanctuary.

Mark 8:1-21

Here we have the account of the feeding of the 4,000 with seven loaves of bread. There are seven baskets left over. There is that number of completion once more!

As they are traveling in the boat Jesus tells the disciples to be wary of the yeast of the Pharisees and Herod. The disciples think he is mad at them for not having enough bread. I can almost see Jesus rolling his eyes and wanting to call them knuckleheads. He just fed 5,000 with 5 loaves and 4,000 with 7 loaves. Jesus has this bread thing down!

Day 60: One Day You're In, the Next You're Out

Leviticus 13 and Mark 7:14-37

These passages draw lines between in and out. That is to say, between what is acceptable and what is not. They both look at those who are out, or outsiders, and those who claim special in status.

Leviticus 13:

Let me confess that I do not like this particular part of Leviticus. As someone with eczema and psoriasis I find it extremely painful to read about being cast out, or seen as unclean because of such conditions. There are distinctions made between raw skin and flaky skin, and how to report, review and make reparations for these conditions.

It is important to note that priests are not physicians. They do not treat or heal. God heals and God alone. The priests are only to give witness to healing and to offer the appropriate responses liturgically for healing. The priest is also charged with making sure that those with conditions that could spread are kept out of the community until healing has been confirmed.

Mark 7: 14-37

Jesus teaches here about what comes out of a person making them unclean. He here seems to declare all foods clean well before Peter’s vision of the sheet coming down from the sky filled with unclean animals.

This passage has my personal hero, the Syrophoenician woman. This woman who by all accounts is outside of the chosen people still dares to stand in Jesus’ presence and claim a right to the love of God. His claiming heals her daughter. Too often people turn her into an object lesson, but I think she genuinely is a child of faith, unapologetically asking God for what she needs. I wish I was that bold.

Then we have Jesus healing a man who had been deaf and mute. Jesus takes him aside, takes him out of the city, and heals him completely. There is something interesting about Jesus taking him out of the city so that he can be welcomed back into society.

Day 59: Clean Hands and Dirty Hearts

Leviticus 11, 12 and Mark 7:1-13

This section of Leviticus begins the rules of clean and unclean. Clean in this regard is speaking about ritual cleansing, not washed in the way we think of clean. Jesus also talks with people about being clean in Mark. Jesus explains that clean doesn’t mean the same thing as people have made it seem.

Leviticus 11:

This chapter begins the discussion of clean and unclean. We get a list of what animals, birds, bugs, fish etc. are clean. I find it very interesting that there is such a specific list of birds that are unclean. I’m also surprised that crickets, locust, and grasshoppers are clean.

Leviticus 12

This chapter enters the more personal of the clean and unclean standards. I am perturbed that there is a different level of ritual cleansing from a male verses a female child. 7 days unclean for male, 14 days for female. They can be cleansed 33 days after a male and 66 after a female. We are not given the reason for these differences.

Mark 7:1-13

Religious leaders complain to Jesus that his disciples do not eat with clean hands. This accusation does not mean that they forgot to scrub well, it refers to ritual washing to be done before eating. Jesus points out how hypocritical this line of thinking is. While the rules may say, honor mother and father, there were ways around them by declaring things a gift to God. If these things were to be used as a gift to God, usually after one’s death, they could not be used now to care for loved ones in need. Jesus says that hearts that would allow such actions are unclean.

Day 58: Food as Holy Offering and Receiving Holy Food

Leviticus 8, 9, 10 and Mark 6:30-56

Leviticus today talks about the ordination of Aaron and his sons while relying heavily on the topic of food. Where and when to eat holy offerings specifically. Mark talks to us about holy food in a completely different manner.

Leviticus 8

This section begins the actual carrying out of the statements God has made to Moses concerning the ordination of Aaron’s sons. I find it particularly interesting that the prophet, Moses, is so obviously held in higher authority than even the head priest, Aaron. The fact that this is noted in a priestly document is surprising food for thought. Perhaps this is one of the reasons that the leadership/priests of Jesus’ day were not so keen on him. They did not want to be under a prophet’s authority.

Of note in the account of offerings is that the most holy offerings, such as ordination, could only be eaten by a priest within the sacred sanctuary court. The priestly portions however of other sacrifices could be taken home and eaten by the family in any clean place.

By the way, did you catch our favorite number 7 once more? Seven days for ordination rites to be complete.

Leviticus 9

Now that Aaron is ordained he steps up and begins actually leading the sacrifices that Moses has done previously. The fire from the Lord that burns the offering is a sign that the Lord will be with the people in a very visible way, through fire and cloud.

Leviticus 10

Aaron’s sons offered unholy fire before the altar of the Lord. This caused the Lord to send out fire to kill them in front of the altar. I cannot begin to imagine this. And we talk about worship wars now.

Aaron is silent, he does not complain after two of his sons are killed. Unlike the people of Israel on the whole, Aaron is willing to accept good and judgement at the hands of God, apparently. Or he was afraid that the fire would consume him as well.

God speaks to Aaron directly here and talks with him about the importance of being sober when in the presence of the Lord and the tabernacle. This is still genuinely good advice for anyone leading a worship service.

Mark 6:30-56

Jesus is with his disciples and acknowledges that they need some time away after their going out into the world to perform healings and other signs and wonders. I can identify with the need for rest, for a break, for time in an isolated place.

The crowds however, find them, as they usually do. Jesus has compassion on them and teaches for a long time. It is getting to be dinner time and the disciples tell Jesus to send the people away to get food. Jesus says “You give them food.”

Initially this is a shocking statement to me. How does Jesus expect them to feed a crowd that large without a caterer or at the very least food trucks? But then I remember that these men had been out in the world performing miracles already. If you could heal leprosy, why would you not be able to figure out bread?

Jesus is exasperated by their lack of faith, and asks them to count the food present. Five Loaves and 2 Fish are brought forward. Jesus has them sit down in groups of 50 and 100, then he blesses the food and has the disciples begin handing it out.

I’ve often called this the first potluck meal. I do not for a second believe that no one in that crowd had any supplies or food stuffs. I think that in a society of scarcity there would have been very few who were willing to offer up those resources. But when they are set down in smaller groups, groups where you are faced with the reality of the hungry faces of your neighbor, I believe you are more likely to share even what little you have.

I do not believe that how the miracle occurred, because getting food insecure individuals to share is miraculous, in anyway diminishes the miracle or Jesus’ capability to perform such signs and wonders. He could have turned the dirt in front of them to an all you can eat fish and bread buffet. The point to me is that even a small amount of faith goes a very long way.

Day 57: Offerings and Homecoming

Leviticus 6, 7 and Mark 6:1-29

This section of Leviticus give us accounts of offerings to God. In Mark we learn about Jesus’ homecoming experience (hint: Your first homecoming was probably better!)

Leviticus 6

Listed here are offerings for the sins of robbery, failure to care for something entrusted to you, and defrauding another. These are things to do to help make restitution in society and with God. Defraud here more than likely refers to not giving someone the agreed upon or fair wages, or withholding wages for some negligible reason. The people were to repay the amount plus one fifth. These particular rules dealt with the person offering the gift, not the priest receiving it.

As chapter 6 continues we are given rules of offerings applying specifically to the priests. This section speaks directly to the leaders of worship to tell them what is and what is not acceptable for them to eat from an offering or sacrifice. Somethings were never to be eaten, fat and blood. Others were okay in certain instances. You could eat from a sin offering, but not from an atonement sacrifice.

Leviticus 7:

Chapter seven continues the rules for priests concerning offerings. Each priest was to eat whatever they were the ones to sacrifice. There are two exceptions to this. One, the raw grain offering was to be divided between the whole of the priests. Two, the breast of the beast was to be divided among all of the priests, but the individual priest was allowed to keep the right thigh.

I will add that, once again, I am so thankful to not have to participate in these sacrifices.

Mark 6:1-29

Jesus returns to his hometown of Nazareth. He is not welcomed with open arms. People do not believe in him, they do not accept him, and there is very little he is able to do among them because of their unbelief. He does, Mark tells us, heal a few people.  Perhaps the saying is true, you can never go home again.

Jesus sends out the twelve, two by two, to cast out demons and heal. They are able to perform great deeds in his name. So great that word of Jesus and the disciples spreads all the way to the home of Herod, the “king”.

Herad is convinced that Jesus is John the Baptist, risen from the dead. Why would he think that? Here Mark gives us the account of the death of John the Baptist. It tells us that Herod had a guilty conscience and was afraid of facing judgement for his sins. Remember that according to the rules in Leviticus you are not guilty of sin until it is revealed to you. This is the instance I believe when Herod realizes his blood guilt.

Day 56: Sacrificial Rules and the Unclean Women

Leviticus 3, 4, 5, and Mark 5:21-43

These passages tell us about rules for sacrifice and healing of a girl and a woman. The rules presented here help to highlight the rule breaking people accused Jesus of committing.

Leviticus 3

This section begins the rules for sacrifice and offerings. Chapter three talks about sacrifices made by or for an individual. Well-being offerings, which are spoken of in Chapter 17 also, are for all meat that is eaten. This prevents the idea of mass slaughter by reminding everyone that all life has meaning. This sacrifice could be male or female.

Leviticus 4

This section of rules contains that lovely number of completion, the number 7. These are specific rules for the priests to follow as they begin sacrificing in the tent of meeting. There is to be an ash heap outside of the tent that is only to contain the remainder of the now sacred sacrifice. I also found it interesting that the sin offerings were different depending on your place in the nation of Israel.

An ordained priest must sacrifice a bull for their sin offering (an offering for sin that you did not know at the time was sin, but later were convicted of its sinfulness) If the religious leaders led the whole assembly of Israelites to sin one bull was to be sacrificed. The elders laid hands on it as a way of representing the whole of Israel. If a ruler sins they could sacrifice a male goat. If a regular everyday person sins and later learns and repents, they could sacrifice a female goat.

Leviticus 5

When you became aware of sin you have guilt and must bring an offering. This awareness is important to the nature of the offering. The writers also allowed a sliding scale for those in different economic ranges.

There is also the idea that the sacrifice or the equivalent must be given. This refers to when a sacred object has been made unclean or damaged. The person must give the amount to replace the item and give a sacrifice or extra silver that would equal the cost of a sacrifice and the priests would do a sacrifice for them.

Mark 5: 21-43

This portion of Mark contains the story of Jarius’ daughter and the hemorrhaging woman. Mark loves to tell stories by splitting one in half and inserting another story. These stories are called intercalations. I had a New Testament professor who called them sandwich stories. These two events relate to and help interpret one another.

There are many similarities in these accounts. We do not know either females names. These unnamed women both have illnesses. The woman has been hemorrhaging for 12 years while the girl is 12 years old. The woman touches Jesus’ clothing to be healed. Jesus touches the girl and heals her. The woman has been “unclean” for 12 years, exiled from community because of her illness. The girl is thought to be dead and will now be put out from the community. Her death would make her unclean.

What do you think Jesus might be saying about the designations of clean and unclean?

Day 55: The Priests Manual and the first Missionary

Psalm 90, Leviticus 1, 2 and Mark 5:1-20

These chapters give us the first priests instruction manual, a discussion of human nature verses God’s nature, and the sending out of the first missionary.

Psalm 90

This Psalm gives us a comparison between the eternal nature of God and mortals. This passages is called Moses’ prayer and it sounds much like what we might have expected Moses to say to God on the mountain when he is asking for mercy for the people of Israel. The psalmist says that people gain wisdom with age, hopefully, even though that wisdom is limited because they do not live long. He also asks God to give value to the work of the hands of God’s people.

Leviticus 1

Leviticus is called the Priests Manual. The purpose of priests was to teach the difference between common and uncommon, clean and unclean. The priests helped set the cultic culture of the Israelites.

There are believed to be two different sources for Leviticus; P, the priestly code, and h, the Holiness code. H, or the Holiness code, is thought to be the later because it appears to comment on and have redaction of P.

In this chapter we are given instructions of offerings. These are the parts that make me want to skip this book all together. The thing I find interesting is that the people are a part of the ritual by choosing the sacrifice and doing the slaughtering. Aaron’s sons, the priests, only step in as silent intercessors.

Leviticus 2

We get more details about offerings in this chapter. Offerings by fire are food offerings, they bring smoke, but are not burnt up. The priests are allowed to eat these gifts. No leaven or honey can be included in the offerings for aromas, but salt must always be included.

Mark 5: 1-20

Jesus goes into the land that is primarily Gentile land. When he crosses the lake he meets a man shackled to stones, who bruises himself with rocks, and is naked. The people have chained him because his demons that some say might have been some form of mental illness.

There are a lot of plays on words in this passage. The demon says its name is “Legion”. A legion is a unit of 6,000 Roman troops. Tombs, demons and pigs were all considered unclean by Jews. The pig herd of 2,000 would have been there to feed Gentiles or the Roman occupying forces. There is an element of humor to the Legion being cast into the swine and hurled off of a cliff.

The most interesting part of this whole account to me is the people’s reaction. They see the demoniac clothed and in his right mind and they are afraid. After the miracle of healing they are scared. They are so scared that they beg Jesus to leave. How often are we scared by changes in others? When have we reacted with fear to something being different than we knew it before?

The man begs to leave with Jesus and Jesus tells him no. The man is sent out into the ten cities to share the good news. He becomes the first missionary to the Gentiles.