WEBVTT 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:04.000 So we are studying our way through the book of Leviticus. 00:00:04.160 --> 00:00:06.799 We today are in chapters 13 and 14. 00:00:06.959 --> 00:00:08.880 Last week we were in 12 and 15. 00:00:08.960 --> 00:00:12.000 Here's just as a review, here's what we've been saying. 00:00:12.240 --> 00:00:21.359 We've been saying, number one, the Bible is a meta-narrative, one big story of God's rescue of us in Jesus. 00:00:21.519 --> 00:00:26.000 And that is true in every book of the Bible, and that's even true in a strange book like Leviticus. 00:00:26.079 --> 00:00:26.800 We've been saying this. 00:00:26.879 --> 00:00:34.640 Number two, the Old Testament, generally teaching the Old Covenant of Law, leads us to the New Testament, generally teaching the new covenant of grace. 00:00:34.799 --> 00:00:37.520 We saw that in the scripture reading this morning. 00:00:37.759 --> 00:00:42.000 Number three, Leviticus helps the New Testament book of Hebrews come alive. 00:00:42.079 --> 00:00:46.799 We've been seeing that over the last couple of months, that Hebrews is an outworking of Leviticus. 00:00:46.960 --> 00:00:48.799 These two pair together. 00:00:48.880 --> 00:00:57.280 And then as we see number three, we see number four, Leviticus gives us a lens to gaze all the more at the loveliness of Jesus. 00:00:57.520 --> 00:01:03.039 When I told a friend of mine that we were going to study the book of Leviticus, he got really excited, which is kind of rare. 00:01:03.280 --> 00:01:06.879 And he said, Ah, oh, Leviticus, it's amazing. 00:01:06.959 --> 00:01:09.519 It's the most Jesus-y book of the Bible. 00:01:09.760 --> 00:01:12.640 And I thought, what is he talking about? 00:01:15.280 --> 00:01:17.680 It just seemed like a bunch of ritual and rules. 00:01:17.760 --> 00:01:25.040 But what we've been seeing as we've been studying is, in fact, it is an incredibly Jesus-centered book. 00:01:25.200 --> 00:01:27.280 Now let's remember the structure of Leviticus. 00:01:27.439 --> 00:01:30.480 Chapters 1 through 16 take us somewhere. 00:01:30.640 --> 00:01:33.920 1 through 15 take us into 16, and 16 is the Day of Atonement. 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:34.879 We're working our way there. 00:01:34.959 --> 00:01:37.439 We will get to the Day of Atonement next week. 00:01:37.599 --> 00:01:40.400 And then out of that is the outworking of it. 00:01:40.640 --> 00:01:47.200 And so we can think about it sort of as climbing a mountain to arrive at the summit. 00:01:47.680 --> 00:01:57.840 The structure of Leviticus is just like we're climbing up a mountain back and forth to get to this pinnacle of the book, which is in the middle of the book, which is the Day of Atonement. 00:01:58.000 --> 00:02:01.280 And then out of that we learn more things. 00:02:01.439 --> 00:02:02.719 But it's just the climbing. 00:02:02.879 --> 00:02:05.760 Up we go, up we go, back and forth, up we go. 00:02:06.159 --> 00:02:08.080 There's a hike in Teton National Park. 00:02:08.159 --> 00:02:11.360 One of my favorite hikes is called Amphitheater Lake. 00:02:11.599 --> 00:02:14.639 The first time I was on this hike, started off with my buddy. 00:02:14.719 --> 00:02:20.159 He had been on a few times, hiking through a lovely little forest over a little creek, and then we start up a ridgeline. 00:02:20.319 --> 00:02:30.080 That ridgeline starts you up, and you're, you know, you're warming up, and then you hit the range, the Teton range, and then for five miles, you just go switch back, back and forth. 00:02:30.240 --> 00:02:33.360 I have a picture here, so there you can kind of see you go down the valley. 00:02:33.520 --> 00:02:36.960 Okay, oh, that's lovely up the ridge line, and then you hit this switchback section. 00:02:37.039 --> 00:02:45.919 There's 18 switchbacks, and you just go back and forth, back and forth across this thing, and the sun's coming up, and you're getting hot, and about switchback 12. 00:02:46.000 --> 00:02:48.400 I look at my buddy and was like, like, how much longer? 00:02:48.560 --> 00:02:53.039 Like, like like, and what I was asking is like, is this like is this worth it? 00:02:53.280 --> 00:02:54.960 Is this like wearing me down? 00:02:55.039 --> 00:02:56.719 Like, is this gonna be worth it? 00:02:56.879 --> 00:02:58.960 This is sort of the experience of Leviticus. 00:02:59.039 --> 00:03:00.800 Like, we're going, like, is this worth it? 00:03:00.960 --> 00:03:03.599 Like, last week we had to study bodily discharge. 00:03:03.680 --> 00:03:05.120 I don't know, you might not have been here. 00:03:05.360 --> 00:03:07.680 Like, that's not on a banner outside of a church. 00:03:07.840 --> 00:03:10.800 Discharging Jesus, you know, newcomer Sunday. 00:03:10.960 --> 00:03:16.319 We're gonna talk about your discharge, and it's gonna be really impactful for your life. 00:03:16.479 --> 00:03:18.000 Um, doesn't happen, right? 00:03:18.159 --> 00:03:19.919 And then today we're talking about disease. 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:22.000 It's like, oh, all this labor, like, is it worth it? 00:03:22.159 --> 00:03:23.120 Like, where are we headed? 00:03:23.199 --> 00:03:26.000 Why in the world is all of this here? 00:03:26.479 --> 00:03:27.520 Is it worth it? 00:03:27.759 --> 00:03:29.520 And all these switchbacks going up. 00:03:29.599 --> 00:03:33.199 This mountain, it takes you up to Amphitheater Lake, and you get this, oh, this is so lovely. 00:03:33.280 --> 00:03:33.919 This is beautiful. 00:03:34.080 --> 00:03:36.719 This is what Leviticus is doing for us, chapters 1 through 15. 00:03:36.800 --> 00:03:37.520 It's like switchbacks. 00:03:37.599 --> 00:03:45.439 Up we go, up we go, up, so that we can see this day of atonement all the more clear, so that we can see Jesus all the more lovely. 00:03:45.919 --> 00:03:51.599 Let's reread Hebrews 10 before we jump into Leviticus 10, 4, 5, and 9. 00:03:51.680 --> 00:03:55.360 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 00:03:55.520 --> 00:04:01.599 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he does away with the first in order to establish the second. 00:04:01.759 --> 00:04:09.280 And by that will we have been made sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 00:04:09.520 --> 00:04:19.360 So two weeks ago, Leviticus 12 and 15, weird passage, bodily fluids today, diseases, so easy to go. 00:04:19.519 --> 00:04:22.000 This is this is why I don't read the Bible, right? 00:04:22.160 --> 00:04:23.680 This is so easy, these chapters. 00:04:23.839 --> 00:04:25.680 Like, this is exactly why I don't care. 00:04:25.920 --> 00:04:29.360 But what we have to remember is these people had no modern science. 00:04:29.519 --> 00:04:32.399 This is thousands of years ago, to ancient people. 00:04:32.480 --> 00:04:35.600 They had no hospitals, they had no antibiotics. 00:04:35.759 --> 00:04:46.959 In their context, thousands of years ago, for them to receive insight into these very practical parts of life for their well-being, this was huge for them. 00:04:47.199 --> 00:04:51.600 For them, this was God caring for them in the most practical way. 00:04:52.240 --> 00:05:00.399 If your child gets strep throat, you probably call your doctor and you go, like, I think I think she has strep. 00:05:00.480 --> 00:05:09.199 And the doctor goes, like, hey, let's just make sure, I'll call in the antibiotic, you know, no worries, it'll be there an hour, and you swing by CVS, and three days later your kid's fine. 00:05:09.279 --> 00:05:09.439 Right? 00:05:09.519 --> 00:05:10.560 Like that's just normal. 00:05:10.720 --> 00:05:11.680 We do that all the time. 00:05:11.920 --> 00:05:17.439 Thousands of years ago, if your kid got strep throat, maybe they get better. 00:05:17.680 --> 00:05:21.519 Maybe they get a lot worse and then they get better. 00:05:21.759 --> 00:05:24.959 Maybe they get a lot worse and they die. 00:05:25.279 --> 00:05:27.519 That would just be incredibly common. 00:05:27.759 --> 00:05:32.879 So God speaks into this fragility of life that these ancient people live. 00:05:33.040 --> 00:05:37.199 We can read it and we can get nitpicky of like this has nothing to do with me. 00:05:37.279 --> 00:05:40.639 But for these people, this was God caring for them. 00:05:40.800 --> 00:05:42.319 Incredible insight for them. 00:05:42.480 --> 00:05:44.480 So, Leviticus 13, 1 through 3. 00:05:44.639 --> 00:06:04.079 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, When a person has on the skin of his body a swelling or an eruption or a spot, and it turns into into a case of leprous disease on the skin of his body body, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest, or to one of his sons the priest, and the priest shall examine the diseased area on the skin of his body. 00:06:04.240 --> 00:06:12.240 And if the hair in the diseased area has turned white and the disease appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is a case of leprous disease. 00:06:12.480 --> 00:06:16.399 When the priest has examined him, he shall pronounce him unclean. 00:06:16.639 --> 00:06:21.360 So point number one is this God cared for the entire life of his people. 00:06:21.839 --> 00:06:28.720 This chapter is about disease flesh, open wounds, skin disorder, but mainly it's about leprosy. 00:06:28.879 --> 00:06:32.240 Leprosy is this horrible disease that attacks the nerve cells. 00:06:32.399 --> 00:06:38.639 As it attacks the nerve cells, those areas, the cells don't work together, those body parts go numb, they begin to rot. 00:06:38.720 --> 00:06:43.680 Here's an image of I just pulled online of a guy who's losing his fingers because of leprosy. 00:06:43.920 --> 00:06:49.600 There's no medical schools, there's no mayo clinic, there's no urgent care you're gonna swing by. 00:06:50.160 --> 00:06:57.199 All they knew was somebody sick with this leprous disease. 00:06:57.279 --> 00:07:00.879 And if somebody else gets near them, then they end up sick. 00:07:01.600 --> 00:07:07.600 So here in Leviticus, for the health of the community, people who had leprosy are isolated. 00:07:07.839 --> 00:07:09.199 It's a very detailed chapter. 00:07:09.279 --> 00:07:12.720 We also get this insight, Leviticus 13, 40 and 41. 00:07:13.120 --> 00:07:16.879 If a man's hair falls out from his head, anybody? 00:07:17.040 --> 00:07:22.160 Uh he is he's bald, he's clean. 00:07:22.399 --> 00:07:30.079 If a man's hair falls out from his forehead, he has baldness of the forehead, he is clean. 00:07:30.399 --> 00:07:32.079 So where are bald men? 00:07:32.319 --> 00:07:35.360 You don't have to raise, we can see you, you don't have to raise your hand. 00:07:36.000 --> 00:07:39.120 Very clean scalps, see today. 00:07:39.759 --> 00:07:40.959 And you can be encouraged. 00:07:41.040 --> 00:07:42.879 The Bible is so relevant for you. 00:07:43.279 --> 00:07:44.560 You are clean. 00:07:44.879 --> 00:07:46.160 God has deemed you clean. 00:07:46.319 --> 00:07:47.920 Bald men, you are clean. 00:07:48.160 --> 00:07:51.839 Now, if you were deemed unclean, any of us, here is what happened. 00:07:52.000 --> 00:07:53.920 Leviticus 13, 45 and 46. 00:07:54.000 --> 00:08:04.319 The leprous person who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, unclean, unclean. 00:08:04.480 --> 00:08:05.839 Can you even imagine? 00:08:06.879 --> 00:08:19.120 Walking around in the thing that you are ashamed of, the thing that separates you and isolates you, that you have to walk around and proclaim that shame out loud. 00:08:19.839 --> 00:08:23.839 Verse 46, he shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease. 00:08:24.079 --> 00:08:25.120 He is unclean. 00:08:25.279 --> 00:08:29.360 He shall live alone, his dwelling shall be outside the camp. 00:08:29.839 --> 00:08:36.159 So this was for their health, and it's beginning to point them to something greater because attention developed. 00:08:36.320 --> 00:08:41.919 And the tension was the dread of being declared unclean, right? 00:08:42.080 --> 00:08:47.120 Do you remember when you were declared COVID positive and it was just like, you know, you're banished? 00:08:47.279 --> 00:08:51.440 It's like, can you imagine thousands of years ago? 00:08:51.919 --> 00:08:54.559 And you are banned from the community for good. 00:08:55.360 --> 00:09:02.399 Once uncleaned, the question is like, could somebody know me and love me? 00:09:03.279 --> 00:09:04.320 Is that possible? 00:09:04.559 --> 00:09:08.720 Point number two is this the greatest blessing and is God's presence with us. 00:09:08.879 --> 00:09:11.440 The greatest blessing is God's presence with us. 00:09:11.600 --> 00:09:23.679 Leviticus shows us for these people to be isolated, cut off from God's people, and the experience of God's presence, this was a miserable experience for them. 00:09:25.360 --> 00:09:28.159 You remember, you remember COVID, the Rona? 00:09:28.559 --> 00:09:30.480 I always say we barely had it, Marietta. 00:09:30.559 --> 00:09:32.799 Like Atlanta had Atlanta really had coronavirus. 00:09:32.879 --> 00:09:35.519 Marietta, we kind of like barely had it, but we had it, right? 00:09:35.759 --> 00:09:37.759 And we were just it's just gonna be two weeks. 00:09:37.919 --> 00:09:38.639 It was just two weeks. 00:09:38.799 --> 00:09:41.279 We're gonna take a break for two weeks, right? 00:09:41.519 --> 00:09:50.559 And so uh Sam and I started recording our church services and posting them online, and we were doing it Saturday mornings, right? 00:09:50.639 --> 00:09:51.919 Every the whole calendar's freed up. 00:09:52.080 --> 00:09:54.879 So we're like, let's put it Saturday mornings and put close to Sunday. 00:09:55.039 --> 00:09:57.840 And then we realized, like, y'all don't know when we're recording this. 00:09:58.000 --> 00:09:59.919 So we started recording it Thursday at lunchtime. 00:10:00.080 --> 00:10:02.639 It's like, let's just go ahead and knock it out, right? 00:10:03.039 --> 00:10:11.519 And I had Sundays off for the first time in 20 years, and I was like, so this is what y'all are doing. 00:10:13.200 --> 00:10:15.120 It was amazing. 00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:21.919 We'd go for like a morning hike, have brunch, have mimosas, I'd go fishing. 00:10:22.159 --> 00:10:24.480 It's like this is unbelievable. 00:10:24.799 --> 00:10:26.000 Unbelievable. 00:10:26.720 --> 00:10:32.559 And we watched church online, which was wonderful for two weeks. 00:10:33.600 --> 00:10:35.039 And then I'm fast forwarding. 00:10:35.120 --> 00:10:36.799 I'm the pastor and I'm fast forwarding. 00:10:36.879 --> 00:10:38.399 I'm like, we can speed this up. 00:10:38.559 --> 00:10:41.840 Like, we don't really, we don't really need to watch all this. 00:10:43.279 --> 00:10:48.960 And then in June of that year, we at we as a church reopened in June of that year, we had those luxury aisles. 00:10:49.120 --> 00:10:52.399 We removed every other aisle, and you could just sort of like roam around. 00:10:52.559 --> 00:10:56.159 You could actually get out of your aisle once you sat down, it was amazing. 00:10:56.480 --> 00:11:01.519 And we would sort of like from a distance high-five each other and like fake hugs and all that. 00:11:01.679 --> 00:11:16.639 But what I remember was after a couple months of not being with God's people and hearing God's people sing to be together, like that experience was so emotional. 00:11:16.799 --> 00:11:30.399 And maybe you've had that as you've been away from church for a long time, and then you finally walked in, or maybe you remember that coming back from COVID and you walk in, and it's just quite emotional because you've been away. 00:11:31.759 --> 00:11:36.080 God's presence that we experience with each other is powerful. 00:11:36.320 --> 00:11:40.000 God's presence in our lives, period, is powerful. 00:11:40.240 --> 00:11:42.720 And I I love I love a good mimosa. 00:11:43.120 --> 00:11:45.600 Like, and I I love to fly fish. 00:11:45.679 --> 00:11:57.039 I mean, the idea of a cutthroat trout on a tight line at a mountain street, I'm like, there's nothing better, and I can I can't believe I'm gonna say it, but that's just a taste of God's presence. 00:11:57.279 --> 00:12:02.720 Like the best thing you can come up with is a taste of God's presence. 00:12:02.960 --> 00:12:05.919 It's to point us onward to a greater reality. 00:12:06.240 --> 00:12:06.639 C.S. 00:12:06.879 --> 00:12:15.759 Lewis said it this way we are half-hearted creatures fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us. 00:12:16.000 --> 00:12:24.480 Like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. 00:12:24.720 --> 00:12:26.639 We are far too easily pleased. 00:12:26.879 --> 00:12:34.320 The psalmist in Psalm 63, one through three worded it this way O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you. 00:12:34.480 --> 00:12:41.600 My soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. 00:12:41.759 --> 00:12:48.320 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory, because your steadfast love is better than life. 00:12:48.480 --> 00:12:50.000 My lips will praise you. 00:12:50.240 --> 00:12:53.759 Our hearts long for God's presence. 00:12:54.639 --> 00:13:03.360 Now, while Leviticus 13 presents all these problems, this disease to be deemed unclean, Leviticus 14 gives us provision. 00:13:03.600 --> 00:13:05.519 The priest steps in as the redeeming role. 00:13:05.600 --> 00:13:07.200 It's an incredibly detailed chapter. 00:13:07.279 --> 00:13:10.159 We won't go through it verse by verse, but here's how it works out. 00:13:10.320 --> 00:13:16.960 Verses 1 through 9 is the ritual that an unclean person can become clean again to come back into the community. 00:13:17.120 --> 00:13:21.440 Verses 10 through 20 is the offering of atonement offered by the unclean person. 00:13:21.600 --> 00:13:23.200 It's their first act of worship. 00:13:23.440 --> 00:13:31.360 Verses 21 through 32, there's a provision for people who are poor and they can't afford an atoning sacrifice. 00:13:31.600 --> 00:13:37.440 And then verses 33 through 57 are details of what to do if a house or a garment is infected. 00:13:37.600 --> 00:13:43.519 So incredibly detailed, incredibly relevant to their lives as ancient people, and it's filled with hope. 00:13:43.600 --> 00:13:51.200 And it's filled with hope because God provided a way for unclean people to become clean. 00:13:51.840 --> 00:13:56.000 Now, what Jesus says in the New Testament is he takes this and he builds on it. 00:13:56.159 --> 00:13:57.039 He uses it. 00:13:57.200 --> 00:14:06.159 He uses their awareness, their concern of physical health, of being deemed clean or unclean, and he asks them to reflect about their own hearts. 00:14:06.399 --> 00:14:08.480 Luke 5, 31 and 32. 00:14:08.559 --> 00:14:14.799 And Jesus answered them, those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 00:14:15.120 --> 00:14:18.639 I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. 00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:19.120 Right? 00:14:19.200 --> 00:14:21.840 He's saying, let's reflect upon the heart. 00:14:22.080 --> 00:14:23.919 Like how is our how is our heart? 00:14:24.159 --> 00:14:25.679 None of us are perfect. 00:14:26.240 --> 00:14:30.399 But we all want to be cleansed or feel clean or pure. 00:14:30.639 --> 00:14:30.960 Right? 00:14:31.039 --> 00:14:38.799 We know the feeling after a big mess up, a big explosion, and we just feel like you're like, what can I do to make this go away? 00:14:39.759 --> 00:14:42.879 Well, is that gonna be based on your record? 00:14:43.759 --> 00:14:44.960 And how does that work out? 00:14:45.120 --> 00:14:47.200 Like how much merit is enough merit? 00:14:47.360 --> 00:14:49.600 And then what about your thoughts and your motives? 00:14:49.759 --> 00:14:51.519 Like, are we gonna include those? 00:14:51.759 --> 00:14:56.000 I know for me, I can do something incredibly like godly. 00:14:56.080 --> 00:14:59.600 Like I'm thinking to myself, this is unbelievable how godly this is. 00:14:59.679 --> 00:15:01.440 Like this is just this is a god thing. 00:15:01.519 --> 00:15:04.080 We know we say stuff like this is a god thing, it's a god thing. 00:15:04.399 --> 00:15:10.639 And then six months later you look back on it and you're like, oh my gosh, like I was really arrogant about that. 00:15:11.440 --> 00:15:16.320 Or wow, I didn't realize how much selfishness was like woven into that thing. 00:15:16.480 --> 00:15:26.799 So even our godly things have motive and thoughts, and also and the point is, is like we really need Jesus. 00:15:27.039 --> 00:15:29.840 Like the worst of us and the best of us need Jesus. 00:15:30.080 --> 00:15:35.840 And that Jesus, in Jesus, the guilt trip and the performance treadmill are over. 00:15:36.000 --> 00:15:38.080 And we're welcomed into a grace walk. 00:15:38.240 --> 00:15:39.200 That's point number three. 00:15:39.360 --> 00:15:46.480 Jesus as our atonement means we are saved from shame cycles and guilt trips. 00:15:46.559 --> 00:15:49.759 We are saved into a grace walk with Jesus. 00:15:50.000 --> 00:15:52.480 Now, atonement, which we're going to dig into next week. 00:15:52.639 --> 00:16:00.960 Atonement means Christ's death on the cross as offering compensation for the sins of God's people, for your sin, for my sin. 00:16:01.360 --> 00:16:06.399 The death of Jesus allows people to have a blessed relationship with God and is necessary for our salvation. 00:16:06.559 --> 00:16:09.200 We could say it this way: Jesus is enough for you. 00:16:10.320 --> 00:16:12.960 Atonement is God's provision for relationship. 00:16:13.039 --> 00:16:14.080 It's his grace to us. 00:16:14.240 --> 00:16:15.440 Now, what does that mean? 00:16:15.600 --> 00:16:17.039 What does it mean for you? 00:16:17.200 --> 00:16:18.399 How does it affect you? 00:16:18.639 --> 00:16:21.919 Paul Tripp explains the grace walk this way. 00:16:22.559 --> 00:16:26.639 Grace is the most transformational word in Scripture. 00:16:26.879 --> 00:16:32.000 The entire Bible is a narrative of God's grace, a story of undeserved redemption. 00:16:32.240 --> 00:16:48.320 By the transformational power of his grace, God unilaterally reaches into the muck of this fallen world through the presence of his son and radically transforms his children from what we are, sinners, into what we are becoming by his power, Christ-like. 00:16:48.559 --> 00:16:51.200 Grace is a story and a gift. 00:16:51.440 --> 00:17:01.120 Grace will confront you with the fact that you are much less than you thought you were, even as it assures you that you can be far more than you had ever imagined. 00:17:01.279 --> 00:17:04.960 Grace will put you in your place without ever putting you down. 00:17:05.200 --> 00:17:15.279 Grace will enable you to face truths about yourself that you have hesitated to consider while freeing you from being self-consciously introspective. 00:17:15.440 --> 00:17:22.160 It means we can have a spirituality that is growing in awareness and confession without becoming navel gazers. 00:17:22.319 --> 00:17:28.960 So we can both become growing in awareness and confession and also growing in our love to others. 00:17:29.279 --> 00:17:37.119 Tripp goes on to say it this way: In grace, God gives us the only thing that can truly help himself. 00:17:37.359 --> 00:17:48.400 The Spirit of God unzips us and gets inside us, enabling us to desire, think, do, and say the things that fit within the boundaries of his plan and purpose for our lives. 00:17:48.720 --> 00:17:54.160 God will never assign us a task without first giving us the grace to accomplish it. 00:17:54.400 --> 00:18:03.200 He animates and strengthens us with his presence so that we can say no to sin and yes to the call of his kingdom. 00:18:03.920 --> 00:18:10.400 There's a story in the New Testament in Mark chapter 1 where Jesus actually touches a leper. 00:18:11.200 --> 00:18:24.559 Now, if we think about Leviticus 13 and 14, think about ancient people aware of Leviticus 13 and 14, the ramifications on their entire lives for even being near a person with leprosy. 00:18:24.799 --> 00:18:28.559 And then we get this story of Jesus, Mark 1, verse 40. 00:18:28.640 --> 00:18:36.559 And the leper came to him, imploring him and kneeling, said to him, If you will, you can make me clean. 00:18:37.440 --> 00:18:43.920 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, I will be clean. 00:18:44.160 --> 00:18:48.640 And immediately the leprosy left him and he was made clean. 00:18:49.519 --> 00:18:52.880 While everyone else was moving away from this person. 00:18:53.680 --> 00:18:55.039 Moved away from the leper. 00:18:55.200 --> 00:18:57.680 Jesus moved toward the leper. 00:18:59.200 --> 00:19:02.640 Think about these people hearing this story, seeing this happen. 00:19:03.759 --> 00:19:05.200 Jesus risking this. 00:19:05.359 --> 00:19:07.519 I mean what a what a radical. 00:19:08.000 --> 00:19:10.559 This was revolutionary to faith. 00:19:11.359 --> 00:19:13.359 They knew Leviticus 13 and 14. 00:19:13.440 --> 00:19:14.880 They knew the rules. 00:19:15.200 --> 00:19:17.200 I mean, who is this that touches a leper? 00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:22.799 Like, who is it that comes near to you while you're still messed up? 00:19:25.359 --> 00:19:32.799 Who could know me and my guilt and my shame and still love me and still be present with me? 00:19:33.039 --> 00:19:36.880 It's interesting in Leviticus the priest was never allowed to touch the leper. 00:19:38.799 --> 00:19:43.680 Because the leper's disease would be transferred to the priest, and the priest would get sick. 00:19:44.079 --> 00:19:46.720 But this high priest Jesus is different. 00:19:48.079 --> 00:19:51.359 Jesus does not become unclean because of the unclean person. 00:19:51.440 --> 00:19:57.519 Rather, Jesus' cleanness transfers over to the unclean. 00:19:58.559 --> 00:20:03.759 It's an image of the cross where our sin is put upon Jesus and his righteousness is given to us. 00:20:04.799 --> 00:20:08.640 So we're securely his by his work for us. 00:20:08.880 --> 00:20:13.759 So maybe you feel like a leper because you've never fit in. 00:20:14.079 --> 00:20:15.440 Or you were rejected. 00:20:15.599 --> 00:20:17.119 Or you feel isolated. 00:20:17.359 --> 00:20:18.319 Or you're sick. 00:20:18.559 --> 00:20:20.799 Or you haven't been able to get your life together. 00:20:21.039 --> 00:20:26.880 Or you messed up, or you can't quite, you get one thing together, you know, the record is not working out like you thought it would. 00:20:27.119 --> 00:20:29.920 You can't get it all together. 00:20:30.400 --> 00:20:33.839 And Jesus knows all of this about you. 00:20:34.480 --> 00:20:35.119 All of it. 00:20:35.279 --> 00:20:37.920 And he's still moving toward you. 00:20:38.799 --> 00:20:41.519 Like he risked to touch the leopard. 00:20:41.759 --> 00:20:43.920 He comes toward us in our mess. 00:20:44.319 --> 00:20:45.920 And we are fully forgiven. 00:20:46.000 --> 00:20:49.519 And we are fully embraced, fully welcomed as is. 00:20:50.240 --> 00:20:51.440 Let's pray together. 00:20:51.680 --> 00:20:58.000 Jesus, thank you for the full welcome that we know as we are because of who you are for us. 00:20:59.119 --> 00:21:02.880 Thank you that your work of grace is a full welcome. 00:21:04.799 --> 00:21:10.000 And thank you that your work of grace in us, your Holy Spirit will use it for great transformation. 00:21:11.519 --> 00:21:17.039 Help us even more to trust in you for us. 00:21:17.519 --> 00:21:33.039 Help us to learn what it means to turn and heal from guilt driven walk and shame cycles, to walk in grace, to walk with you, and to surrender more and have open hands and open hearts to you. 00:21:33.279 --> 00:21:38.640 May we rest in the full forgiveness we have, the full acceptance and the full righteousness by Christ alone. 00:21:38.799 --> 00:21:39.359 Amen.