First, let's make our case more complicated. In Matthew 15:11, Jesus emphatically declares that nothing that goes into one's mouth has the power to make them spiritually unclean, but rather what comes out of one's mouth. The heart of a person is what ultimately matters, often discerned through conversation. So is Jesus dismissing centuries of sacred standards, that He Himself established?
We find our answer in two New Testament texts, Galatians 3:19a and Romans 7:7. Paul explains that the laws were to set boundaries for a burgeoning nation to create an orderly existence. No nation can function cooperatively without laws. Secondly, as we read in Romans 7:7, God was preparing the world for Jesus. He created a system of laws and rituals to bring about a revelation to all mankind for our need for redemption, for a Savior. All of these laws were a representation of the holiness of God, a standard unattainable by human effort yet vital for relationship with our Creator, the great conundrum. Our greatest need is to be in relationship with Him yet His holiness is our impossible obstacle. All the laws are our teacher, to learn the lesson of the depravity of humanity and our desperate condition apart from the forgiveness that is only found in Christ and the capacity for personal, spiritual transformation that is only possessed through His indwelling Spirit.
As we continue to read Leviticus, our thoughts must not be questions regarding which of these am I to uphold today but rather, a declaration of dependence, "Oh God, apart from you and your grace, what a wretched man/woman I am... but one who is moving ever forward, being transformed, changed, re-born, a living sacrifice, ever deeper into the depths of eternal life, steps towards Christ likeness, no matter how inconsequential they may appear to be, I will not relent!"
Pastor Fred
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