Blemishes that Exclude

A Living Faith
Who Understands Faith?
Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch

Leviticus 21:16-24

The Message

^16-23 God spoke to Moses: “Tell Aaron, None of your descendants, in any generation to come, who has a defect of any kind may present as an offering the food of his God. That means anyone who is blind or lame, disfigured or deformed, crippled in foot or hand, hunchbacked or dwarfed, who has anything wrong with his eyes, who has running sores or damaged testicles. No descendant of Aaron the priest who has any defect is to offer gifts to God; he has a defect and so must not offer the food of his God. He may eat the food of his God, both the most holy and the holy, but because of his defect he must not go near the curtain or approach the Altar. It would desecrate my Sanctuary. I am God who makes them holy.”

²⁴ Moses delivered this message to Aaron, his sons, and to all the People of Israel.

For Reflection

Now, I ask you, "Why would God send a message regarding the exclusion of defective people through Moses, a man with a speech defect and a murderer?"  Yes, I know this is old testament,  Yes, I know this is the book of laws. Yet, the question is puzzling.

Perhaps from a literal perspective, some folks were mentally or physically not able to carry on the functions of priesthood.  But, the passages make more sense when bathed in the light of Christ and the new testament. If understood as a metaphor, one might interpret the passage; blind to the Spirit, unable to offer a helping hand, unable to carry the word or stunted in spiritual growth.

For those who are unable mentally of physically, we are cautioned not to treat them discriminatively in any other way.  On the contrary, we are obligated to serve them in Christian hospitality as full members of the household of God.

For those who are defective in spirit, the same obligation binds us to their service.

Christ revealed how to adhere to the intent of the law even if we were confused about how to adhere to a law that was declared well over two thousand years ago in a context we can only imagine. All of us are defective in some way.  Yet, God uses us weak though we may be.  One who is blind may see the Spirit far more clearly than a fully sighted person.  Only God can judge our worthiness.

Pray

for those who are stunted in Spirit,  Pray for those who are blind to the truth in Christ.  Pray for those bodies and minds are scared by sin.  Pray for forgiveness for those things which you have done and that appear as scars on your mind and body.  Pray that you will fulfill your obligation to the grace of God in humility and Christian hospitality.