Leviticus 14:1-32

Luke 17:11-19 is where you can find the story of the ten lepers whom Jesus healed.  Reading the passages in Leviticus about what was required to live as a leper under the Old Testament system, from diagnosis to healing and cleansing, gives a greater appreciation for what was required for these lepers to be declared clean again and accepted back into society.  Interesting, isn't it, that the one leper who turned back before he had even reached a priest was a Samaritan?  It was quite a lengthy process to be cleansed, as we see here in chapter 14.  I suppose you could try to make the excuse that the other nine intended to return to Christ and thank him after they were finished with the purification process.  Only the Samaritan had good sense, though, to realize that he may or may not find Jesus again so easily, that maybe it was more important to praise God and thank his Savior than to go through the rituals.  After all, didn't God say, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit" (Psalm 51:17) and "I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings" (Hosea 6:6).  There are some things God prizes above the fulfillment of rituals.  Granted, the Old Testament Law should not be looked upon as merely ritual: this is what was required to live in the presence of the Holy God, as the Israelite camp did day-in and day-out.  It was simply that God did not desire the rote practice of the Law, but rather that the Law be practiced out of a loving and obedient heart.  Such a heart the Samaritan had, and likely retained throughout the protracted ceremonies.  But I wonder, what about the other nine?

(I sure hope I'm not stealing my own thunder for Luke 17!  But then, it is another year and a half before I'll come to that passage, so maybe it won't matter, or I'll be struck by something else completely then.)

Note: I've actually been working on this short post all day, off and on.  While I'd like to devote time in the morning to this, I can't say I can complain about being in and out of the Word all day, with these things twirling around in my mind like good background music.