Notes on Leviticus 11-13
Now beginning in Chapter 11 we are given a list of foods that are clean and unclean. It is important for us to remember these are physical word pictures of what should be taking place in us spiritually. In Mark 7:1-23 Jesus declared all foods clean since they do not enter the heart but pass through the body. From His teaching it is apparent that the real issue is what is taking root in our heart.
I have farmed for years and seem to have a constant battle with weeds. Weeds are living plants that grow and make the farm less productive. If left unchecked weeds can crowd out an entire crop making it a total loss. Perennial weeds are more difficult because they often spread through the root system even though they start with a seed.
Today we are exposed to all kinds of clean and unclean things in all forms of media. We are also exposed to what friends, coworkers, neighbors, believe. When we are exposed to what we see and hear we can choose to consider it, believe it, or discard it. The longer we consider it or believe it we are giving it the opportunity to make its way from the mind to our heart. So, it is important that we are able to discern the clean from the unclean. If we allow the unclean to reside in our mind, our home, our clothing, or whatever else we identify with, it is like being struck with leprosy.
Leprosy in those days was an infectious skin disease that was incurable. It seemed to come from within and show up on the outside but its roots run deep. The same is true for sin. This is why leprosy is a symbol for sin in the Bible. We may think that we can resist these unclean influences in our life and allow them a place to exist, but we are only fooling ourselves. It is important that we learn to discern between clean influences and unclean influences and deal with them before they take root in our heart. At a seminar I attended years ago the teacher who was a chaplain said, “Every dysfunction comes out in a crisis.” We may think we are not influenced by the unclean things of life and have everything under control but when we experience a life crisis what is really hidden and has taken root in our heart will make its way out in our words and actions. That might not be pretty. We need to beware that what has taken root in our heart was first planted in our mind. The earlier we weed these things out the better. Better to fill your heart with the clean influences of life like the word of God than the current yet ever changing things of the world.
Jesus offers us living water.
Pastor Dave