The Spirit You Belong To

Day 19: Leviticus 1–5; Psalms 67–72; Luke 7–9

The priests are instructed on how to make offerings for their unintentional sins and the unintentional and rebellion of the people of Israel through a variety of sacrificial offerings.  Some offerings are simply to return thanks to God for blessings from the field and flock, but some are for covering over sin.  The blood of a sacrificial animal covers over the sinfulness and guilt of the sinner.  It's life is given to cleanse the stain between the sinner and the holy God who will not look upon sin.

There are levels of offense based on position in the community.  If a priest sins he must bring the blood of a bull into the tent of meeting and drop the blood seven times before the veil that covers the Holy of Holies and applied to the horns for the altar of incense. For a leader the blood of a male goat is used and applied to the horns of the altar for burnt offering in the courtyard.  Unintentional sins of the people are carried out in the courtyard before the tent of meeting using the blood of a female goat or lamb.  The greater one's responsibilities to the community, the greater the cost of sacrifice to cover over their sin.

All this is designed to clear away the guilt that stands between God and His people.  Sacrifice restores the broken relationship.   As the people lay hands on the animal their guilt it transferred to the animal and dies with the animal in a sacrifice acceptable to the Lord.

The people come to the tabernacle and the priests trusting in God's mercy.

"God, You know my foolishness,
    and my guilty acts are not hidden from You.  
    Do not let those who put their hope in You"  (Psa. 69:5-6a)

Jesus teaches us about mercy in His interactions with others in Luke 7-9.  In Luke 7:36-50 Jesus is a guest int he home of Simon the Pharisee.  While there a woman of ill repute weeps at His feet, washing them with her tears and dries His feet with her hair.  She also anoints Jesus' feet with costly perfumed oil.  The pharisee doubts Jesus as a man of God because He allows this conduct.  But Jesus points out that those who are forgiven much, love much.  And judgemental folks, like Jesus' host Simon the Pharisee, love little because they have not recognized the depths of their own sinfulness and sought forgiveness.  They love little.

Sadly Jesus' closest disciples are no better.  In Luke 9:51-55 Samaritans are unwelcoming toward Jesus and His party because they were headed to Jerusalem to worship.  There is a long feud between Samaritans and Judeans.  The Samaritans do not recognize Jerusalem as the place to worship, but rather Mt. Gerazim in Shechem.  James and John, the Galilean fisherman who along with Peter were part of Jesus' inner circle of friends, suggested they might use the authority Jesus had entrusted to them to call down fire from heaven to consume them.  This was the kind of thing Elijah the prophet did (2 Kg. 1:9-16).  But Jesus rebuked them saying (in some ancient manuscripts), "You do not know what kind of spirit you belong to."

The fine print of the translator's footnote is what grabbed me in this reading.  There is a something new happening in Jesus.  This is not a God who is ready to burst out against the unholy as He is in Exodus and Leviticus.  The holy fire of God rests upon Jesus like a dove.  God is not interested in retribution, but restoration.  An age of grace is now open to the world, not through the blood of bulls, goats and lambs, but through God's choice to love us even when we behave as enemies (Rom. 5:8-10).

"Mercy triumphs over judgment." (Jame 2:13)

Lord Jesus, help me always to recognize I am a forgiven sinner unworthy of Your great mercy. Help me to remember the kind of spirit I belong to...Mercy.  Amen!