Scripture: Numbers 5:1-4
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Command the Israelites to put out of the camp everyone who is leprous, or has a discharge, and everyone who is unclean through contact with a corpse; you shall put out both male and female, putting them outside the camp; they must not defile their camp, where I dwell among them. The Israelites did so, putting them outside the camp; as the Lord had spoken to Moses, so the Israelites did.
Thought for the Day: Today’s passage is a bit longer, but it is important to read the entire section. And equally important, it should be read within its context which was a small nomadic people trying to protect their existence when disease broke out. They protected the community at any cost. Yet recently, I’ve read where Christians have ripped this Old Testament passage completely out of context, and then used it to explain why certain groups of people should be excluded from the church. Now the groups being excluded are different depending on which faith community is using this passage incorrectly, but in each case, they twist this very obscure passage into a central teaching of Jesus. Of course, there is nothing further from the truth. Jesus was the one who reached out to those who had been excluded and brought them back into the life of the community. Christians must be vigilant to point out when scripture is used out of context…especially when it is used to defend practices that are in fact exactly the opposite of what Jesus did in his life and ministry.
Prayer: Holy One, may the ancient stories of faith be used to uplift, not tear down…bring in, not reject. Amen.
