Priests and Skin Diseases
Rembrandt, Christ Heals a Leper
Leviticus keeps surprising me! Who knew that chapters on the inspection of skin maladies could be interesting? I admit, I have found this text more repulsive than fascinating in years past - but I am beginning to understand the fullness of what Luke reports. “Then beginning with Moses and with all the Prophets, He (Jesus) explained to them the things written about Himself in all the Scriptures.” - Luke 24:27. All scripture plays a role in the story of salvation. Everything points to Jesus.
The first thing I noticed upon this reading of Leviticus 13-14 was how hygienically sound the methods of wound inspection seemed. Of course, science has advanced significantly since the days of Israel’s wanderings, but the guidelines given in Torah make sense. The priest was to see if the wound was growing or shrinking. Were the hairs in the wound white or black? Was the worrisome spot on the surface of the skin, or was there an infection under the surface of the skin? Was the skin raw and fleshy or dry and flaky? These questions are still valid in the diagnosis of skin disease.
The second thing which struck me was the fact that the priests were tasked with this examination. The connection between priests and leprosy was filed in the back of my brain, but I had never given much thought to their role as public health inspectors. I knew that when Jesus healed lepers, He told them to present themselves before a priest. A clean bill of health issued by a priest was necessary for communal re-entry. There were also sacrifices to be offered by the healed. Priests performed both roles.
Until this reading of Leviticus, I had never imagined priests leaving the Temple on business. Of course, they had families at home, but the inspection of lepers took them outside the camp. Presumably, this official inspection of lepers did not make them unclean. At least there is no mention of cleansing for priests in Leviticus 13-14. I still have many chapters of Leviticus to read, and there is a whole canon of Jewish commentary about which I know nothing. But in this text, there is no mention of priests becoming unclean through their inspection of lepers. I find that significant for this reason:
Jesus is our Great High Priest. He is also our Health Inspector and our Great Physician. I understand now why Jesus could touch lepers without concern about becoming unclean. He was not breaking the law! He was truly, in the most glorious sense, fulfilling it! When Jesus healed lepers, He was acting as both priest and prophet. In the books of Moses, priests are never asked to pray for the sick. They simply inspect and offer sacrifices. But prophets intercede! Moses pled for the healing of Miriam. He raised the Bronze Serpent which saved countless lives. Abraham interceded on behalf of Abimelech and his wife so that they could conceive. Both Elijah and Elisha raised the dead. When Jesus acted as a healer, He was acting in His role as prophet. When He declared someone clean, or forgiven, He was acting as a priest.
Jesus is also King of Kings. I love the scene in the Lord of the Rings, after the battle of Gondor, in which Aragorn walks through the houses of healing, restoring those who were wounded in battle. Tolkien writes, “the hands of the King are the hands of a healer.” Tolkien is, of course, speaking of Christ.
When Jesus began His public ministry, He knew who He was. Jesus was the Prophet whom Moses foretold. He was the Great High Priest who stands before the Throne of God. He was King of Kings and Lord of Lords, destined to subdue the nations. But He walked in hiddenness. His glory was concealed in humility; however, His authority was real and present. That is why He went out to seeking the lost, cleanse the lepers and cast out demons.
I am touched to know we have a Great High Priest who continues to walk in hiddenness, inspecting the wounds of His people and healing them. He is a Savior who comes to seek and save the lost. And He is never made unclean by our sickness! Rather, we are made holy by His touch.