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This Week's Sermon THE SIXTH SUNDAY after EPIPHANY 15 February 2009 "CLEANSED FOR A PURPOSE" Mark 1:40-45 LSB Series B Pastor Philip G. Meyer Soli Deo Gloria!

"Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins." (Hebrews 9:22, ESV)

You've heard sermons on this text before and the focus has been on the cleansing of the leper. Much was probably made of his leprosy. Perhaps we pastors and others have misunderstood leprosy because we have usually described what is known as Hansen's Disease. Most think of this disease when they hear the term leprosy, but what is described in Leviticus covers much more than Hansen's Disease. This man may not have had Hansen's Disease but he certainly had what Leviticus calls leprosy. The Hebrew word in Leviticus refers to a variety of skin infections and conditions such as eczema, seborrhoeic dermatitis, psoriasis, pityriasis rosea, and certain mycotic infections [Matthew 1.1-11.1, Concordia Commentary, p. 407 fn]. The Gospel reading is not about the seriousness of the disease, but what it meant theologically and why Jesus' healing of this leper is so important.

Leprosy, in whatever form it was found, was among the most feared diseases for the Jews, not because what it did to a person physically, but because of what it did spiritually. Some of the previously mentioned forms of leprosy are not fatal. They are nuisance conditions. In fact, many people today suffer from eczema and psoriasis. What was so tragic about them was that they removed a person from the presence of God. What we are talking about it ritual uncleanness, religious uncleanness. To be ritually unclean meant that such a person could have nothing to do with the holy things of God because he was considered impure. This is not a discussion of hygiene or Jewish health practices, but of the Levitical Law of God.

The person who had a skin disease was declared unclean because it was a kind of death that disqualified him from God's presence. First, such a person was excluded from the sanctuary and was not allowed to eat any of the holy food [Lev. 22.4]. Second, the person was not allowed to participate in the common meals and the common life of the community because his skin disease transmitted the same ritual impurity by indirect and direct contact with others. Some of these people were required to live outside the city. Most likely, this man was one of those whose case was severe enough that he lived in a leper colony.

Certainly you understand the connection between Jesus' healing of this man and Holy Baptism. In Holy Baptism your old sinful self, like a piece of leprosy-infected clothing, was put off [Col. 2.11] and you were clothed with the righteousness of Christ [Gal. 3.27; Col. 3.9-10]. Your leprosy of sin was washed in the waters of Holy Baptism. In our Old Testament reading Naaman is a type of this. You received Christ's righteousness, his holiness, which is a way of saying that he has taken the "leprosy of your sin" on himself and given you his purity. Because of your Baptism you have access to the Father [Rom. 5.1-2; Eph. 2.8]. Jesus puts on you the wedding garment by which you can come to the eternal marriage feast of Christ [Matt. 22.11-12].

But so much lies beneath the surface here. Jesus told the man to show himself to the priest and to offering for his cleansing the sacrifices commanded by Moses. Go back into Leviticus and you'll find at least a couple of chapters devoted to this whole process. Basically, a lot of blood was going to be shed, just as the quote from Hebrews says,

"Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins." (Hebrews 9:22, ESV)

There were three sets of sacrifices and three rites, reflecting three aspects and levels of purity. The first one allowed the person to re-enter the camp. This happened as the wild bird was killed and its blood was sprinkled on a live bird, which was released. The leper then had to wash his clothes, shave his hair, and bathe his body in water. He had to live outside his tent for seven days.

Next, after the seven days elapsed, he had to shave off all his remaining hair, including his eyebrows, wash his clothes and bathe his body in water. On that eighth day two male lambs without blemish and one ewe lamb a year old were offered. A grain and oil offering were also made. These were all dedicated to God as the priest elevated them.

The third step was performed by the priest. The first male lamb was slaughtered and some of its blood was splashed against the altar. Then some of the leftover blood was applied to the right ear, the right hand, and the right foot of the person. The holy oil was then put on the person in like manner, this time, the head being included. The blood was put on his right ear so that he would be fit to hear the Word of God; it was put on his right hand so that he could touch the holy meat from the peace offering; it was put on his right foot so that he could stand unharmed on holy ground and live among the people of God.

It's a strange sight, isn't it? We Christians find such ritual puzzling and disconcerting, but you should remember that all of this was meant to teach us about Christ. He is the fulfillment of all of that. These purification rites were meant to restore a leper to his rightful spot before God and to the community of the faithful. These find parallels in the New Testament as our Lord Jesus has fulfilled the whole will and Law of God for us.

You have been "Cleansed for a Purpose." The healing of the leper is not healing for the sake of healing, it is healing with a purpose. That purpose is to free the person to be in the presence of God and to participate in the life of the community. The leper was purified so that he could receive God's gifts and be of service to others. That we call Christian vocation. Our Lord Jesus Christ provides that in Word and Sacrament.

We seldom think of the functional structure of our sanctuaries, these holy places, these places where God meets with us. In the Old Testament restrictions applied. Outsiders and those afflicted with leprosy and other diseases were excluded from the presence of God because sickness was seen as a symptom of sin and death. We still confess that truth. Sin has produced death in us. Its symptoms are sickness, disease, and accident. These remind us of our human condition before God, yet we know that Christ has atoned for our sins and that he has given us cleansing in Holy Baptism. Yet, sin still lives in our flesh. We sometimes call it the leprosy of sin.

In many sanctuaries the architecture reflects the theology of the Scriptures, that one does not come into the presence of the holy God unless one has first been cleansed. God has not done away with that requirement because God has not set aside his holiness. We know that we are cleansed in Holy Baptism. Therefore, the font stands at the entrance of the sanctuary. One must first be cleansed from his impurity before one comes into the presence of God.

Once cleansed you are fit to come into God's presence. You have access to the Father in the Divine Service. Now you are cleansed to hear his Word. Your ears have been purified. Interestingly, in Luther's Baptismal Rite of 1523, upon which our rite is based, he included the pastor taking spittle with his finger and touching the right ear of the candidate, and saying, "Ephatha, that is, Be thou opened" [AE 53.99]. The baptized has his ears opened to hear the life-giving Word of Christ.

Your hands, having been cleansed, are able to receive the holy meal, Christ's true body and blood. You receive this Sacrament for your cleansing as well as your strength to live out your Christian vocation in this world. Receiving the Sacrament is critical to your life because you are still beset with sins that soil your soul, sins that defile you before God. For that reason our Lord instituted this Sacrament.

In his Large Catechism Luther makes this connection with your sinful flesh and the Sacrament:

⁷⁶ If you cannot feel the need, therefore, at least believe the Scriptures. They will not lie to you, and they know your flesh better than you yourself do. Yes, and St. Paul concludes in Rom. 7:18, "For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh." If St. Paul can speak thus of his flesh, let us not pretend to be better or more holy. ⁷⁷ But the fact that we are insensitive to our sin is all the worse, for it is a sign that ours is a leprous flesh which feels nothing though the disease rages and rankles. ⁷⁸ As we have said, even if you are so utterly dead in sin, at least believe the Scriptures, which pronounce this judgment upon you. In short, the less you feel your sins and infirmities, the more reason you have to go to the sacrament and seek a remedy.¹

Jesus has taken on your impurity, your leprosy, and given you his purity by your Baptism into his death and resurrection. He clothes you with his righteousness so that you have access to the Father. Now you can hear his Word. He invites you to come to the Holy Meal where he again provides for your cleansing and healing by means of his body and blood. He bestows his holiness, his purity, so that you are fit to live among his people and fit for service not only in the holy place, but also in the world.

Lord, Thy kindness did so constrain Thee
That Thy blood should bless and sustain me.
All our debt Thou hast paid;
Peace with God once more is made:
O Lord, have mercy!

Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House Used by permission: LSB Hymn License .NET, number 100010193.

Dear friends, you have been "Cleansed for a Purpose!" Christ restores you here with his sin-cleansing gifts so that you can serve Christ and your neighbor!

¹Theodore G. Tappert, The Book of Concord : The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, 455 (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 2000, c1959).