Leviticus 13:45-59
Terrible was the condition of lepers in Israel: put outside the camp without the hope of ever returning, separated from their own people, obliged to proclaim from afar their miserable condition: "Unclean, unclean". Excluded from the congregation, it is a picture of what we were, people of the nations, "aliens from the commonwealth of Israel . . . having no hope". "But now", announces the apostle, "ye . . . are made nigh by the blood of Christ". (Ephesians 2:12-13). This leads us to the work of purification described in Leviticus 14. The Gospels show us a number of these poor lepers imploring the Master’s pity. And He, full of compassion, laid his hands on them to cleanse them without being Himself defiled by the contact. Not only was He able, but in His love He was willing to make them perfectly clean. (Matthew 8:1-3; see also Luke 17:11 . . .). In the same way this dear Saviour can and will still today cleanse from all his sins whoever confesses himself unclean.
Leprosy in a garment (vv. 47-59) represents evil which can worm its way into our habits and into our witness. May the Lord give us watchfulness in order to confess it and the courage to "burn" it, in other words to judge it as soon as it appears.