Look At Others From The Inside Out
The book of Leviticus unpacks what you should do if you are a leper. Among other things, those who suffer from leprosy must tear their clothing, leave their hair uncombed, cover their mouth and call out “unclean.” They must also live in isolation. But here’s the problem: This approach is one that only looks on the outside. And just as the law only looks on the outside, the world also only looks on the outside. Do we do this too? Have you ever felt uncomfortable or ignored someone because of how they appeared on the outside? Jesus came to help us realize that we need to look beyond the outside. When he encounters a leper in Mark 1:40, the leper was begging to be healed. Like the leper, everyone wants to be noticed, not for what they are on the outside, but for who they really are. Jesus was willing to reach out and touch the unclean. He was willing to go the extra mile. He sees beyond outside appearances and he sees the need in our lives. He is asking for us to do the same for the people we encounter.