"The person afflicted with an infectious disease is to have his clothes torn and his hair hanging loose, and he must cover his mouth and cry out, 'Unclean, unclean!' He will remain unclean as long as he has the infection; he is unclean. He must live alone in a place outside the camp."
Leviticus 13:45-46
Another chapter about cleanliness... So much of the Levitical Law focuses on cleanliness that it makes me wonder how common illness, infection, and disease were for these people.
What's plain, though, is that these cleanliness laws are meant for the good of the greater whole, not for the good of individuals. I have no idea what the Israelites did to help infected individuals, but I do know that none of it was mentioned here in Leviticus.
Question of the Day:
In what way do you treat "unclean" people who you meet? Do you greet them with compassion and pity, or do you scorn them with malice and contempt?
Prayer of the Day:
Help me to be more like Your Son, who was compassionate towards the unclean and ill as well as the sinners and tax collectors. Stir my heart towards kindness, and maneuver me away from hurtful contempt. Let Your Son be an example for me, and let me share in being that same example for others around me. Amen.
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