Chapter 14 continues the restoration of a leprous person or a house with a leprous disease. In this chapter, the leprous person does not go through all the rituals in order to be healed. He has already been healed, and this chapter is about the cleansing of the leprous person or house with a leprous disease. It is a set of rituals that is concerned about how to move a person or a house from “impure” to “pure”.

A severe problem like leprosy demands a weighty solution. Thus a person healed from leprosy and waiting to be cleansed undergoes a drawn out and complicated purification process that occurs in phases on the first, seventh and eight days. Each of these phases progressively moves the individual towards full purity status so that he or she can be reinstated into the community in stages.

Why do we need such a complex and drawn out process? It seems that this complex and step by step cleansing process that reintegrates a person into the community is a way to show that it was a huge and enormous fall from purity. Furthermore, it is a step by step reminder of the person who is healed, to understand God’s basis and purpose for the healing. The healing of the body is an inward process that ought to be shown in the outward life of the person who has been healed.

Similarly, there is a sanctification or cleansing process of our lives as we learn to live a restored life when we know Christ. Christ has saved us, and healed us from our sins. However, our hearts continue to require cleansing, our attitudes require correcting, and our perspectives require teaching. However, we are often unable to see these things that require cleansing in ourselves until God reveals them to us step by step, stage by stage, until we admit that we need help and need his cleaning. Our outward behaviour is changed in this sanctification or cleansing process, helping us to be more and more like Christ.

Dear brothers and sisters, the person with leprosy does not stop at healing, he requires cleansing, in order to be restored to the community. Similarly, as people who have received Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we do not stop at salvation, we require sanctification. Will you be willing to let go of the thoughts, attitude, perspectives, actions that you have held close and important, and allow Christ to work in your life, so that you may be sanctified? May we all allow God to change us, transform us, so that we may be more and more like Christ.

Prayer: Dear Father, thank you for saving me from my sins. Change me, transform me, cleanse me, so that I may be more and more like Christ. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.