More Jesus Less Leviticus...

OK, but are you sure?

Photo by Alessandro Bellone on Unsplash

(It’s Sunday so I wanted to write a post about faith. If it’s not your cup of tea, no offense. I’ll have plenty more to say on other topics in a couple of days as I don’t seem to be able to shut up. But if you’re interested, read on!)

‘We need more Jesus and less Leviticus.’

I often hear this refrain from people who are frustrated by Christians and Christian morality. And I get it. I’m a doctor and I frequently don’t like doctors. In like manner, I am a Christian and there are plenty of my fellow believers who are a bit hard to take. Whether it is the petty vindictiveness of a small-church deacon or the vast heresy of a multi-million dollar prosperity gospel (small ‘g’ that is), it is often difficult to apply the word Christian to some who are most ardent that they are.

But when I hear ‘More Jesus, less Leviticus,’ I smile to myself because I’m OK with that.

Now, this is not to dismiss Leviticus. When we moderns look back on laws written in ancient times and laugh, we forget that humans are often very purposeful in the rules they make. (C.S. Lewis called this ‘chronological snobbery,’ this tendency to think that the ancients were stupid just because they lived then and we live now.)

But honestly, things now are pretty easy compared to the bad old days. In millennia past, laws (even Levitical laws) about worship, social interactions, food, relationships, marriage, theft, murder and all the rest were not simply employment for a priestly or legal class. They were about survival and safety in an uncertain world. They were about protecting the nation, guarding women and children, preserving families and clans. They were were not willy-nilly annoyances. This was true of Babylonians and Persians, Israelites and Egyptians, Greeks and Romans and all the rest.

But when some think that we can simply skip over that and find a nice, easy-going Jesus to say something like ‘y’all be cool, that’s all I have to say about that,’ then it suggests either no reading of the Gospels or a very intentionally cursory reading.

Jesus identifies his revolution:

Luke 4:16-19
When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’

Jesus tells us to love: (And this, by the way, includes all of our political and cultural enemies as well. He does not include the word ‘except for…’)

Matthew 5: 43-48

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[e] and hate your enemies.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you.[f] 45 If you do this, you will be true children of your Father in heaven. He causes the sun to rise on good people and on evil people, and he sends rain to those who do right and to those who do wrong. 46 If you love only the people who love you, you will get no reward. Even the tax collectors do that. 47 And if you are nice only to your friends, you are no better than other people. Even those who don’t know God are nice to their friends. 48 So you must be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Jesus says we will be judged for failing to act in love in this life:

Matthew 25:34-36
Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’

Jesus teaches us humility, not self-promotion:

Luke 14: 7-35

7 When Jesus noticed that all who had come to the dinner were trying to sit in the seats of honor near the head of the table, he gave them this advice: 8 “When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? 9 The host will come and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table!

Jesus tells us not to lust. (This seems to be a big one for people who want more Jesus, thinking as they do that he will stay out of their sexual decisions…)

Matthew 5: 27-30

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You must not be guilty of adultery.’[a] 28 But I tell you that if anyone looks at a woman and wants to sin sexually with her, in his mind he has already done that sin with the woman. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, take it out and throw it away. It is better to lose one part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into hell. 30 If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

Jesus healed the sick miraculously.

Luke 7:2-10

And a centurion’s slave, who was highly regarded by him, was sick and about to die. When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders asking Him to come and save the life of his slave. When they came to Jesus, they earnestly implored Him, saying, “He is worthy for You to grant this to him;read more.

for he loves our nation and it was he who built us our synagogue.” Now Jesus started on His way with them; and when He was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to Him, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to come under my roof; for this reason I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man placed under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled at him, and turned and said to the crowd that was following Him, “I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith.” When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

Mark 5: 1-18 (One of my very favorite stories of Jesus miracles.)

5 They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.[a] 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7 He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”

9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” 10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12 The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” 13 He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

14 Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16 Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. 17 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis[b] how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

Jesus died and was resurrected and appeared to many afterwards. He foretold it and it was widely witnessed.

Luke 24: 36-49

36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate it in their presence.

44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”

45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

Many will call these parts of Jesus’ life fairy tales, or later additions, and will try to create the Jesus they want. That is hardly a new idea.

Suffice it to say, these are only a few bits of Jesus life that not only show him the loving, kind, caring Messiah, but also show him as the moral teacher, judge and miracle worker.

If you want more Jesus and less Leviticus, that’s great! Just be willing to accept Jesus for who he was and is.