Covered Head to Foot, Pronounced Clean

Leviticus 13 has one of the strangest rules in the Bible. A priest examining a man for leprosy was told: “behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: it is all turned white: he is clean.”

A little spot made you unclean. But when it covered everything, the priest declared you clean. Totally covered meant clean.

Luke tells of a man in exactly that condition: “behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.” Jesus touched him and said, “I will: be thou clean.”

The gospel works like that rule. Those who admit they are full of sin, covered head to foot, are the ones Jesus makes clean. He said, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Don’t hide your spots. Come as you are.