That Person was Jesus and of course, we know He could never ever become unclean or unrighteous. It is only in the perception of others as they judge from a human perspective. He often did things out of the norm and for good reason. True, these actions would go against the Jewish ceremonial laws. You touch a coffin or a dead body, you will become 'unclean' until cleansing rituals were performed to make the individual 'clean' once again. (See the book of Leviticus).
Look at Luke 7:11-17 where Jesus raises the widow of Nain's only son to life again. Jesus touched the coffin. What a shock to all who beheld! No wonder the procession came to a standstill. No one who wasn't actually involved or related to the dearly departed loved one would want to 'taint' their self, making their self 'unclean' if they absolutely did not need to.
What about the unrighteous? If you associate with them, are you not suspect to be of similar character? According to Simon, the host, if Jesus was indeed a prophet, he would not have had anything to do with that "woman of the city".
If you think back to the old/new garments/wineskins parable Jesus told (Luke 5:36-39), you could recall that indirectly Jesus was saying things were going to be different from now on; a new way to worship and glorify God and focal point from which to conduct one's life.
That would be the new way, the being "born again" (John 3:4), to live.
We all know that the New Testament of the Bible is like a new covenant. This new covenant deals more with Jesus' death and resurrection and buying our pardon and making atonement for sin, creating a new creation in Christ; that is, should any one choose to personally accept God's gift of salvation.
This is aimed at the redemption and holiness of the inner man, the soul, more than the cleanliness of the Old Testament (old covenant) with all it's rules and regulations for daily living. This equates to getting a whole new redeemed set of DNA, so to speak. The Holy Spirit of God indwells and compels to living His way. A person becomes a new creation in Christ. Take a peek at 2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV,
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."
Our Heavenly Father, God is righteous. His Son Jesus Christ is righteous. If we are His children we need to live a righteous life as well.
As Jesus was saying about the old/new garments and wineskins, the law of love is greater than the ceremonial laws. He repeatedly gave "hand's-on" lessons of this new garment and wineskin law of love. He touched and healed lepers and all other manner of sickness and had interaction with social outcasts, like the woman caught in the act of adultery (one wonders how the man came off 'clean' in this act), and the woman who had had the issue of blood for twelve years (Matthew 9:20-22; Luke 8:43-48).
To the Pharisees and other religious leaders Jesus admonished,
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean" (Matthew 23:35-36 ESV).
We can live such a "goody-goody" life outwardly, showing one and all that we are "upright"; that is, what appears as "cleanliness" and does have some advantage towards healthier living and not getting in trouble with the law of the land. However, what really matters in our inner being? Is there holiness? The holiness of God that comes from Him?
He asks us to,
"Be holy, because I am holy" (1 Peter 1:16 NIV).
Yes, the righteousness of God has been freely imputed to each and every believer in Jesus Christ through the acceptance of His salvation work. We have made Him Savior. The pre-eminent need, however, is to then make Jesus, Lord and Master in our life. As we do so, holiness will come.
Out of love and gratitude for Jesus, and what He has done for us, we manifest not just in lip-service but in holy living in obedience to Him and His Word. God's Word is brimming with His ways towards ever increasing holiness. Hearkening to God's Word and being sensitive to the Holy Spirit's gripping leading, will enable God's child to grow, not only in wisdom and stature with God and man but also in the sanctified life of holiness. This comes from the heart of mankind; inner grow and glow, not outward show.
How is one to get started on that road to holiness? A peek at Hebrews 9:22 (ESV) gives us that insight...
"Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins."
It's the blood of Jesus Christ that cleanses us from the inside out, of those sins (1 John 1:9) and then we must live a sanctified life stemming from willing, saved-by-grace sinner hearts. Jesus paid dearly for us. Honor Him with holy living.
Remember what He has done for you. Remember with a pure heart. Remember through the breaking of bread and the drinking of the cup of wine each Lord's Day, together with all your brothers and sisters in Christ, as Jesus requested of His disciples until He comes for us (Luke 22:14-29; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26). Perhaps today!
~ERC 14 April 2019~
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