If you are like me, you got about a fourth of the way through this chapter and were scratching your head thinking, “Wait, what?” If I had to keep up with all these rules and regulations, I would be continually unclean. Then I realized that I am continually unclean. It is only with Jesus that I am able to lead a life that is clean. His great sacrifice on the cross provides us with another way, a more free way. In our lives we are commanded to do two things: 1. To love God 2. To love others. This is the freedom that only Christ provides.
But this is the hard part: We sometimes try to live like we are under this law and we try to earn our way to being right with God. We pronounce people unclean to make ourselves look better, and unfortunately, we forget to love them and to show them Jesus.
When we put ourselves under rules something dangerous happens. In a noble attempt to be holy as God is holy (verse 45) we start to act like the Pharisees. It becomes more about being holier or better than others rather than presenting ourselves clean to God. That is not the freedom that Christ provides. The freedom that He provides is in our pursuit of Him, His likeness, and showing others that love.
We can't live this life alone. Looking through these clean and unclean rules in Leviticus is a great reminder of how much we need to rely on Jesus every day. Remember: For when we are weak, He is strong. 2 Corinthians 12: 9-10