Leviticus 21-22, Matthew 28

Leviticus 21-22 is the instruction of priests on when they can and cannot eat the holy food. The thing that impressed me the most is that the priests are held to a higher standard or behavior. This reminded me of another passage:

James 3:1 Dear Brothers and sisters, no many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly.

I think the reason for this is stated in the first part of Leviticus 21:6 "They must be set apart as holy to their God and must never bring shame on the name of God." The priests are who people look at as the strongest representation of God, and as his representative he holds them to a higher standard. This is not something to be afraid of, but to be aware of and aspire to be the best representative that we can, being aware that our behavior reflects on what people think of our savior.

I was reading someone else's blog this morning about how we worry so much about drinking alcohol, women in office, music style but hardly any time thinking about how to reach the lost in our world. This lead right into my reading of Matthew 28 which ends with the great commission.

Matthew 28:19-20 Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

I've been giving a lot of thought as to what this means as a practical thing in my life. Our church is choosing 3 people to pray for for a year - that's a start. God, give me eyes to see the lost around me. God me your courage to talk to them and remind me that you are with me always, even to the end of the age.