Tazria-Metzora “Conceived” and “leper”
It is customary for religiously practicing Jews to read from an annual cycle of weekly Old Testament readings called Torah Portions. This is said to be the same reading schedule that was taught every Sabbath in the Synagogues during the times of Jesus in the first century.
As Christians exploring the Torah portion cycle we must maintain a balance of including the Old Testament, the prophets, and the gospels in our weekly bible study.
Torah Portion Name and Readings-
Tazria-Metzora is a double Torah portion. Tazria is the Hebrew word for “conceived”, while Metzora is the Hebrew word for “leper”, this is the name for the weekly Torah Portion reading for the Leviticus starting in chapter 12 verse 1 and going through chapter 15 and verse 33.
Prophets and New Testament-
It is also important to point out that along with the Torah portion readings and teachings, there are what are called Haftarah portions which are readings from the Bible in the books of the prophets. This week’s haftarah readings come from the book of 2 Kings in chapter 7 verse 3 through verse 20.
The gospel readings incorporated with the weekly Torah portion readings come from the book of Mark in chapter 1 with verses 35 through verse 45.
Torah Portion Overview-
In this torah portion, we get the laws that make us feel the most uncomfortable! First comes the laws of uncleanness and purification after childbirth. It is important to note that the purging or cleansing sacrifice (often called a “sin offering”) is not about sin, but instead, is about returning the woman to her original state of cleanliness. Indeed, the Bible sees childbirth as something that is a blessing, since being childless is considered shameful and almost a curse. Although today with modern science, we understand that being childless is often a result of a medical condition, they did not know this 3500 years ago. Furthermore, we must remember that some of the most righteous people in the Bible were childless (Isaac’s parents, Abraham and Sarah, as well as John the Baptist’s parents (Zechariah and Elizabeth). Next we get the laws about different skin diseases. Although this is translated in the Bible as “leprosy” it was not what we think of as modern day leprosy. It was other skin diseases. We are instructed in how to handle unclean clothing. Then, if the person with a skin disease is healed or cleansed, what sacrifices and rituals must be performed in order to bring him back into the community. Lastly we get the laws for an unclean house and all kinds of bodily discharges, including a women’s menstrual cycle.
Today, as we consider these unpleasant skin diseases, discharges, blood flows, etc, we must keep in mind the focus here was on keeping the Tabernacle in a clean state. Because Israel was to go to the Tabernacle for worship, those who were permanently unclean, those who would “defile” the Tabernacle, must have been cut off from Israel in order to avoid contamination. Thus, to protect and preserve the whole, the few who were unclean were removed from the community. Those who were removed were to remain forever alone (Leviticus 13:46), outside of society. Thus those who had a skin disease that was called leprosy had an automatic sentence to be cut off from the community, to live and die alone.
Yet in Leviticus we see a procedure given for the ritualist restoration of a leper after he has been cleansed, so that he may re-enter the community. No longer cut off, if he was cleansed he would go to the priest and offer the sacrifice that was commanded and then would be restored back to the nation. Yet in all of Israel’s history, before Jesus, there were only two (three if you count Moses hand being restored as a sign) who were ever healed of leprosy.
1. Moses’ sister was healed of leprosy after 7 days when she was punished by God for shaming her brother.
2. A Gentile Naaman was healed by the prophet Elisha when he dipped in the Jordan river 7 times.
Jesus cleansed and healed the lepers (Matthew 11:5, Luke 7:22), yet two different events stand out.
In Matthew 8:2, Mark 1:40, and Luke 5:12-16, Jesus is approached by a man full of leprosy, who asked Him to make Him clean.
“When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them.”
Matthew 8:1-4 ESV
A leper was so filled with desperation that he is willing to brave the crowd and come to Jesus directly. That was against all social norms, as lepers were to be kept outside of society, they weren’t supposed to come around people.
But even more extreme is that Jesus touched Him! Jews, indeed, anyone, did not touch a leper (Leviticus 5:3)! They were untouchable! But Jesus did touch Him! Remember that they believed that uncleanness was contagious!
“'If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches with his fold bread or stew or wine or oil or any kind of food, does it become holy?'" The priests answered and said, "No." Then Haggai said, "If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?" The priests answered and said, "It does become unclean."
Haggai 2:12-13 (ESV)
Indeed, if a normal person touched a leper they would become unclean. However, Jesus was not a normal person, He was and is, Yahweh in the flesh, the Son of God, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords! We must understand then that Jesus did not break the law, for the moment He touched the leper, he ceased to be unclean. Just as darkness is the absence of light, and so when there is light the darkness ceases to be, so too, when the power and life of Jesus touched the leper He ceased to be leprous!
Leprosy was compared to death! Here Jesus is doing more than touching the untouchable, He is “raising the dead”! Death to life. Thus, by healing the man of leprosy, He is exercising creation power, the power of life over death! It was this life that John spoke about when He wrote of Jesus.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.”
John 1:1-5 (CSB)
In Jesus was life, and that life was light to men. His life, shone in the hearts of men and dispelled the darkness of death, and death could not overcome His life! Resurrection power was in Him, and it was this power that cleansed the lepers instantly!
I have heard it said that the sacrifices described for the restoration of the leper had never been offered in Israel before Jesus. And so they came to believe that the Messiah would be the one to heal lepers. Thus, the sacrifice offered by someone who had been cleansed would be a sign to the priesthood that the Messiah had indeed come! That is why when Jesus healed the leper, He instructed him to go and offer the sacrifice commanded in the law. The man was supposed to go to the Priest in order to be proof or evidence that the Messiah had come (Matthew 8:4, Mark 1:44). Yet he did not obey, but instead went and told the common people about what Jesus had done. The sign was not delivered, at least not that we know of. And so later Jesus was traveling on His way to Jerusalem (to die) and while in between Samaria and Galilee, He met more lepers.
“On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten men with a skin disease approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’s feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? So where are the other nine? Did none of them return to give glory to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”
Luke 17:11-19 (NRSVue)
Notice several things. The lepers kept their distance, they obeyed the torah. Instead of 1 leper coming to the priest, 10 came! Talk about a testimony! Imagine being the priest, who has never had to practice this ritual, and in come 10 different men who have all been healed of leprosy! This was a severe and dramatic sign! And so the sign was delivered at last! Perhaps it was these priests, the ones who saw the restored lepers, that later believed in Jesus (Acts 6:7). Ahead of Jesus, coming to Jerusalem, were 10 lepers who came and were a living testimony to Him!
Let us live our lives as a living testimony to our Lord! Let us proclaim His name, His greatness, and what He has done for us!
Torah Portion Scriptural Highlights-
Leviticus 12:1 The laws of uncleanness and purification after childbirth.
Leviticus 13:1 The laws of leprosy (skin diseases).
Leviticus 13:47 The laws of unclean clothing.
Leviticus 14:1 The laws on the sacrifices and cleansing of a person healed of skin diseases.
Leviticus 14:34 The laws of unclean houses.
Leviticus 15:1 The laws of bodily discharges.
Haftarah (Prophets) Scriptural Highlights-
2 Kings 7:3 Four lepers find the Syrian camp abandoned and Elisha’s prophecy is found to be true.
Brit (Gospel) Scriptural Highlights-
Mark 1:35 Jesus rose early in the morning, while it was dark, to pray.
Mark 1:38 Jesus went throughout Galilee to preach, and cast out demons.
Mark 1:40 Jesus heals a leper and warns him to be quiet, and present himself to the High Priest. But the healed leper does not obey Jesus.
Further Study-
HFF - The Missionary Discourse in Matthew | Bible Class 2 | Building Blocks
https://youtu.be/kxcQFih4AjQ?si=F5zMLk_p4BU_5V34
To Watch an overview of this week’s Torah Portion CLICK HERE