Jan 10 - Leviticus 19:34

The alien who

resides with you

shall be to you as

the citizen among you.

Leviticus 19:34

One tried and true formula for comedy has always been the fish-out-of-water.

•      It’s the country kid going to the big city.
•      It’s the Ivy League doctor getting stuck in the Deep South.
•      It’s a Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s court.

Some comedies stretch it even further. To poke fun at our own world today, comedy writers have aliens-from-outer-space move in next door. And it’s funny watching them try to make sense of our customs, our culture, our language, and most of all, our inconsistencies and irregularities.

In Leviticus 19, “alien” didn’t mean “visitor-from-outer-space” … of course! It meant “foreigner.” “Foreigner” has always implied “different,” and “different” is always met with suspicion.

Jesus – and the New Testament with him -- redefined “alien” in three significant ways.

•      First, in the Parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus redefined “foreigner” as “neighbor.” We are called to sift beyond our presuppositions and prejudices and look at person’s heart.
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•      Second, as the Gospel spread to the Gentiles, scripture began to redefine “foreigner” as “brother” – indeed, brothers and sister in Christ. Thus, it’s no longer race and nationality that define us but our relationship to Christ.
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•      Finally, Jesus redefined “alien” status even further. He was the ultimate alien. Into the midst of dirty, broken world, Jesus was the advanced space creature – or divine heavenly being – who came to live among us.

In light of Jesus’ incarnation, “foreigner” is much more than “brother” and “neighbor.” This “alien” is the ultimate fish-out-of-water; the Son of God took on human form to save the world.

In other words, through our own world, our own culture, and our own human ability, we are unable to win salvation – by ourselves nor for ourselves. True freedom, hope, mercy, and grace are utterly and ultimately outside our human ability. Therefore, in order to survive, we need something very foreign to our human condition: true forgiveness!

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who has alien blood

keeping him alive