Tuesday Reflections, May 12
Morning Office Reading from Leviticus 16:20-34
We almost never read from Leviticus on Sundays (only twice, in fact, and only in Year A , and perhaps there are good reasons. It’s dense stuff, and it can feel like a bunch of rules from a lost civilization that have no bearing on us today. Some of it even seems morally repugnant to us.
This morning’s reading from Leviticus is where we get our idea of the “scapegoat.” There are two goats needed for the atonement of sin: one to blame and release into the wilderness, and one for the high priest to sacrifice to the Lord. As early as Justin Martyr (2nd century) we hear Christians relating both of these goats to Christ, who was our scapegoat. On him were laid all our iniquities. In his death, we banished him from our presence, cast him into the wilderness that is death.
And yet, he was also the sacrifice, bringing his own blood to the Holy of Holies. Paul’s letter to the Hebrews spells this out, as he tells us that Christ is our Great High Priest, both priest and victim…and scapegoat.
Comments