Unclean

Bible use of the word “unclean” is not just an arbitrary restriction, an arbitrary rule to keep people from enjoying life. God wants us to enjoy life by keeping people healthy and whole and free from harm.

“Unclean foods” were all scavengers. Who knows what they had been eating? We know today that an example of an unclean food was pork. Pigs eat anything, including their own feces. We also have discovered the trichinosis worm which can cause serious illness. Undercooked meats in general can carry the same parasite and cause the same infection. Microscopes did not always exist, but God gave Moses the laws that protected his fellow Israeliotes — even though they had no clue the underlying reason.

So, synonyms for “unclean” might be “unhealthy” or “unsanitary” or in some way “unwholesome.” The Levitical rules were, in short, God’s fatherly concern for our well-being.

This puts a bow on God’s nature as a loving father, who loves us and only wants the best for us. It neatly wraps His hatred of “sin” (which I have written is synonymous with “harm” and “harmfulness”) which again shows that God is not trying to imprison people with laws but set us free with His law of love and which produces freedom.

Jesus claimed, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” or further referenced at the following website — Https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Abundant_life. It states: “The term ‘abundant life’ comes from the Bible verse John 10:10b, ‘I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.’ ‘More abundantly’ means to have a superabundance of a thing. ‘Abundant life’ refers to life in its abounding fullness of joy and strength for spirit, soul and body.”

God is truly a loving Father. Again, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” In other words, while we were still living our lives opposed to Him, deliberately harming one another and unintentionally harming ourselves, Jesus was sent to save us from ourselves and from one another, to rescue us from our insanity. Poisoned air. Poisoned waters. Poisoned soil. Poisoned morality. Unhealthy thoughts and lives.

From this passage from Mark 7, verses 21–23, its list of behaviors doesn’t take a genius to see the connection to unhealthy and harmful consequences, including physical, mental, spiritual and social harm they consistently produce. And to be sure all of us have done such things:

“For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come — sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

“So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak?” — Hebrews 2:3, New Living Translation.

Don’t fool yourselves. We mere earthlings aren’t going to have reserved seats on the rockets going to the new Mars Colony. God has a different opportunity, a new destination, a new flight plan for the rest of us, we mere mortals . Following Jesus is no suicide cult trying to jump a ride on some asteroid. The promises are an abundant life here and a home with Jesus there. It’s a matter of choosing.

Jesus promised His followers, “When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” — John 14:3.