Tuesday, April 12

The Life Is in the Blood Which “Serves” the Body – The Heart Transports Life

Many people I would suspect know of the prohibition in Scripture, and sustained by practicing Jews today, to never eat food with blood in it. The primary text for this is in Leviticus 17 where God tells Moses, “And any man from the house of Israel, or from the aliens who sojourn among them, who eats any blood, I will set My face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people.  For the ^llife of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.’

One of the interesting aspects of this particular prohibition was that it applied not only to Israelites but also to anyone else from outside Israel who happen to come into the constellation of the people of Israel. Everyone apparently needed to learn the lesson that “the life was in the blood.”

As we have traveled along this Lent and spoken about many aspects of the heart and circulatory system, we have not mentioned the smallest and most essential aspects of the circulatory system – the transport of blood and the many different components of blood. The heart’s main job is to transport blood throughout the body to sustain the body’s life. Its primary function is to deliver oxygen and nutrients while simultaneously cleansing the body of impurities and carbon dioxide.

Although our blood appears red and simple, it is extremely complex. It appears red because the vast majority of cells inside the blood are “red blood cells,” RBC’s. The blood appears red because most of the cells in the blood are RBC’s. It is entirely possible to think of RBC’s as “sacrificial lambs,” from the get-go. Mature RBC’s have no nucleus; they begin with the nucleus, but as they leave the bone marrow where they are formed — after about a week’s development — they shed their nucleus in order to make room for more hemoglobin which will bond with oxygen. This means that that red blood cell will not be replicating. Its future is service to the body and eventual death after about 120 days.

To me, that’s a potent metaphor and reminder of the purpose of the blood of Christ when Jesus said “…just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”  (Mt. 20:28) [I left the footnote marker in the Leviticus verse above and the Matthew verse below to show that in both the Hebrew and Greek, the word “life” is the same word used for “soul.”] Even at the smallest level – our red blood cells are designed to be servants and sacrifices. The purpose of Jesus’ life was to serve and be a vicarious sacrifice – a “ransom.”

Leviticus 17 – which includes the epic blood/life passages – follows Leviticus 16, a chapter dedicated to the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur.   On that day, and that day only, only one person could enter the holy of holies. It was the High Priest, who could enter only if he brought the sacrificial blood and sprinkled it upon the covering of the Ark of the Covenant, the “Kippur”. Underneath that solid gold lid which was also called “the Mercy seat,” was the Law, the miraculous manna (bread from heaven), and the rod/staff of the high priest Aaron which had miraculously “budded” – a reminder of the Resurrection.

When Jesus died on the cross, the curtain to the holy of holies was torn open. A sign of access. The writer of Hebrews would describe the role of blood in that access: “Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus…” (Heb. 10:19)

We have “confidence” because it’s Christ’s blood that “covers” our sin. Jesus’ beloved disciple John, who literally witnessed the blood of Christ being shed on the cross, also mentioned the potency of Jesus’ blood: “… and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (I John 1:7)

The Lord of Life’s life-giving blood is the only blood that can cover our sin. Through it, we are “atoned” “at – one” with God!  St. Paul would write, “…we have bold and confident access in Him.” (Eph. 3:20b)