牧者心聲

我們常誤以為「聖潔」就是要努力做一個完美無缺的人，甚至為此而感到「壓力山大」。但根據利未記的脈絡，「聖潔」的本意並非追求道德上的零瑕疵，而是「分別出來」或「與別不同」之意。

「我是耶和華——你們的神；所以你們要成為聖潔，因為我是聖潔的」（利十一 44）。

上主這句話與其說是命令，不如說是身分的確認。神在告訴我們：因為我們是屬祂的，所以我們的生活理應展現出祂的樣式。

當時出了埃及的以色列人正準備進入迦南地，神要求他們要跟當地人區分開來。這不是要他們鎖國自封，而是要在混亂的俗世中，有一套神子民專屬的價值觀和生活方式，在新環境中要「與別不同」；首要的是如何與神保持關係，並領略如何能有著聖潔的神同住。

以上都不難明白。然而利未記實際上有著各式各樣的獻祭條例、潔淨規矩、節期儀式，特別是屠宰的環節，常讓現代讀者感到困惑。這些數千年前上主對以色列民所説的話，也是對今日的我們說的。其實，整卷利未記都在說明一個「與別不同」的事實，成聖的關鍵在於神，而不是靠人自己的行為、意志和獻呈。

是神先主動教導人建立會幕，然後教導人如何透過祂設定的方式與祂相處。因此，每次獻上祭物，都深刻提醒神子民要倚靠神所提供的「與別不同」的方法，這顛倒了世俗宗教的觀念。就連那些用來獻祭的祭牲和農作物，都是神賜下的。這意味著，即便我們犯罪得罪神、要來到神面前尋求寬恕與重新連結的時候，就連「賠禮」都是神預先為我們準備好的。

那麼，如果我們試圖用自己的方式去變好或去討好神，最終只會走向疲累與偽善。「與別不同」源於我們願意按照神所設定的方式——即後來指向的耶穌基督——來與祂建立連結。舊約的祭壇是一個預表，而基督一次永遠的獻祭則是最終的完成。

在今天選擇「與別不同」，可能意味著在你的所在地守住神對你的教導，也可以是在網絡世代的焦慮步伐中持守安息之道。這份堅持不在於我們有多聖潔，而是來自那位聖潔的神竟如此渴望走進我們不完美的人生中與我們同住、同往來的恩情。這季我們一起研讀利未記，願你我都在生活中力行主旨，就是從根本選擇走進「與別不同」的生命歷奇。

“Holiness” is often mistakenly equated with striving to be a flawless person, and we feel immense pressure about it. Yet in the context of Leviticus, the original meaning of “holiness” is not the pursuit of moral perfection, but rather, to be “set apart” or “different”.

“I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.” (Leviticus 11:44)

These words from the LORD are less of a command and more a confirmation of identity. God is telling us that because we belong to Him, our lives should rightly reflect His nature.

When the Israelites, who had come out of Egypt, were preparing to enter the land of Canaan, God required them to distinguish themselves from the people around them. This was not to isolate or shut themselves off from the world. Instead, it was a call to live out a God-given set of values and a way of life amidst the chaotic world – to be “different” in their new environment. Above all, it was a call to maintain relationship with God and learn how to have a holy God dwell with them.

All of this is not difficult to understand. However, Leviticus contains various regulations on sacrifices, purification rules, and festival rituals, especially procedures for slaughtering animals, which often puzzle modern readers. What the LORD said to the Israelites thousands of years ago also speaks to us today. In fact, the entire book of Leviticus illustrates what it means to be “different”. The key to becoming holy lies with God Himself, not with human effort, will, or offerings.

God first took the initiative to teach His people how to build the tabernacle. He then taught them how to live with Him through the means He established. Every sacrifice served as a powerful reminder that God’s people must depend on the “different” way God provided, completely overturning secular religious beliefs. Even the animals and crops used for offering were gifts from God. This means that when we sin against God and come before Him seeking forgiveness and restoration, even the “means of atonement” is something God has prepared for us.

So, if we try to improve ourselves or please God in our own ways, the result will only be exhaustion and hypocrisy. Being “different” stems from our willingness to connect with God in the way He established – ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The altar in the Old Testament was a foreshadowing, and Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice is the ultimate fulfilment.

Choosing to live “different” today may mean holding fast to God’s teaching right where you are, or guarding the way of rest amidst the anxious pace of the digital age. This perseverance is not about how holy we are, but about the grace of the holy God who desires to enter our imperfect lives, to dwell and walk with us. As we study Leviticus together this quarter, may you and I live out its central message – choosing, fundamentally, to embark on the adventure of a life that is simply “different”.