CLEAN AND UNCLEAN FOODS

(Leviticus 11: 1 f1)

These were regulations that the people of Israel had to follow In respect to their diet so as maintain their holiness in their relationship with God.

God gave these rules to Moses and Aaron sq that they could guide the people of Israel.

These laws required the people of Israel to exclude some animals, birds, and insects from their diet in order to maintain their holiness.

Therefore, eating of the forbidden or prohibited food item could make a person unclean spiritually thus separating such a person from God and the rest.

Such animals, birds, and insects that fell under different categories included:

• Any land animals with divided hoofs and could chew cud was clean to be eaten. They included goats, sheep and cattle among others.

• However, any animal that could chew cud but did not have divided hoofs was unclean for human consumption. For example, c~mels and rabbits.

• In the same way, animals with divided hoofs but which could not chew cud were declared unclean to be eaten. Such animals included pigs.

• The people of Israel were not allowed to eat or even touch the bodies of the prohibited animals as they were considered unclean.

• The people of Israel were allowed to eat any kind of fish having fins and scales.

• However, anything living in water without scales and fins was unclean for the people to eat. They were even prohibited from touching their dead bodies.

• Birds like pigeons and doves were clean and therefore fit for human consumption.

• However, birds like eagles, ostriches and owls or bats were unclean for the people of Israel to eat.

• Winged insects that could hop were declared clean for human consumption. Such included locusts, crickets and grasshoppers.

• However, all other small insects with wings but could crawl as well were unclean to be eat.

• Touching or carrying the dead of the prohibited required that a person had to wash his clothes though he would still remain unclean until evening.

• Land creatures like moles, rats, mice and lizards were considered unclean and excluded from the people's diet.

• Any clean animal which had a natural death became unclean. Therefore, the people were not to eat it or even touch the dead body.

• Israelites were forbidden from eating any small insect that could move on the ground.

• Whether they could crawl, or walk on four legs or had many legs, they were unclean.

• Moses proceeded to warn the people of Israel to keep themselves holy because their God was holy.

Other Circumstances under which a Person became Unclean in Israel

• Bodily discharge from men (Leviticus 15: 1 ff)

• Experiencing menstruation (Leviticus 15: 19ft)

• Giving birth (Leviticus 12:7)

• Having sexual intercourse during menstruation period

• Marrying foreigners or non-Jews

• Worshiping idols

• Incest

• Bestiality

• Homosexuality

THE NEW TESTAMENT TEACHING ABOUT CLEAN AND UNCLEAN FOOD

(Mark 7:1-23)

Jesus taught about clean and unclean foods when the Pharisees questioned him why some of his disciples were eating food without washing their hands.

The Pharisees maintained that eating with unclean hands meant that a person became ritually unclean.

Besides, eating anything whether from the market without first washing hands was ritually unclean. Therefore, to the Pharisees, Jesus and his disciples were breaking their traditions.

On this occasion, Jesus took the opportunity to teach about what makes a person ritually unclean. Jesus went ahead to challenge his disciples for their failure to understand and having the same views like the Pharisees.

Jesus declared that nothing that goes into a person from the outside can make him unclean.

He emphasized that what goes into a person from the outside goes into the stomach and eventually comes out of the body.

Jesus echoed the fact that what comes out of a person's heart is what makes him or her ritually unclean.

Jesus went on to declare that all types of food are fit to be eaten whether with clean or unclean hands.

He emphasized that it is what comes out of a person's heart that makes him unclean pointing out that all evil ideas are in one's heart

Jesus observed that immoral things like killing, robbing, greed and jealousy among others make a person unclean.

Jesus showed that eating food is a normal process which is necessary and important for the survival of the physical body.

He emphasized that faith is what matters in the spiritual growth of a person but not following laws or traditions.

Saint Paul also taught about the freedom of the human conscience and allows all types of foods to be eaten when teaching about food offered to idols (1 Corinthians 8: 1 ff).

Saint Paul declared that eating food offered to idols had no harm on a person for he said that an idol is something that does not exist.

However, he warned that if consumption of such a food would make a person weak in faith, then he or she should stay away from it.

Revision Questions

1. How were food prohibitions a form of approach to God?

2. Analyze Jesus' teaching about what makes a person ritually unclean