If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, he must bring to the LORD a young bull without defect as a sin offering for the sin he has committed. – Leviticus 4:3

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 19, 2015): Leviticus 4

The street fight we know of as the Republican Leadership race continues. News sources are lapping up who the next victim is in the latest comments spoken by one of the candidates – often Donald Trump, but not limited to him alone. The fight itself brings in readers for various news outlets and political video outlets available to whoever wants to search them up. But there is a problem. If we pause for even a short amount of time we quickly realize that the behavior we are witnessing on almost a daily basis would be not tolerated if it was coming from one of our children. On every public stage we have lost the idea that we, as adults let alone national leaders, are to be setting the example for those that come behind us. And it is not just a Donald Trump or a Republican issue. Over the past week we have had an investigation into Hilary Clinton private email server wondering how she has lied or possibly mishandled Government secrets (an accusation that seems even more serious when we consider the family history of deception that seems to follow the Clinton’s), the NFL and Tom Brady have fought a very public fight over deflated balls that has left us with no winner, more women have stepped forward to accuse Bill Cosby of sexual misconduct, and these are just a few of the highlights. We have forgotten that what our leaders do effects all of us.

It is no wonder that the Mosaic Law contains different set of sacrificial instructions when it comes to the sin of an anointed priest. But maybe the most surprising element is that the Law specifically states that the sin of the priest brings “guilt on the people.” As a culture I am not sure that we understand that. How can someone else guilt become mine – I am in control of my own life. Except that we also now the impact of a leader’s sin. The problem when a sports hero hits his wife or his girlfriend is not only the endangerment of the woman involved; the problem is that it sets the stage for others to follow in the behavior and believe that such behavior is normal. The problem when an entertainment Icon drugs and rapes women is not just confined to the women that he has assaulted; it sets the stage for others to do the same thing and believe that the behavior is considered to be acceptable.

So Moses brings the law to the priests and he stresses that their sin causes a problem of guilt for all the people – and because of that, the sin has to be dealt with publically. We recognize that none of us are perfect and that all of us mess up. The Law contains no allusion to the excommunication of priests for their sin. But it does insist that when a priest sins, it must be called what it is and dealt with through the sacrificial system. Otherwise bad behavior will become normal practice.

And if I could remind our leaders (and potential leaders) of anything – this would be it. I have no expectation that wrong will never be committed, but when it is, stand up and tell us that you were wrong. You might be amazed at the positive difference that one act might make in your relationship with all of the people – and as a result increase your influence and your job possibilities.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Leviticus 5