… the priest is to examine them, and if the disease has covered their whole body, he shall pronounce them clean. Since it has all turned white, they are clean. – Leviticus 13:13

Today's Scripture Reading (December 27, 2024): Leviticus 13

A Japanese study made an unusual discovery. If you want to make the most of a short power nap, maybe about twenty minutes, quickly drink a couple of cups of coffee. It sounds like a ridiculous assertion for all of us who avoid those caffeine drinks after a particular time. Yet, this is what the study revealed regarding the shorter midday nap.

The study itself examined two groups of people. One group took a nap, got up, and was given a computer test. The second group was given 200 milligrams of caffeine and then told to take a nap. These people rested for about twenty minutes, then got up and completed the same computer test. The second group did better on the test than the first.

The counterintuitive instructions do have a bit of a scientific explanation. A chemical called adenosine is at work here. Adenosine is a byproduct of your wakefulness. As you do things during the day, adenosine builds up in your body, making you feel fatigued. A twenty-minute nap is all you need to clear the adenosine out of your body. However, the caffeine also takes about twenty minutes to kick in. Caffeine is also an adenosine blocker. So, as the adenosine is removed, the caffeine no longer has to overcome this natural fatigue chemical. As a result, the caffeine reduces the effects of adenosine even further and amplifies the impact of the nap. So, the next time you decide to go for a short power nap, maybe make a Starbucks run first. 

This passage also seems to be counterintuitive. I must admit that the first time I read this passage, I thought it was a misprint. How could a disease covering the body indicate that the person was no longer sick? If it covers only part of your body, well, then you are a very ill person and must be quarantined. But if it covers your whole body, you are healthy and can be welcomed back into society.   

The reason for the surprising prognosis is two-fold. First, we must remember that these instructions were intended to deal with a range of skin illnesses, not just leprosy or Hansen's Disease. If the body had been covered with sores and then those sores turned white, it was an indication that whatever the skin illness, it was beginning to show signs of healing. The white skin indicated that the open sores had been covered with new or white skin. If the priest saw someone covered with new white skin, then they could be assured that the person had entered a healing stage, which obviously also indicated that the person had never had leprosy in the first place.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Leviticus 14