Anointing your mind, hands and feet for the Gospel

New Testament lessons from Leviticus

In Leviticus 14 there is a remarkable lesson on being born again for full service to the Lord from the instructions given for cleansing a leper. You’ll recall that leprosy required the afflicted person to quarantine; that is, separate from family and friends until cured. Let’s look at the analogy to our situation today.

Bad relationships separate us from family and friends. Sin separates us from an intimate walk with God. The instruction in this chapter is to wash (be baptized) to show the world that the one cleansed has been born again. In Leviticus 14:14 we read:

“The priest is to take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of their right hand and on the big toe of their right foot.”

In verse 28 the priest/elder is to do the same with oil—anoint the ear lobe, thumb and big toe with oil. Why these three body parts?

The ear lobe: We are to commit our mind to the Lord.
The thumb: We are to commit our deeds, the work of our hands, to the Lord.
The big toe: We are to commit our steps, the places we visit, to the Lord.

These concepts are heavily covered in the New Testament. For example, the Apostle Paul urges us to “live a life worthy of the gospel.” (Phil 1:27)

In your prayer to the Lord, commit your mind, hands and feet to His service. One practical way to do that is to enter a profile on MissionNext with your criteria for service in the global cause for the Gospel. Every discipline is needed from handyman to hospitality, health fields, history teacher, human resources and much more.

Picture of Nelson Malwitz, Founder, Chief Innovation Officer

Nelson Malwitz, Founder, Chief Innovation Officer

Nelson is the generic Evangelical baby-boomer. Born in 1946, raised in the C&MA, he attended Urbana ’67 in college. He holds an MS degree in Chemical Engineering and worked in R&D positions in American industry for 33 years. Nelson is an inventor with formal training in methods of creative problem-solving. He was a founding elder at Walnut Hill Community Church in Bethel, CT (1982) and served in many leadership capacities of what is now one of the largest Evangelical churches in New England. In 1998 Nelson founded the Finishers Project, now MissionNext. Locally he attends a Torah study and serves as chairman of the Sewer Commission in his community to be a witness among unchurched leaders.

Author Posts

2 thoughts on “Anointing your mind, hands and feet for the Gospel”

  1. Can I simply just say what a comfort to uncover somebody who really knows what they’re discussing over the internet. You certainly understand how to bring a problem to light and make it important. More and more people should check this out and understand this side of the story. I can’t believe you are not more popular since you definitely possess the gift.

  2. I find it humbling that God doesn’t NEED me to accomplish His work…but He WANTS me! He gave His love so freely to me I want to willingly give my mind, hands and feet to His service.

Comments are closed.

Sign Up for the Bridge!

Receive our MissionNext Newsletter the first of each month!

MissionNext Bridge Newsletter

Yes, I'm In!

Know when we post a new blog!

Recommended Browsers

Desktop Recommended for Profile Data Entry

Chrome Browser Logo

Chrome by Google

Works on Windows and MAC

Opera browser Logo

Opera by Chromium

Recommended Cautiously

Edge Browser Logo

Edge by Microsoft

Works on Windows 10, 11

Vivaldi Browser Logo

Vivaldi Technologies

Works on Windows and MAC

safari-240-e1704411346526.png

Safari by Apple

Works on MAC

Firefox by Mozilla

Recommended Cautiously