Contemplative Bible Reading

Leviticus 16:20-22 (New Living Translation)

20 “When Aaron has finished purifying the Most Holy Place and the Tabernacle and the altar, he must present the live goat. 21 He will lay both of his hands on the goat’s head and confess over it all the wickedness, rebellion, and sins of the people of Israel. In this way, he will transfer the people’s sins to the head of the goat. Then a man specially chosen for the task will drive the goat into the wilderness. 22 As the goat goes into the wilderness, it will carry all the people’s sins upon itself into a desolate land.

This describes part of the ceremony that was to occur on the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur. This is the origin of the term “scapegoat” or a person who was blamed for the mistakes of another.

This is symbolic. It shows that the people admitted their many sins. Those sins were put on the head of the goat who was driven off to the ends of the earth never to return. The sins of the past year? Gone. Poof!

This leads us to Jesus Christ and how all the sins of all mankind for all time were transferred to Jesus to be carried away. Gone. Poof!

This also leads me to my day-to-day life here on earth. Do I carry burdens with me on my aching back? Do I slump through life under their weight? Do I drop them off on a goat and move ahead in a joyous life?

Let’s not be naive. Life is tough some days. Bad things happen that hurt. Let me, however, not be stupid. I am not alone. God is with me. God has provided people to be with me—the church. God has provided relief.

Please God, let me know where the scapegoat from heaven is and how to place my burdens on its head.