Israel's major airline, El Al, recently rejected a plea by ultra-orthodox Jews with a priestly heritage to fly inside body bags. Why would someone want to do that? Ritual law states that a priest who enters a cemetery becomes religiously "unclean."

A ruling by a prominent rabbi declared that flying over a cemetery was the same as entering it. He suggested body bags as a means of maintaining separation but abandoned the idea when told by airline security it would be unsafe. Orthodox priests can now avoid pollution by flying at night, as the noise levels require night flights to follow an alternate route which doesn't pass over the cemetery.

This type of behavior sounds bizarre to Western ears, but it takes us back to the time of Jesus. The Pharisees went to great extremes, as well, to ensure they observed the law of Moses. The goal was to be totally committed to God's will.

One thing is for sure ... Orthodox Jews stand out! According to the Old Testament, purity laws like these made Israel stand out and identified Israel as God's people.

Jesus declared that God's will is no longer focused on ritual purity, but purity of character. We should be marked by our love, grace and forgiveness, but we should also be as committed to developing Christian character as the ultra-orthodox Jews are to ritual purity.

After all, 2 Corinthians 6:17-18 says, Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. (NIV)