After viewing world-class ceramic sculptures at an art museum, I was invited to create my own “pinch pot” from air-dry clay. I spent two hours shaping a little bowl, engraving patterns, and painting. The result of all my hard work was underwhelming: a tiny, misshapen pot with uneven color. It wasn’t going to end up in a museum anytime soon.

Living up to a high standard can be daunting. The Israelite priests experienced this as they tried to follow God’s commands to be ceremonially clean (Leviticus 22:1-8). They received commands for who could eat food from the sacrifices and what counted as acceptable ones (vv. 10-33). The priests’ work was supposed to be holy—set apart—but despite their best efforts, they often fell short. That’s why God ultimately placed the responsibility for their righteousness on His own shoulders: “I am the Lord, who makes [the priests] holy,” He told Moses repeatedly (22:9, 16, 32).

Jesus is our perfect High Priest and He alone provided the pure, acceptable sacrifice for sin through His death on the cross. He prayed, “I give myself as a holy sacrifice for [my disciples] so they can be made holy by Your truth” (John 17:19 nlt). When it feels like our attempts at living right are just amateur pinch pots, we can rest in the perfect work Jesus has already completed and rely on the Holy Spirit’s power to live for Him.