Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.
When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. You shall not strip your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the alien: I am the Lord your God.
You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; and you shall not lie to one another. And you shall not swear falsely by my name, profaning the name of your God: I am the Lord.
You shall not defraud your neighbour; you shall not steal; and you shall not keep for yourself the wages of a labourer until morning. You shall not revile the deaf or put a stumbling-block before the blind; you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.
You shall not render an unjust judgement; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbour. You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not profit by the blood of your neighbour: I am the Lord.
You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbour, or you will incur guilt yourself. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbour as yourself: I am the Lord.
Reflection - Be Holy
In this passage, God commands us to love one another, to take care of one another, to be kind and considerate of one another, to just get along in love. We are to do this because God is holy. Therefore we too are to be holy or set apart as God's servants to our neighbors in this world.
These laws are a fleshing out of the commandments. When we love God, we love to obey his commands. Not because they will earn us points, but because we love God and want to do the will God has set apart as holy for us. We do these things out of response to what God has already shown us through God's saving action and forgiveness of those times that we fall short of the commandments.
This passage of scripture is a reason to pause and look at a few commandments followed by Luther's explanation.
The Third Commandment.
Thou shalt sanctify the holy-day.
What does this mean?
We should fear and love God that we may not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred, and gladly hear and learn it.
The Eighth Commandment.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
What does this mean?
We should fear and love God that we may not deceitfully belie, betray, slander, or defame our neighbor, but defend him, [think and] speak well of him, and put the best construction on everything.
The Ninth Commandment.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house.
What does this mean?
We should fear and love God that we may not craftily seek to get our neighbor's inheritance or house, and obtain it by a show of [justice and] right, etc., but help and be of service to him in keeping it.
The Tenth Commandment.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his cattle, nor anything that is his.
What does this mean?
We should fear and love God that we may not estrange, force, or entice away our neighbor's wife, servants, or cattle, but urge them to stay and [diligently] do their duty.
In Leviticus as well as in life, we listen to the words of Jesus and go out each day to love God and love our neighbor in our words and with our actions. All out of a response to what God has done. Thanks be to God!
This song reminds me of the holiness of God:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQ8MFn4yikA
Prayer
Lord, as I reflect on your will and your way for me in this life you have granted me from death. May I learn to live the love or my neighbor in word and action... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen
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