Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18 (NRSV)
Read Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18 on biblegateway.com
Chapter 19The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Verse 2Speak 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. Verse 9When 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. Verse 10You 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.
Verse 11You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; and you shall not lie to one another. Verse 12And you shall not swear falsely by my name, profaning the name of your God: I am the Lord. Verse 13You shall not defraud your neighbor; you shall not steal; and you shall not keep for yourself the wages of a laborer until morning. Verse 14You shall not revile the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind; you shall fear your God: I am the Lord. Verse 15You shall not render an unjust judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbor. Verse 16You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not profit by the blood of your neighbor: I am the Lord. Verse 17You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbor, or you will incur guilt yourself. Verse 18You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
Devotion
In a book that might remind us of the law, rules and procedures, we discover words of grace. We might think of this passage as an instruction manual for the earliest of food shelves or the earliest of social service systems. Among all the "do nots" are the reminders to let some of your harvest stand for those in need and allow some of the grapes to be picked by those who have so little. Like those Old Testament days, the unemployable, the underemployed and unemployed are still with us. As individuals and as congregations we respond by converting lawns to gardens, filling food shelves and by supporting the ELCA hunger appeal.
Prayer
O God of abundance, on this day inspire, encourage and coax us to share with others in order that justice might not be perverted, and in order that your grace might be experienced by others through our acts of mercy. Amen