Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18 (NRSV)
Read Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18 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 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
If not one jot or tittle will pass from the law until all is accomplished (Matt. 5:18), people are toast. My tattooed arms have never sacrificed a child to Molech, so I suppose I'm batting .500. But this keeping score stuff will get me nowhere fast. I lose. I like bacon. I lose again.
So we bounce around in the words God gave to Moses and find some that might be easier to handle, or not. Black and white gives way to high-density, high definition color—where light and dark hues play out in our lives. It ain't easy.
Today's text brings us back into Matthew (22:39), but it emphasizes something we might incorrectly be inclined to do: Be partial to the poor or defer to the powerful. This isn't just about politics. This is about relationships, very real connections we have as individuals with others.
Make them count.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we come before you this day as sons and daughters who constantly stray. We don't love you with our whole hearts and we sure as anything don't love our neighbors as ourselves. But for the sake of your son, Jesus Christ, grant us mercy to live anew in You. Give us the strength and the passion to follow the path you have lit in front of us. Amen.