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
Our theme this week is holiness or holy living. My first reaction upon realizing this was, "They've got the wrong writer." The word "holy" can strike us as intimidating, lofty, otherworldly. All of which I am not. At best the word is reverent, at worst judgmental. At worst this week's readings and reflections will make us feel unworthy, entirely incapable of accomplishing a checklist of holiness criteria. At best we'll be reminded that true holiness is grounded in God and God’s own holiness. We'll see together that God's holiness looks like justice for the poor and love for the neighbor.
In today's reading from Leviticus God bestows God's own holiness upon the people Israel, all the while repeating the statement "I am the Lord." God's identity is inextricably linked to God's holiness. The fruits of that holiness? Shared harvest, reverence for the Lord's name and love for the neighbor.
Prayer
O Lord our God, by your own holiness you make us holy. Propel us toward the holy work of love and justice, in big and small ways. Amen.