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
People today look for those things upon which to build their lives, something to do to give their lives purpose. They need look no further than Leviticus 19. For instance, take these words: “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself … ” Yet, to succeed in loving your neighbor as yourself is utterly outside your reach no matter who you are. For you see, you are a sinner, one whose love is reserved for yourself alone. The wages of sin, Paul says, are not love but death.
Thankfully, we are not our own lords. The remainder of today’s text declares: “ … I am the LORD.” And because this One is LORD, we are free to love, to laugh, to forgive and to be.
Prayer
O God, we give thanks that in Jesus Christ you have set us free from the power of me, myself and I, thus setting us free to do what our hands find to do. Amen.