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Monday, November 16, 2020
“You 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.” —Leviticus 19:18
Early in the Old Testament, we find the story of the Exodus. We’re told that the Lord liberated his chosen people from bondage in Egypt and led them on a journey toward the land he’d promised to their ancestor Abraham’s descendants. While in the desert on the way to what would be their new home, God formed them into a people, a nation set apart from the other nations, a people who would be holy (which means “set apart”) just as their God is holy.
In today’s verse, God gives the people this great, central commandment. Centuries later, Jesus would cite this as one of the two greatest commandments, along with loving the Lord with all that we have and everything we are.
Or perhaps it’s better to think of these as two parts of the same commandment. That’s certainly what it looks like here in Leviticus. Loving our neighbors as ourselves—and rejecting vengeance and grudges—is what we do precisely because of who our God is. The Lord is the Lord., the One who heard the cries of his people and liberated them, the One who is slow to mercy and abounding in unrelenting love, the One who had a purpose for the nation he was creating. This holy people was to take its identity from this holy God, to be patient as God is patient and compassionate as God is compassionate. This holy people was also to recognize that God alone is the Lord. Judgment and vengeance are God’s alone. He alone is the righteous judge. The people were invited to walk in peace and trust because they knew they had a mighty God who cared for them.
When Jesus taught this same commandment, he reminded those who called him Lord that lordship is not acknowledged only with our voices, but also with our actions. When we creatively find ways to love our brothers and sisters, we acknowledge the One who is Lord over them and Lord over us.
“You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” May it be so, for he is the Lord.
Friday, November 13, 2020
Today’s reflection is written by Deacon Karen Katamay.
“I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my spirit upon your descendants, and my blessing on your offspring.” —Isaiah 44:3
“Peter said: ‘The promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.’” —Acts 3:39
Like the Apostle Peter said, the promise is for us, for our children, and for everyone far and near. God calls us all. These verses made me think back to my parents and grandparents and how they influenced my faith. My maternal grandmother would attend church services every Sunday and would write beautiful poems about God and her faith. My mother was the one who made sure we went to church every Sunday, even when we went on vacation. I didn’t mind. I have fond memories of ecumenical campfire services at places where we would go camping. Worshipping outside surrounded by God’s creation felt very natural and wonderful to me. My mother also modeled service for me, as she was always helping in one way or another at church.
God’s spirit poured over onto me through the faith of my ancestors and blessed me and my children. But God’s love is not confined to just my family. God’s love is for all people—for you, for your family, for your friends, and for all people all over the world. God calls to us all. All we have to do is listen for that call and believe and be blessed! Amen.
Wednesday, November 11, 2020
“Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it.” Proverbs 15:16
Fear is a tricky thing. It‘s meant to be a healthy deterrent to reckless or dangerous behavior that can cause great harm (hence my fear of roller coasters). More often, fear is a thing that consumes us, that keeps us from taking any risk or gets in the way of trust.
Scripture tells us that appropriate fear, such as the “fear of the Lord,” is actually a benefit to us. When we have a proper sense of respect, awe, and wonder regarding who God is, we can trust that God’s desires for us are good. Moreover, it reminds us that God is God, and we are not.
I think most of the time when I get into trouble, it’s because I’m more concerned with what I think or with what others think than about what God thinks.
I recently heard an interview with (now former) presidential candidate Kayne West, and he said it in a way that really resonated with me. He said, “…if you remove the fear of God, you create the possibility of fear of everything else.”
We live in a broken world so there are things to fear. But today let’s begin with the fear of the Lord, so those things that we shouldn’t fear can be put in their rightful place.
