e-vo for week of October 19

Dearest e-votees-

This week our appointed Old Testament text God gives Israel (and us) some clear clues as to how we ought to live together in community. Interesting stuff particularly with all the politics and activism going on these days. How might God want us to engage those around us who indelibly bear the image of God? How might God want us to react towards those who chafe us and would harm us and seem to be cut off from us?

Peace,
Karl

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1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 Speak 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.

15 You 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. 16 You 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. 17 You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbor, or you will incur guilt yourself. 18 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 19:1-2, 15-18, NRSV

Leviticus 19 is full of resonances with the 10 Commandments. It has many instructions for life as God’s people. Some of the instructions and prohibitions we let slide with our modern sensibilities. Others we hold as eternally-binding mandates. Which fall into each category might vary from person to person. That raises some interesting questions for perhaps another time.

For this week’s appointed text there are six commands:

1. You 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.

Justice is intended to come regardless of how much money or status or influence our neighbor may have. Bribes and preferential compassion are disallowed. The justice of God’s people is to be blind. People are to be judged on the basis of their character and the merit of their claims not on the contents of their coin purses.

2. You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people,

We are not to tear down the characters and reputations of other people. We are not to bear false witness. We are not to shade the accounts to our favor at the expense of another. We are to strive to see the image of God in one another. This is a practice honed over a lifetime of diligent efforts. This runs contrary to Old Adam and Old Eve.

3. and you shall not profit by the blood of your neighbor: I am the Lord.

Our profits should not come at the expense of harming our neighbor—neither literally drawing blood nor figuratively. Our profits should come as the result of honest and fair labor that regards the image of God in the workers and in those we serve. God cares about treating neighbors in ways that are just and fair and good. And God uses the term “neighbor” pretty loosely as evidenced in the story of the Good Samaritan.

4. You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin;

Our relations with our kin—our family and our community—are not to be evidenced by hatred. Love and compassion are to win the day. And God would probably use the term “kin” pretty loosely too as evidenced by John 3:16.

5. you shall reprove your neighbor, or you will incur guilt yourself.

We don’t get to sit by idly and watch others engage in sin. We are called to be agents of reproof. We are called to engage our neighbors—and to let them engage us—when missteps occur. Getting through life is meant to be so much more than keeping our heads down and hoping the teacher doesn’t call us out. Reproof and rebuke are steps towards repentance and forgiveness—and we need those so very much.

6. 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.

Loving self as neighbor calls us to avoid self-exultation and self-detestation. Loving neighbor as self calls us to avoid overly criticizing or shunning neighbors. Jesus pairs this commandment with the one to love God with all our hearts and souls and minds. Jesus says that on these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets (see Matthew 22:34, part of this week’s gospel lesson). We aren’t to make room and plans for vengeance and grudges. We are to forgive as we have been forgiven. This, too, is a practice honed over a lifetime of diligent efforts.


God, have your way in us. Draw us into the ways of your people. Shape us with your justice. Help us lift up and build one another. Help us love kin and neighbor and always work to dismantle barriers that leave others outside of your grace and mercy. Draw us up into the love and grace and mercy and peace of Christ. Amen.