February 7, 2026 - Leviticus 17-22

The next two chapters in Leviticus deal with the place of sacrifice, laws regarding the eating of blood, and sexual relationships.  Coming to chapter 19, my Bible has the topic headings:  “The Lord is Holy” and “Love Your Neighbor as Yourself.”  Regarding the latter, God instructed the Israelites, when harvesting, not to take every last bit from the fields but to leave a bit for the poor and the sojourner, or traveler, to glean:  “You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God” (19:10; remember Boaz and Ruth?).  There are other instructions, here, about paying fair wages, lying, stealing, making sure the poor receive justice (On this basis, for instance, Hosea called out against the rich and powerful who took advantage of the poor.), being honest in talk, etc.  And so, the command, “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself:  I am the LORD” (19:8).  I find myself thinking about all this and the situation, societally, we currently find ourselves in.  I do know that God has ordained human governments for the promotion of good and the reining in of evil (Romans 13).  I know there is much that government can and should do.  But those who put all their chips on government and forget the human heart will always be disappointed.

Laws and programs, yes.  However, without dealing with the individual human, all the well intentioned efforts, I’m afraid, are ripe for fraud and, at the end of the day, ineffective and maybe even worse, damaging.  That’s why, even as we call for good and fair governance, we recognize that it is only the gospel that will truly change hearts and cause us to love our neighbors as ourselves and as God intends.  Because God has loved us, THAT’S why we love our neighbor!  Let’s be sure that we do so.

Jesu, Jesu, fill us with your love,

show us how to serve the neighbors we have from you.

Kneels at the feet of his friends,

       silently washes their feet,

Master who acts as a slave to them.

Loving puts us on our knees,

       silently washing their feet,

this is the way we should live with you.  --Tom Colvin (1963)