Scripture: And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “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.” Leviticus 19:1 ESV
Observation: Having instituted the Day of Atonement with a mandate prohibiting the pagan practices of consuming blood and engaging in sexually perverse acts, the Lord tells Moses to instruct Israel to command the people to be holy as their Lord is holy (19:1 above). He then elaborates by reiterating the second, fourth, and fifth commandments: do not make or worship idols, keep the Sabbath, and honor your parents (19:3-4). And he readdresses the protocol for a peace offering (19:5-8). Next, the Lord provides a comprehensive review of the sins against fellow neighbors: stinginess, stealing, oppressing, slandering, hating, bearing grudges, and perverting justice by showing partiality in court (19:9-18a). Finally, the Lord encapsulates the spirit of holy living: “you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD” (19:18b).
Takeaway: The Holy Son of God, who undoubtedly knew the Torah well, draws on this command (to love our neighbors as ourselves) during his Sermon on the Mount. But Jesus expands the relational boundaries to include our enemies and those who persecute us (Matthew 5:43-48). And later, when questioned about the greatest commandment, Christ recites from the Torah: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. (Deuteronomy 6:4), and adds, “And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself“ (Matthew 22:37-39 ESV). Indeed, love is foundational to being set apart for God. Thus, Paul and James reiterate this Great Commandment in their epistles to guide the church in becoming a holy people of God (Romans 13:10, Galatians 5:14, and James 2:8).
So what’s our part in becoming holy? Our Father calls us to illuminate his Son’s holiness through our cracked and pitted “jars of clay” (2 Corinthians 4:7-15), where the light shines brightest through our weaknesses when we lean on his “surpassing power.” Thus, holiness is directional: from the Lord through us to our neighbors. And it originates in Christ’s surpassing resurrection power disseminated through his Holy Spirit that helps us die to our selfish pursuits (that are not self-loving) and rise to new life in him. Only then can we overcome adversity—whether or not it is our own making—and be holy: loving our neighbors as ourselves.
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for your Son, who set himself apart from sin and perfectly led a life of holiness in oneness with you: sacrificially loving us as you love him. Would you please help us cooperate with your Holy Spirit in loving our neighbors as ourselves so that we might witness to the least, the last, and the lost that we worship the Holy God of the universe? Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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