Leviticus 19:1-18 NKJV
19 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.
3 ‘Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and keep My Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God.
4 ‘Do not turn to idols, nor make for yourselves molded gods: I am the Lord your God.
5 ‘And if you offer a sacrifice of a peace offering to the Lord, you shall offer it of your own free will. 6 It shall be eaten the same day you offer it, and on the next day. And if any remains until the third day, it shall be burned in the fire. 7 And if it is eaten at all on the third day, it is an abomination. It shall not be accepted. 8 Therefore everyone who eats it shall bear his iniquity, because he has profaned the hallowed offering of the Lord; and that person shall be cut off from his people.
9 ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the Lord your God.
11 ‘You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another. 12 And you shall not swear by My name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.
13 ‘You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of him who is hired shall not remain with you all night until morning. 14 You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but shall fear your God: I am the Lord.
15 ‘You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor. 16 You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people; nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord.
17 ‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. 18 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
Role models are people we look up to as we are positively influenced by their example. Most of us can immediately recall certain people who encouraged and inspired us to be the best versions of our self. Role models are a blessing.
In our reading for today, God continues to teach His people not just how to live in the world but how to live in His presence. “You shall be holy; for I the LORD your God am holy” (Leviticus 19:2). When God says, “be holy as I am holy” He is not just telling His people how to behave – He is telling them what He is like. As God continues to teach the living out of the Ten Commandments, He is also describing Himself and His own qualities of love and faithfulness.
God called Israel to be a holy people, set apart, and an example to the world around them that through them, others would come to know God. Like Israel in the Old Testament, our example of holy living often fails to reflect the holiness of God. Our example of God’s love and faithfulness to our friends, neighbors, family members, and community is marred by sin.
The holiness of God is perfectly lived out in Christ Jesus. He showed us who God is by perfectly keeping God’s commands. He was perfectly holy as God is holy. St. Paul tells us that Jesus, “is the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15). The One who perfectly kept the law also perfectly took its punishment on our behalf as he was cast outside the city gate to be beaten and crucified for our transgressions. He was cast out and forsaken by God bearing our iniquity so that we could bear His righteousness and stand in the eternal presence of God. Through word and sacrament, we are transformed to the image of God’s Son and made holy to show God’s love and character to the world around us.
Let us pray: Lord, I thank You for Your faithfulness in molding me to be like your Son. Help me to love as You have loved me and strengthen me to be a faithful witness for Christ. Amen.