The Heart of Jesus, 1759, by Juan Patricio Morlete Ruiz, oil on copper.
February 23, 2014
Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany
Leviticus 19:1 – 2, 9 – 18; Matthew 5:38 – 48
Today’s reading from Leviticus 19 is a good example of the way the editors of the Revised Common Lectionary presume to know what’s best for us. They cut six verses of theo – politically incorrect stuff about idols and sacrifices. They want us to connect holiness with ethical behaviour. They don’t want us to waste time trying to understand Levitical concerns about ritual and purity.
Sure, there’s much in verses three through eight and verse 19 and after that reminds us why we hardly ever read Leviticus. Did you even know the second half of Jesus’ Greatest Commandment comes from Leviticus 19:18?
Pulling the ethical stuff apart from the purity stuff is a typically modern, liberal approach to the offensive particularity of a covenant – making God. Without the problematic texts, it’s easy to toss off the refrain “I am the Lord” as a simple reminder that God is good, and God is God. Recognize that, and do the right thing.
After a while we just do the right thing and never ask why. After all, we’re surrounded by good people who do the right thing and never think of God as more than a nice idea. The covenanting God we meet in Leviticus is obsessed with the details, not just of worship, but of personal hygiene, animal husbandry, diet, gender relations and more. Leviticus is about protecting the distinct identity of a minority people in a hostile world. Many of the laws have to do with enforcing behaviour that sets Israel clearly apart from its neighbours.
We Christians believe we have been set free from bondage to the Levitical holiness and purity codes. Most devout Jews today strive to live the spirit, not the letter, of these laws. But they, and we, are still called to live in covenant relationship with a God who has to do with all of life. Life in detail, not in general. The sovereignty of God is more than a nice idea.
We should add the first phrase of verse 19 to our reading, even if we accept the earlier edit. “You shall keep my statutes” elevates ethical behaviour to holy law. These laws can’t be explained away.
We join with all people of good will to provide, from our abundance, for “the poor and the alien.” We do it because of who we are. Because we have no choice. We stand with good neighbours who are honest and honourable in all their dealings. We do as they do because we belong to God. We have no choice. We don’t take from others what is theirs, or hold back anything we have to give. We’re not the only people who behave that way. We behave that way because we have no choice. We seek justice and speak truth because we know no other way. We reject hatred and vengeance because there’s no room for them in our lives.
We love our neighbours as ourselves. That doesn’t mean we love ourselves first so we can then love others, as we sometimes say it does. It means we see no line between our neighbours’ needs and our own, our joy and our neighbours’. We understand that God loves our neighbours just as much as God loves us. It doesn’t matter how alien to us our neighbours may be. There are no good fences.
Verse two sounds a lot like verse 48 of our gospel for today. To be holy, as God is holy, is to be dedicated to living as God calls us to live. To be perfect, as God is perfect, is to be focused, purposeful in all we do. Jesus calls us to live a life of grace toward others. Leviticus reminds us we have no choice but to obey.
