Leviticus 19:18 (ERV)
Forget about the wrong things people do to you. Donโt try to get even. Love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.
We are reminded of the moment when an expert in the law tried to test Jesus by asking Him which commandment was the greatest. Jesus responded, in essence, with the instruction to love God and to love your neighbor. It is important to remember that this teaching was not a new concept introduced by Jesus; rather, it was rooted in the original instructions given to the Jewish people. As highlighted in todayโs scripture, this command was first established in the book of Leviticus and reiterated in Deuteronomy. In quoting these scriptures, Jesus was affirming the enduring truth found in the Jewish law.
This commandment is not merely a rule for behavior but reflects the very essence of how God calls us to live. It is, in fact, the foundation of our created purpose. When we choose to love our neighbors, pray for our enemies, and serve others, we are embracing the life that God designed for us. Through these actions, we open ourselves to the peace and joy promised in scripture, experiencing true communion with all that God has made.
Forget about the wrong things people do to you. Donโt try to get even. Love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.
We are reminded of the moment when an expert in the law tried to test Jesus by asking Him which commandment was the greatest. Jesus responded, in essence, with the instruction to love God and to love your neighbor. It is important to remember that this teaching was not a new concept introduced by Jesus; rather, it was rooted in the original instructions given to the Jewish people. As highlighted in todayโs scripture, this command was first established in the book of Leviticus and reiterated in Deuteronomy. In quoting these scriptures, Jesus was affirming the enduring truth found in the Jewish law.
This commandment is not merely a rule for behavior but reflects the very essence of how God calls us to live. It is, in fact, the foundation of our created purpose. When we choose to love our neighbors, pray for our enemies, and serve others, we are embracing the life that God designed for us. Through these actions, we open ourselves to the peace and joy promised in scripture, experiencing true communion with all that God has made.
๐๐ฌ๐๐ข๐๐ก ๐: ๐๐, ๐๐
๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ฏ๐ข๐ฅ ๐ ๐จ๐จ๐
๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐จ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฏ๐ข๐ฅ,
๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐๐ซ๐ค๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ
๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ซ๐ค๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ,
๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฌ๐ฐ๐๐๐ญ
๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ฐ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ.
๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐,
๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ง๐จ๐๐๐ง๐ญ.
We need to remember what it was that led to the exile that Isaiah writes about. The fundamental failure was that the people were lead away from Godโs covenant by leaders that were not consistent in their following of the mosaic law. And through their lead became the selfish beings that humans are when they live outside of God. They started to put their faith in men, not God.
The same has been true throughout history and we are cycling back again. We are bombarded everyday by two realities. We must then choose which is the one that is in service of God and which is driven by man. What we must recognize is that what we see in our world today is Godโs plan skewed to meet manโs desire. We must test all by the full word of God, not just the parts that match our world view.
Godโs view of the world is one of love of others, of being a servant first, and celebrating the diversity of Godโs continued creation. So, when we are trying to decide in whom to put our faith there is only one answer. Our faith must remain in God and all Godโs word. When we do this by his will, we then receive that peace that is promised in scripture. And in so doing recognize good from evil and light from dark.
๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ฏ๐ข๐ฅ ๐ ๐จ๐จ๐
๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐จ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฏ๐ข๐ฅ,
๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐๐ซ๐ค๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ
๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ซ๐ค๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ,
๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฌ๐ฐ๐๐๐ญ
๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ฐ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ.
๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐,
๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ง๐จ๐๐๐ง๐ญ.
We need to remember what it was that led to the exile that Isaiah writes about. The fundamental failure was that the people were lead away from Godโs covenant by leaders that were not consistent in their following of the mosaic law. And through their lead became the selfish beings that humans are when they live outside of God. They started to put their faith in men, not God.
The same has been true throughout history and we are cycling back again. We are bombarded everyday by two realities. We must then choose which is the one that is in service of God and which is driven by man. What we must recognize is that what we see in our world today is Godโs plan skewed to meet manโs desire. We must test all by the full word of God, not just the parts that match our world view.
Godโs view of the world is one of love of others, of being a servant first, and celebrating the diversity of Godโs continued creation. So, when we are trying to decide in whom to put our faith there is only one answer. Our faith must remain in God and all Godโs word. When we do this by his will, we then receive that peace that is promised in scripture. And in so doing recognize good from evil and light from dark.
