October 23, 2011: Deuteronomy 34:1-12; Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17; Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18; Psalm 1; 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8; Matthew 22:34-46
Leviticus 19:1-2: “The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 2 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.”
Matthew 22:34-46: “When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, 35and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36‘Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?’ 37 He said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’
41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: 42 What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?’ They said to him, ‘The son of David.’ 43 He said to them, ‘How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying,
44 “The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet?” 45 If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?’ 46 No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.”
Proper 25 (30), Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost Comment: “…You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.” The word ‘holy’ has in its root the meaning to be separate. I think it is safe to say that our contemporary understanding of holy is ‘to be pure’.
For sure washing separates impurities from an object. However, the Leviticus text presents us with God who is separate from all other gods of the reader’s understanding. The God presented to us in Leviticus promises to make us holy, like God.
Jesus says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind…You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” This kind of loving is the root of living relationship. As we offer ourselves as a love-gift to God we receive love that bears all, believes all, hopes all and endures all; it never fails, nor ends (1Cor. 13). This love cleanses our minds from all that is self-centered and uncaring. This love separates the lover from the inflexible and the unfeeling.
This is holy; this is pure!
Ordinary Times reveal Extraordinary Blessings,
Rev. J
© October 21, 2011