Leviticus 19
English Standard Version
The Lord Is Holy
‘Holiness in Personal Conduct’
19 And 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. 3 Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God. 4 Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves any gods of cast metal: I am the Lord your God.
5 “When you offer a sacrifice of p... moreLeviticus 19
English Standard Version
The Lord Is Holy
‘Holiness in Personal Conduct’
19 And 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. 3 Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God. 4 Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves any gods of cast metal: I am the Lord your God.
5 “When you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to the Lord, you shall offer it so that you may be accepted. 6 It shall be eaten the same day you offer it or on the day after, and anything left over until the third day shall be burned up with fire. 7 If it is eaten at all on the third day, it is tainted; it will not be accepted, 8 and everyone who eats it shall bear his iniquity, because he has profaned what is holy to the Lord, and that person shall be cut off from his people.
Love Your Neighbor as Yourself
9 “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. 10 And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.
11 “You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another. 12 You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.
13 “You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired worker shall not remain with you all night until the morning. 14 You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.
15 “You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. 16 You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life[a] of your neighbor: I am the Lord.
17 “You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. 18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. Amen!
As parents we understand discipline is wholesome and necessary to guide our children on the straight and narrow and to provide a moral compass. As a child I remember just thinking my parents were mean. Rules! Rules! Rules! I would sulk and pout. As teenagers we all experienced a bit of rebellious behavior, push back if you prefer. Today as a Grandparent and still a parent even though our children our all grown adults with families of their own it is wonderful to reflect upon Our Heavenly Father who disciplines us out of love and tenderness and caring concern for He only has plans to prosper and help. I’d like to think I’m wiser now as I age hopefully gracefully though my body tells a different story. We all know Jesus’ parables asking disciples who, then, is our neighbor? My understanding as a Templar means we are held to a higher standard of conduct and believe me people in the secular/material/earthly realm are closely watching. They love to watch a believer trip or stumble for what they believe is their righteous and glorious ‘AHA!’ moment. So even though it’s hard to always love our neighbor, especially those I call the sandpaper people, the gritty ones that rub and irritate, nevertheless Our Lord calls us to do so. I am also grateful for children who are quick to call me out when I slip into complaining or not showing such generous love for a neighbor and I am then reminded of our virtues and our calling. I am grateful for a community of believers that demand accountability and a brethren that stand together on the solid rock of Christ! I need the brotherhood/sisterhood! I need YOU! Together we can impact the world for Jesus Christ but we also need to remember discipline applies to us and we do right to study the Word and prayerfully meditate upon being DOERS and not simply hearers, amen! Deus Vult beloved. Deus Vult.
CAA Michael A. Loos Sr.
Priory of St. Michael the Archangel
Fides Et Veritas
