Monday Reflection \u2013 November 16, 2020
Love \u2013 A Core Attribute of Holiness<\/p>\n\n\n
You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbour as yourself: I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:18<\/p>\n\n\n
The book of Leviticus contains the laws which were to guide the people of God in their everyday actions and activities. Today\u2019s Watchword is located in chapter 19, which interestingly begins with the call by God for His people to be holy. The word\u00a0\u2018holy\u2019 means to be separate, apart or different from. So God is different from all others, different in His being and different in the greatness and majesty of His attributes. Yet, because humans are made in the image of God, they can follow in His steps and also\u00a0be holy. In this context, Israel was to be different, separate from the nations and peoples around them.<\/p>\n\n\n
Within this context of holiness is the command to love one\u2019s neighbour. Verse 17 begins, \u201cYou shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin\u2026\u201d Love for others is commanded, not only in action but also in\u00a0heart. This is so because it is out of our hearts that our words and actions flow, thus we have to begin there. Love demands that we not take vengeance against others. Romans 12:19 says that vengeance belongs to God; therefore, there is a sense in which we can hold back God\u2019s work of vengeance upon others by seeking it ourselves. Love demands that we exercise forgiveness and restraint. Love also demands that we not bear a grudge against others. Admittedly, it is easy for many to cherish a grudge against another, especially when it is deserved; but too much damage is done to the one holding the grudge.<\/p>\n\n\n
The charge to love one another is all over the Bible, both in the Old and New Testaments. The significance of the call to love our neighbour as ourselves is highlighted by the fact that Jesus and Paul both cited this verse as a summary of the duties one has to his fellow human being (Matthew 22:39-40,\u00a0Romans 13:9). Further, Jesus commanded us to\u00a0love our enemies\u00a0(Luke 6:27), and showed that our neighbours are the ones in need, even if they might be regarded as a traditional enemy (Luke 10:25-37). Love demands that the same way we take care of ourselves and are concerned about our own interests, we should take care and have concern for the interests of others.<\/p>\n\n\n
This command to love in the text seems like a summary of what was being outlined before. Loving our neighbours is about:<\/p>\n\n\n
Jermaine Gibson<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Monday Reflection \u2013 November 16, 2020 Love \u2013 A Core Attribute of Holiness You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbour as yourself: I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:18 The\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"template":"","watchword_topic":[13],"class_list":["post-393","watchword","type-watchword","status-publish","hentry","watchword_topic-christian-living"],"yoast_head":"\n