The Challenge of Being Holy

 

~~~ Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18~~~ Psalm 19 ~~~ Matthew 25:31-46 ~~~

 

Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

 

Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy.
Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your fellow countrymen.
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

 

He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones,
you did not do for me.’

 

God lays before us the formula for leading a holy life.

He urges us to be holy just as he is holy.

This may seem like a daunting command,

 but the words of scripture today give us some concrete guidelines.

 

We should not steal, lie, swear, curse, defraud, trick, act dishonestly, spread slander,

on perhaps the most important command is

You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart.

 

Having been a recent victim of theft I can say

not bearing hatred in your heart is challenging.

I have prayed for the thief, but I still find it hard to excuse the personal violation.

 

Unfortunately we live in a society where lying, cheating

 and stealing is becoming the norm.

We are beginning to forget what it means to have values.

Every day we come into contact with people who have no character.

They have no respect for someone else's property.

There is no such thing as boundaries.

Loving someone who wrongs you takes a conscious act of will.

 

 

What if you can only go through the motions of loving

someone who has wronged you?

Are you then also unpleasing before God?

 

I have prayed that this person would have a conversion of heart.

I am not hopeful, however, that this will happen.

 

Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart
find favor before you

 

Help me Lord to keep the thoughts of my heart pleasing to you.

I have made an effort to be more kind to others.

 I am hoping that the small difference

I can make will somehow contradict the evil in our society today.

 

Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy.