This weekend we’ll read from one of the most feared books in all the Bible: Leviticus. Recognizing the way it’s been weaponized against gays and lesbians, many Christians choose not to read it at all, or else assume it is uniformly antiquated and irrelevant. Leviticus is the book that stands in the way of many people reading through the Bible cover-to-cover – if you’ve ever picked up the Bible, intending to read it straight through, my hunch is that you got through Genesis and Exodus fairly well (possibly beginning to drag in the second half of Exodus), but when you hit Leviticus you ran out of gas.

I admit, it’s not the easiest book of the Bible to read, and it does contain directives that are strange and difficult to understand, let alone follow. Yet we throw the proverbial baby out with the bath water when we neglect to read this book or reflect on what God may be trying to accomplish in it. If we are willing to call it “the Word of the Lord,” then what are we to do with it?

Well, this weekend we will hear much of Leviticus 19, which is part of what is known as the “Holiness Code.” That title comes from an oft-repeated phrase in this part of Leviticus, “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.” Our passage in chapter 19 underscores many different actions that are indicative of holiness: compassionate treatment of others, especially the hungry and foreigners; not stealing or lying; just dealing with money and finances; resisting the lure of hatred against your neighbor. In fact, you may be surprised to learn that Leviticus 19 is where we get the “Golden Rule”: love your neighbor as yourself. Yes, this is a challenging but beautiful section of the Bible, and it unquestionably informed the life and ministry of Jesus.

Holiness is what is necessary for people to live in proximity with God. Holiness is how we live and move and have our being in such a way that we can be in close relationship with God, or to quote one of my old professors, Kevin Wilson, “Holiness is simply the state of being in which all things that keep us apart from God have been removed.” Jesus took up this idea and built on it in the Sermon on the Mount, which we’ll also hear this weekend. Jesus teaches that we are called not only to not hurt others, but to actually work for their betterment and peace. We are called not only to love our friends, but also our enemies. We are called not only to give to people in need, but to give generously and sacrificially. Jesus teaches us that holiness is not simply something we accomplish by going through the motions. It is what happens when our actions and our hearts are aligned, and our whole lives begin to be oriented to goodness and justice.

If this seems crazy and hard, well, maybe that’s the point. As we’ll hear Jesus say in the gospel this weekend (according to The Message), “If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that. In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.”

-Casey+