Today's Scripture
Welcoming the Stranger – Leviticus 19:32-34
32 You shall rise before the aged, and defer to the old; and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.
33 When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. 34 The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.
RJ's Devotion
What the passage says
V. 32 This chapter of Leviticus talks about the command of God for the people to be holy. For us to maintain, even though I believe it is impossible to maintain holiness, Moses shares the laws to be observed.
V. 33-34 God orders the people to love the aliens among them. Meaning that the people were to love the foreigners. This is a radical command since the Israelites were building up an identity as the elected nation.
What does the passage say to me/us?
Think how radical this command was for the Israelites. They had a clear divide between the pure blood and the Gentiles. For them to love a foreigner is much harder than we think. However, God is asking them to have compassion and love toward the people, who live with them in the land. Why?
They might not have enough resources, as much as the Israelites.
They might not want to live in that land, but the situation led them to live in a foreign land.
They might experience injustice as they live among the Israelites.
God commands the Israelites to be sensitive to their situation. The reason for this command is “you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt” (v.34 NRSV)
Prayer
Lord, help us to see the people in your eyes. Help us to build a heart of compassion, toward the people who are in need.
In your name, we pray. AMEN
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