Reflection for Acharei Mot-Kedoshim
“Neighborly Love”
Romans 3:19-28; 9:30-10:13
1 Corinthians 5:1-13
with 2 Corinthians 2:1-22
Galatians 3:10-14
Hebrews 7:23-10:25
Matthew 5:33-37; 5:43-48; 15:1-11; 19:16-30; 22:33-40
Mark 7:1-23; 12:28-34
Luke 10:25-39
Romans 13:8-10
Galatians 5:13-26
James 2:1-9
1 Peter 1:13-21
excerpted from TorahScope Apostolic Scriptures Reflections
This week, because of the Hebrew calendar (2010/5770), Torah students will be examining two parashot in Acharei Mot (Leviticus 16:1-18:30) and Kedoshim (Leviticus 19:1-20:27). These readings describe the details of how to commemorate Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement, and emphasize overall the admonition of what it means for God’s people to pursue holiness—because He set His chosen people apart to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:6). In our selection this week, the Lord undeniably required His people to not just be designated as holy—but to actively be holy:
- “The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and tell them, “You shall be holy; for I, the LORD your God, am holy”’” (Leviticus 19:1-2, WMB).
- “Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am the LORD your God” (Leviticus 20:7, WMB).
- “You shall be holy to me, for I, the LORD, am holy, and have set you apart from the peoples, that you should be mine” (Leviticus 20:26, WMB).
As you might read the various commandments and regulations which detail personal holiness regarding blood, family relations, and how to live uprightly with neighbor and community—the summary benefits would result in Ancient Israel maintaining residence in the Promised Land. Yet, the warning was very precise, that if these commandments and regulations were not respected and followed, then the Land itself would spew out the disobedient Israelites:
“You shall therefore keep all my statutes and all my ordinances, and do them, that the land where I am bringing you to dwell may not vomit you out. You shall not walk in the customs of the nation which I am casting out before you; for they did all these things, and therefore I abhorred them” (Leviticus 20:22-23, WMB).
Appropriately, when selecting teachings from the Prophets for the Haftarah readings, Ezekiel 20:2:20; 22:1-19; and Amos 9:7-15 were chosen—because in each case both Prophets warned about disobedience, and the consequences of Israel becoming unholy like the other nations. Despite promises to be restored as seen throughout the Tanakh, the fact remains that Ancient Israel largely did not obey God as specified in Acharei Mot-Kedoshim, being the holy people He wanted. Hence, history records that Israel was scattered into the nations, with the promise of eventual restoration still something to be fully realized today.
It is undeniable from any reading of the Gospels, that Yeshua the Messiah was a consistent advocate of holiness—and required it of all His followers. Frequently in His teachings, Yeshua referred to verses which are found in Acharei Mot-Kedoshim, exhorting His Disciples to pursue holiness in their lives, making a concentrated difference in the world around them. However, far beyond simply keeping one’s vows (Matthew 5:33-37), controlling the tongue (Matthew 15:1-11), or honoring parents (Matthew 15:4-6)—is the often-repeated emphasis to love one’s neighbor as yourself. Yeshua by no means just invented this axiom as some of today’s Christians might think; He appealed directed to the authority of the Torah:
“You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people. You shall not endanger the life of your neighbor. I am the LORD. You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people; but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:16-18, WMB).
One of the most significant and well-known quotations of Leviticus 19:18, appears in Yeshua’s Sermon on the Mount. Here, the Lord elaborates on the essence of love, to subvert some of the common religious ideas present among His listeners. How many of them really liked to hear that they were to love those who persecuted them?
“But I tell you, don’t resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. If anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him have your cloak also. Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and don’t turn away him who desires to borrow from you. You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor [Leviticus 19:18] and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? If you only greet your friends, what more do you do than others? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:39-48, WMB).
Loving enemies and praying for those who persecute you—substantially raises the standard of love. Loving those you do not instinctively want to love, is required in order to be a mature Messiah follower, perfect just as God is perfect.
The principle of loving one’s neighbor, is seen quoted throughout Yeshua’s teaching ministry. In a variety of settings—either when the Messiah was asked questions of inquiry, or directly challenged—Yeshua often just referred people back to the Torah’s teaching on what it meant for people to live holy and upstanding lives. Consider the scene of when a rich young ruler asked about how one can obtain eternal life:
“Behold, one came to him and said, ‘Good Rabbi, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but one, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.’ He said to him, ‘Which ones?’ Yeshua said, ‘“You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not offer false testimony. Honor your father and your mother.” And, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ [Exodus 10:12-16; Deuteronomy 5:16-20].” The young man said to him, ‘All these things I have observed from my youth. What do I still lack?’ Yeshua said to him, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.’ But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he was one who had great possessions. Yeshua said to his disciples, ‘Most certainly I say to you, a rich man will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven with difficulty. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter into God’s Kingdom’” (Matthew 19:16-24, WMB).
The command to love one’s neighbor was associated with other requirements from the Ten Commandments—but the point made was that loving neighbor requires sacrifice from those who have material possessions. The rich young ruler had followed the ethical statutes of the Torah since birth, but to what degree was he really willing to give of his property to help His fellow human beings in need? This does not mean that rich people have to become destitute to “be saved,” but they cannot just “love” others from a distance. Those with means should see to it that those without means are provided for, with things like food, clothing, and shelter (cf. 1 Timothy 6:17-19; James 2:16).
Perhaps most well known to Bible readers is how Yeshua appealed to the commandment to love one’s neighbor, as being among the two greatest commandments in the Torah. The Lord expected His ancient followers—and us today—to be actively remembering these statutes:
“One of the scribes came and heard them questioning together, and knowing that he had answered them well, asked him, ‘Which commandment is the greatest of all?’ Yeshua answered, ‘The greatest is: “Hear, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength” [Deuteronomy 6:4-5]. This is the first commandment. The second is like this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” [Leviticus 19:18]. There is no other commandment greater than these.’ The scribe said to him, ‘Truly, Rabbi, you have said well that he is one, and there is none other but he; and to love him with all the heart, with all the understanding, all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself [Deuteronomy 4:35; 6:5], is more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.’ When Yeshua saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, ‘You are not far from God’s Kingdom’” (Mark 12:28-34, WMB).
“But the Pharisees, when they heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, gathered themselves together. One of them, a Torah scholar, asked him a question, testing him. ‘Rabbi, which is the greatest commandment in the law?’ Yeshua said to him, ‘“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” [Deuteronomy 6:5]. This is the first and great commandment. A second likewise is this, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” [Leviticus 19:18]. The whole Torah and the Prophets depend on these two commandments’” (Matthew 22:34-40, WMB).
“Behold, a certain Torah scholar stood up and tested him, saying, ‘Rabbi, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the Torah? How do you read it?’ He answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself’ [Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18]. He said to him, ‘You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live’ [Leviticus 18:5]. But he, desiring to justify himself, asked Yeshua, ‘Who is my neighbor?’ Yeshua answered, ‘A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. By chance a certain priest was going down that way. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. In the same way a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he traveled, came where he was. When he saw him, he was moved with compassion, came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. He set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the host, and said to him, “Take care of him. Whatever you spend beyond that, I will repay you when I return.” Now which of these three do you think seemed to be a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers?’ He said, ‘He who showed mercy on him.’ Then Yeshua said to him, ‘Go and do likewise’” (Luke 10:25-37, WMB).
There were people who approached Yeshua, who knew how the Torah’s requirement to love one’s neighbors was quite significant. Yet, how many of them were really willing to expel the effort to demonstrate this in clear, tangible actions of goodwill? In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the need to be a good neighbor, included helping those who were traditionally despised, because of ancient ancestral and racial animosities. People of all ethnicities and nationalities are invited to be Messiah followers—not just First Century Jews—and they are to be about demonstrating the love and compassion of God to all! Yeshua Himself demonstrated the greatest love for neighbor one can ever dream of—laying down His life so that we might be saved (John 10:11-18; 15:13, 1 John 3:16; cf. Romans 5:8).
Yeshua’s half-brother, James the Just, classified the Torah requirement to love one’s neighbor as “the royal law”—something which is followed because one is not just a part of God’s Kingdom, but is diligently following after King Messiah:
“Listen, my beloved brothers. Didn’t God choose those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom which he promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Don’t the rich oppress you and personally drag you before the courts? Don’t they blaspheme the honorable name by which you are called? However, if you fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ [Leviticus 19:18], you do well. But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all” (James 2:5-10, WMB).
The Apostle Paul likewise appealed to the Torah requirement to love one’s neighbor, in issuing some corrective instruction to both the Galatians and Romans:
“For you, brothers, were called for freedom. Only don’t use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love be servants to one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ [Leviticus 19:18]. But if you bite and devour one another, be careful that you don’t consume one another” (Galatians 5:13-15, WMB).
“Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not covet’ [Exodus 20:13-15, 17; Deuteronomy 5:17-19, 21], and whatever other commandments there are, are all summed up in this saying, namely, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ [Leviticus 19:18]. Love doesn’t harm a neighbor. Love therefore is the fulfillment of the law.” (Romans 13:8-10, WMB).
As you read and mediate upon Acharei Mot-Kedoshim this week, and reflect upon what it really means to be holy like the Holy God we serve—perhaps you can demonstrate in some more tangible actions what it means to love one’s neighbor. This can evidence itself in a multitude of ways, many of which are not that hard to see enacted. How do you respond to those in your local community when they are in need? What do you do when someone insults you? Do you have a cheerful demeanor when you interact with people on the street? How do you present yourself as a son or daughter of the King, fulfilling His royal law of love?
It might be relatively easy to love a God who is eternal, and who sits in Heavenly places far beyond our universe. But it is far more challenging to love one’s neighbor—with all of his or her flaws—whom you can very much witness and see for yourself in person. Rather than judge a neighbor, perhaps you should introspectively analyze the kind of neighbor you are (cf. Matthew 7:3-5)? Is how you treat the people you see every day, indicative of the kind of relationship you really have with a God you have never seen?
If you at all discover this week that you are wanting in terms of some of your “neighborliness,” is any confession and repentance in order? Will you have to apologize to some of the people in your neighborhood or workplace (or congregation), because you were mean to them? Will you have to enact some new disciplines and routines in your life, so that you are consistently being renewed by the love of Messiah Yeshua—which has saved us all from our sins?
Be conformed to the image of the Messiah Yeshua! Make sure that you have a transformed heart! Love your neighbor!
