“’Love Them As Yourself’”

“‘When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God…’”

Leviticus 19:33-34

Some people fret about the messes people make when they visit. Others see this as a divine opportunity to extend hospitality to a wonderful group of strangers – without even leaving the grounds.

The Israelites must have faced similar issues in their time. After they settled in their new land, they had to grapple with how to relate to other peoples. But God commanded them to treat foreigners like their own kind, and to love them as themselves. Many of his laws made special mention of foreigners: they were not to be mistreated or oppressed, and they were to be loved and helped. Centuries later, Jesus would command us to do the same; to love our neighbor as ourselves.

May we have God’s heart to love others as ourselves, remembering that we too are sojourners on this earth. Yet we have been loved as God’s people, treated as His own.

Embracing God’s love for us is the key to loving others.

Our Daily Bread – February 16, 2018