(Leviticus 19:1-18, Cycle A).
The main reason many of pastors don’t delve into Leviticus, or into many of the other long legalistic passages of Scripture for that matter, is that reading all those laws, rules and regulations can become a real snooze-fest.
But what if you took all those biblical rules seriously? Even better, what if you took them literally? Some folks do claim to follow the Bible in a literal sense, but is that even possible?
A.J. Jacobs, a writer who has become known for chronicling year-long experiments like reading through the whole Encyclopedia Britannica, decided to give it a try. (And you thought I was bad for reading the Bible cover to cover so many times – I think I am on number 7 now!) Jacobs committed himself and, by extension, his family and friends, to a year-long experiment in living the Bible literally. The result is a humble and humorous book on his experience titled The Year of Living Biblically.
Jacobs read through the Bible for four straight weeks, five hours a day, and compiled a list of “every rule, every guideline, every suggestion, every nugget of advice” he found in both the Old and New Testaments. When he finished, he had a list that ran 72 pages with more than 700 rules. Jacobs saw that some of the rules would be good for him — things like telling the truth, not coveting, not stealing, and loving neighbors, for example. (That’s interesting considering the Torah only has 613 holiness codes!) But, like those of us who wade through Leviticus and its ilk, he saw plenty of rules that didn’t seem to make people righteous at all; stuff like not eating fruit from a tree planted less than five years ago or paying the wages of a worker every day. Then there are those biblical rules that are just plain illegal today, like killing magicians and sacrificing oxen. Well, maybe the last one is okay if you call it “grilling.”
Given the wide range of rules, Jacobs had to establish some criteria for which ones he could actually follow. Like a good interpreter, he figured that there were certain rules that were unquestionably figurative or symbolic, like Matthew 19:12, which is all about eunuchs, especially those who “have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.” Jacobs decided that anything that involved voluntary donation of body parts should probably not be part of his quest.
Armed with a revised list and with the help of some human and written guides from both Judaism and Christianity, Jacobs adopted a new persona for the year named “Jacob” and began following the Bible as literally as possible. He grew out his beard and hair to the point that he looked like Moses, Abraham or the Unabomber, depending on your point of view. He dressed all in white (Ecclesiastes 9:8), making sure not to wear any clothing of mixed fibers (Leviticus 19:19). To be safe, he had his wardrobe examined by a shatnez tester — kind of like an orthodox Jewish CSI who looks at the fibers under a microscope. He walked around with money rubber-banded around his hand (Deuteronomy 14:25). He carried around one of those combination cane/seat things called a “Handy Stick” so that he could avoid sitting where a menstruating woman might have sat (Leviticus 15:19). He could watch TV, but he couldn’t actually turn it on so as not to have made a graven image. He “stoned” an adulterer in the park, but since the Bible doesn’t specify how big the stones are supposed to be he just tossed pebbles at an admitted (and annoyed) adulterer on a park bench. The rules that Jacobs followed, and the reactions that he and those around him had, make for a fascinating and often very funny read.
One of the more interesting observations that Jacobs makes in the book is that while many religious literalists scoff at the idea of a “cafeteria” style of religion — picking and choosing what rules to follow and what to leave out — the truth is that there’s really no such thing as a true biblical literalist. Even fundamentalists have to browse the scriptural salad bar and can’t heap every biblical rule onto their plate. Truth be told, they usually pick the rules that they probably subconscientiously know they are guilty of. Don’t we all?!) “Otherwise,” says Jacobs, “they’d … boot out men for talking about the Tennessee Titans (‘make no mention of the names of other gods…’’ — Exodus 23:13).” Jacobs, a self-proclaimed agnostic, went about as far as anyone can in adopting a literal biblical lifestyle, but even then he couldn’t literally or legally follow all the rules. Religions and rules cannot all be completely static. The Amish, whom Jacob visited as part of his project, have evolved with the times, even if to a very small degree. He was shocked to find, for example, an Amish woman using a gas-powered leaf blower and an Amish teen rollerblading down a country road.
For Jacobs, the most important lesson was this: “There’s nothing wrong with choosing. Cafeterias aren’t bad per se. I’ve had some great meals at cafeterias. I’ve also had some turkey tetrazzini that gave me the dry heaves for 16 hours. The key is in choosing the right dishes. You need to pick the nurturing ones (compassion), the healthy ones (love thy neighbor), not the bitter ones. Religious leaders don’t know everything about every food, but maybe the good ones can guide you to what is fresh. They can be like a helpful lunch lady who — okay, I’ve taken the metaphor too far.”
That kind of thinking, of course, does bring up the issue of biblical authority. In the end, no matter what your theological bent, it’s indeed possible to commit idolatry on the Bible itself, worshiping the words instead of understanding the times and embracing the spirit (Spirit!) in which it was written. More importantly, as Christians’ we’ve been given a model of thought and behavior that transcends written rules. We have been given Jesus. If we’re looking to be literal at anything, we should be most literal in modeling our lives after his.
Jesus’ instructions to his disciples today in Matthew 10 were designed to prepare them for the missionary journeys they would undertake both during their time with Jesus and especially after his ascension. They were not to be people merely bound by rules and simply dressing the part of the righteous (that was Jesus’ critique of the Pharisees, after all). Instead, they were to act as Jesus’ own representatives by reflecting his character, mission and message to the world. In the midst of their mission of representing Christ, the disciples were to concentrate their best and most literal efforts on modeling him in their relationships, starting with each other. There’s some debate among commentators about the role of “prophets,” the “righteous” and
Of all the items on the biblical rotisserie we can grab and be nourished on, however, maybe the most important one is compassion. Giving a “cup of cold water” is a simple act, but it’s those simple acts of kindness, compassion and obedience that best represent Jesus in our everyday lives (10:42). In our quest to be “people of the Book,” we have to realize that we can never be outside the rules when we lead with love.
A.J. Jacobs learned from his year-long experiment that even as an agnostic there was a lot he could learn from taking on the character and lifestyle of a biblically based person. Says Jacobs, “The experience changed me in big ways and small ways. There’s a lot about gratefulness in the Bible, and I would say I’m more thankful. I focus on the hundred little things that go right in a day, instead of the three or four things that go wrong. And I love the Sabbath. There’s something I really like about a forced day of rest ... I also really liked what one of my spiritual advisers said, which was that you can view life as a series of rights and entitlements, or a series of responsibilities. I like seeing my life as a series of responsibilities. It’s sort of, ‘Ask not what God can do for you, ask what you can do for God.’”
Imagine living like that not for just a year — but for the rest of your life!
Let us pray.
In today’s gospel we are reminded by Jesus of the importance of hospitality, kindness and generosity in our Christian lives. We pray that we be ever mindful of His message and that we hear the cry of those in need and be generous in our response. We pray to the Lord.
We pray for those workers and volunteers who feed and clothe the poor and needy, that the Lord bestow on them the grace to continue in their work and reward them for their sacrifices and acts of mercy. We pray to the Lord.
We pray for the church when it seems she may be overcome by violence and apathy of the world. We pray to the Lord.
We pray for the world of which at times and in places is consumed by war hatred and destruction in overwhelming ways. We pray to the Lord.
For these United states that as we celebrate our independence, may we always strive to preserve the rights and dignity of all. We pray to the Lord.
For all diseases cured, broken bones set, physical suffering eased, and emotional illnesses eased. We pray to the Lord.
We pray for our community of faith, that we may be joyfully committed to making God's name known in all we do. We pray to the Lord.
We pray for benefactors who can help our tiny parish during its need. The leaking sewage and the ever-enlarging sink hole, our ever-increasing balances of various everyday expenses. We pray to the Lord.
For those on our parish prayer list, that they may receive swift answers to their needs and that they may find consolation through Christ’s healing presence. We pray to the Lord.
We bow our heads and remember in silence our own personal intentions and the intentions of those who have asked for our prayers (pause). We pray to the Lord.
God of all wisdom, and of profound mystery, we are grateful for the signs and intimations you scatter in our world like so many seeds. By your grace, may they take root in our hearts and grow: that, one day, in the fullness of time, we may not only be welcomed into your eternal realm, but may recognize it as home.
God of life and light and love, you have created us, and you care for us, and you forgive us. When we wonder how we can go on, you remind us that you watch over us and that you neither slumber nor sleep. When questions fill our minds, and we do not know where to turn, you help us to remember your love and caring are always present in abundance. Today may we trust in your promises and mercy, so that we may be serving you always with joy and confidence.
God of grace and glory, as we celebrate the birth of our nation in just a couple days, it is with grateful hearts that we remember our ancestors. We give thanks for all the people who have fought for and defended our freedom throughout the years. We remember, as well, those whom we harmed as we built our country -- the Native Americans and the Africans who were enslaved. We ask your guidance as we continue to learn how to live together as a country made up of people of many different nationalities. We are blessed with an amazing variety of geography across our land, the awesome redwoods, our coastlines, vast plains, majestic mountains and deserts. Help us protect each of these different environments so the generations to come can enjoy their beauty.
Help us not take our freedom for granted -- remembering that there are still too many people throughout the world who don't share the luxuries of freedom we consider basic rights, such as speech and religion. May we ever remember, though, our most precious freedom: "For freedom, Christ has set us free." We ask all these things, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
God Love You +++
The Most Rev. Robert Winzens
Pastor – St. Francis Chapel
San Diego, CA.
As a small parish, we come to you all as beggars! All non-profits compete for your support, and many serve the community’s great needs, and we do not ask you to stop giving to them. But maybe one week or month, we ask that you consider a small donation to our humble parish. Your generous support also allows us to continue these important projects that fuel the movement of progressive Christianity. God will look on your donation grant you his grace in abundance! Thank you and God bless you! +++
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