Both the Leviticus and Matthew readings give us directions for living a holy life, and the readings from Psalms and Corinthians echo this love of God’s righteousness and holiness. Leviticus sets forth the totality of the holiness God expects in our lives, and such detailed commandments can certainly be stifling and don’t always translate well to new times and cultures. But some of those details are startling in their relevance: don’t completely clean the fields but instead leave some for the poor and the alien, don’t profit from the blood of a neighbor, don’t hate any kin. Each law ends with “I am the Lord,” reminding us not only who God is, but also who we are and who we aren’t, and why it is we should follow these proscriptions.
Jesus expands, in the Sermon on the Mount, the notion of holiness set forth in Leviticus: turn the other cheek, give more than is asked for, love your enemy. Radical words, indeed. Yet even these directives remain only laws, with the potential to drain life instead of give it, if they are not rooted in Jesus’ life and the holiness he gives us. Interestingly, Jesus ends this portion of his sermon with almost the same formula as Leviticus, invoking God’s perfection. Not only do these words call us to high standards—from our finances to our familial relationships to our dealings with strangers—but they also serve the purpose of making it clear how much we fail and how much we need God. So repetition of God’s holiness and perfection is important, in marked contrast to our own lack of holiness. But it’s even more important that it is Jesus who delivers this message, since he not only embodies that holiness but offers it to us as well, and enables us to live out God’s laws.