Leviticus 6
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Leviticus 6:1-7, The Lord said to Moses: “If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the Lord by deceiving a neighbor about something entrusted to them or left in their care or about something stolen, or if they cheat their neighbor, or if they find lost property and lie about it, or if they swear falsely about any such sin that people may commit— when they sin in any of these ways and realize their guilt, they must return what they have stolen or taken by extortion, or what was entrusted to them, or the lost property they found, or whatever it was they swore falsely about. They must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the owner on the day they present their guilt offering. And as a penalty they must bring to the priest, that is, to the Lord, their guilt offering, a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value. In this way the priest will make atonement for them before the Lord, and they will be forgiven for any of the things they did that made them guilty.”
The beginning of chapter 6 deals with violations against other people's personal property. It points to how cheating a person or sinning against a person was also a sin against God. These specific offenses listed in this chapter all stem from greed and the assumption that they could hide this deceptive behavior from God.
It seems almost laughable to us that anyone would think they could hide sin from God. After all, God is all-knowing and can see everything. But upon reflection, I don't think we are all that different today. Ethics, even among church people, are too often neglected. We fail to exhibit the fruit of the spirit in our everyday, walking around lives. Do we think God can't see us? Do we assume that being kind, gentle, and patient don't really matter in our interpersonal relationships? Does God give us a pass for being mostly honest? Umm...I think not. It is impossible to separate our relationship with Jesus Christ and our relationship with others. Jesus said it best, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 28)
Let's pray...God, forgive us for the many times we sin against others and you. Too often, we fail to love others as you have called us. We are quick to anger, impatient, and simply unkind. Help us remember who we are and who we represent. Lord, less of me and more of you. In Jesus' Name, Amen.