DAILY TEXT, From today Saturday July 22, See the foreigner who lives with you as a native of the country and love him as you love yourselves (Lev. 19:34).

DAILY TEXT, From today Saturday July 22, 2023, See the foreigner who lives with you as a native of the country and love him as you love yourselves (Lev. 19:34).

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Saturday July 22

See the foreigner who lives with you as a native of the country and love him as you love yourselves (Lev. 19:34).

When Jehovah commanded the Israelites to love their neighbors, he did not mean to love only people of their own race or nationality. He also told them to love the foreigners who lived with them. This is clearly stated in Leviticus 19:33, 34. They were to see the foreigner “as a native of the country” and love him as they loved themselves. For example, they had to allow foreign residents and the poor to pick up the leftovers from the crops (Lev. 19:9, 10). Christians must also apply today the principle of loving strangers (Luke 10:30-37). As? There are millions of immigrants in the world, and some may live near us. It is important that we treat these men, women and children with dignity and respect. w21.12 49:16.

WE LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR AS WE LOVE OURSELVES

What did Jesus emphasize by quoting from Leviticus 19:17, 18?

Jehovah does not just tell us not to hurt others. This is clearly seen in Leviticus 19:17, 18 (read it). There we read this mandate: "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." This is essential for the Christian who wants to please God.

Let's see how Jesus emphasized the importance of the command found in Leviticus 19:18. On a certain occasion, a Pharisee asked him: "What is the most important commandment of the Law?" Jesus replied that “the first and greatest of the commandments” is to love Jehovah with all our hearts, with all our souls, and with all our minds. And then he quoted from Leviticus 19:18 by saying: “The second, which is similar, says: 'Love your neighbor as you love yourself'” (Matt. 22:35-40). There are infinite ways to show love to your neighbor, but Leviticus chapter 19 will help us identify some of them.

How did Joseph act in harmony with what Leviticus 19:18 says?

One way to show love to your neighbor is by applying what Leviticus 19:18 says: "Do not take revenge on the sons of your people or hold a grudge against them." Almost everyone knows someone who has held a grudge against a coworker or schoolmate, or even a family member for years. Remember that Joseph's 10 half-brothers were so resentful of him that their hatred led them to do something terrible to him (Gen. 37:2-8, 25-28). But he did not pay them back in kind. When he had authority and the opportunity to take revenge on them presented himself, he preferred to show them mercy. Rather than hold a grudge against them, he acted in harmony with what was later written in Leviticus 19:18 (Gen. 50:19-21).

How do we know that the principles on which Leviticus 19:18 was based are still valid today?

The Christian who wants to please God should imitate the example of Joseph and forgive instead of holding a grudge or taking revenge. This fits with the Lord's Prayer, where Jesus said that we must forgive those who sin against us (Matt. 6:9, 12). Similarly, the apostle Paul gave this advice to Christians: “Beloved, do not take revenge” (Rom. 12:19). And he also told them: “Keep putting up with one another and forgiving each other generously even if someone has a reason to complain about another” (Col. 3:13). Jehovah's principles do not change. Today the principles on which the law of Leviticus 19:18 was based are still valid.

What example helps us understand the importance of forgiving and forgetting?

Let's give an example. Emotional wounds are like physical wounds: some are minor and others are serious. For example, maybe when we open an envelope we get a small cut on our finger. It may hurt a lot at first, but most likely it will heal in a couple of days and we won't even remember where we cut ourselves. Similarly, a friend may say or do something without thinking that he offends or hurts us, but it doesn't take us long to forgive him. Now, if we get a deep wound, the doctor may have to stitch it up and bandage it. If we didn't stop touching it or poking at it, we ourselves would make it worse. Unfortunately, that is what someone who is very offended might do. If I didn't stop thinking about the emotional wound he's suffered and the damage done to him, that grudge would only be hurting himself. It is certainly much better to follow the advice of Leviticus 19:18.

According to Leviticus 19:33, 34, how were the Israelites to treat foreign residents, and what do we learn from this?

When Jehovah commanded the Israelites to love their neighbors, he did not mean to love only people of their own race or nationality. He also told them to love the foreigners who lived with them. This is clearly stated in Leviticus 19:33, 34 (read it). They should see the foreigner "as a native of the country" and love him as they loved themselves. For example, they had to allow foreign residents and the poor to pick up the leftovers from the crops (Lev. 19:9, 10). Christians must also apply today the principle of loving strangers (Luke 10:30-37). As? There are millions of immigrants in the world, and some may live near us. It is important that we treat these men, women and children with dignity and respect.

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