Today there are three chapters.
February 18: Matthew 23, Leviticus 21, Leviticus 22 (click on the chapter to begin reading)
In Matthew 23 Jesus tells of seven woes. Read the chapter carefully and draw your own conclusions.
Leviticus 21 has the regulations for priests.
Leviticus 22 completes the regulations for the priests and tells of acceptable and unacceptable offerings.
Today there are three chapters.
February 17: Matthew 22, Leviticus 19, Leviticus 20 (click on the chapter to begin reading)
In Matthew 22 Jesus continues to talk in parables. He is in Jerusalem teaching about the Kingdom of Heaven and tells of the wedding banquet, from which we have the expression “many are called but few are chosen.” Then the Pharisees tries to entrap him with the question “is it legal to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” Jesus answers by the famous quote: “Give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s,” an early call to separation of Church and state. Jesus did not say “let the Romans do it”. The Sadducees also tried to entrap him with the riddle “if there is no resurrection and seven brothers have had a woman as his wife on after another, who would marry her in the resurrection?” Another famous saying: “God is not the God of the dead but of the living.” They continue to entrap him by asking which is the greatest commandment. Jesus answers with the first commandment and adds another: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” One more: Whose sun is the Christ? Answer: “The Lord said to my Lord.”
Leviticus 19 is a continuation of moral and ceremonial laws, and
Leviticus 20 outlines the penalties for breaking the law.
Today there are three chapters.
February 16: Matthew 21, Leviticus 17, Leviticus 18 (click on the chapter to begin reading)
Matthew 21 starts with the triumphal entry, and that begins what is called the “holy week” Jesus rides in on an unbroken colt. In Jerusalem Jesus cleanses the temple and throws out the money changers. The spiritual leaders were offended that people sang “Hosanna in the highest” at the triumphal entry, even little children sang it. Then comes the story of the withering fig tree, the symbol of Israel. The spiritual leaders also questioned Jesus authority. Instead of giving an answer Jesus gave two parables, the one about the two sons and the parable about the wicked tenants. Moving on Jesus quotes scripture by saying :The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone” meaning that the kingdom of God will be inherited by another people.
Leviticus 17 deals with the sanctity of blood and why eating of blood is forbidden.
Leviticus 18 defines the laws of sexual morality, and especially to stay away from Molech, which involves sexual orgies, pass through the fire and child sacrifices.
Today there are three chapters.
February 15: Matthew 20, Leviticus 15, Leviticus 16 (click on the chapter to begin reading)
In Matthew 20 Jesus gives the parable of the workers in the vineyard, that God is always fair even when we don’t think so. Then he predicts his death. Then then tha mother of Zebedee’s sons asks Jesus to have her sons be the seated with Jesus in the kingdom of heaven, but that is only for the Father to decide. The other disciples got angry, but Jesus admonished them all that the kingdom of heaven is to be a servant. After that Jesus heals two blind men.
Leviticus 15 deals with bodily discharges.
Leviticus 16 is the apex of Leviticus and tells of all the things Aaron must do on the day of atonement to atone for the sins of himself and the people during the past year.
It is not easy eating right these days. A large French study indicated that eating processed food increases mortality rates by 14%.
A favorite, low cost food in the U.S is hot dogs and beans.
Here is the Limerick:
It’s true that you are what you eat
and hot dogs are just processed meat.
But the Climate Change crowd
say it clear, say it loud.
With beans you fart methane – more heat.
Today there are three chapters.
February 14: Matthew 19, Leviticus 13, Leviticus 14 (click on the chapter to begin reading)
Matthew 19 is relatively short but contains some of the most important aspects of life, such as marriage and divorce. “What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.” Then the jewel “Let the little children come to me…” After that a rich young ruler asks what good thing he must do to get eternal life. Jesus answer “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God,” in other words impossible. But cheer up, “with God all things are possible.” And God’s pecking order is not economic or based on power. Instead, sometimes “the first shall be last, and the last shall be first.” There are many idioms in the English language taken from the Bible. Yet the origin is not allowed to be mentioned in public schools. Ponder that.
Leviticus 13 and Leviticus 14 deal with leprosy and mildew and what to do with both. Things like that are complicated.
The Eagle has landed in aerie
on top of a windmill – that’s scary.
Doesn’t know she will die,
whacked right out of the sky
from rotating blades unawary.
The idea of wind farming is to create sustainable energy.
Will the population of eagles and other large birds be sustainable?
They like to build their aeries on top of wind turbines, the highest structure in their territory.
It is estimated that the total bird kill by the year 2030 is going to be 1 million three hundred thousand birds. And that is if the Green New Deal is not implemented.
Is the large bird population sustainable even now?
In parts of Ohio they have forbidden the turbines to run at night to protect a rare bat.
And it takes energy to produce energy. The cost of de-icing the average airplane is $1500. And that is without the helicopter.
And I am not sure about the former.
I end with Isaiah 40:31
“…but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.”
Today there are four chapters.
February 13: Matthew 18, Leviticus 10, Leviticus 11, Leviticus 12 (click on the chapter to begin reading)
Matthew 18. To the question “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Jesus called a little child. Then he expands the question and elaborates on the subject of sin. This chapter also contains the parable of the lost sheep, which leads naturally into the subject of reconciliation and church discipline. Jesus also promises that “where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them”. And then comes the parable of the unmerciful servant.
In Leviticus 10 two of Aaron’s sons are killed by fire for violating God’ command. But Aaron’s uncle has two sons and together with two other sons of Aaron they became the new priests and the rest of the chapter deal with how they should behave.
Leviticus 11 deals with clean (kosher) and unclean food and clean and unclean animals. (Locusts and grasshoppers are o.k.)
Finally Leviticus 12 is a short chapter and it deals with purification after childbirth.
Today there are four chapters.e
February 12: Matthew 17, Leviticus 7, Leviticus 8, Leviticus 9 (click on the chapter to begin reading)
Matthew 17 begins with the transfiguration. Then the disciples try to heal a boy with epilepsy but fail. Jesus heals him immediately. The disciples could not do it because they had so little faith. Jesus also predicts his death, and the tax collectors come to Peter to collect the temple tax. Jesus solves this by telling peter to go fishing and from the first fish he catches he will take the four drachma coin swallowed by the fish. That did take care of the tax for both Peter and Jesus.
Leviticus 7 defines the guilt offering and the peace(fellowship) offering. It furthermore forbids the people to eat fat or blood. In a fellowship offering the priest must get his share, and the share is specified.
Leviticus 8 goes into some length how the ordination of Aaron and his sons was done.
In Leviticus 9 the priestly ministry begins.
Today there are four chapters.e
February 11: Matthew 16, Leviticus 4, Leviticus 5, Leviticus 6 (click on the chapter to begin reading)
In Matthew 16 the Jews demand a sign. Jesus tells the there will be no sign other than the sign of Jonah: Three days and three nights in the belly of a great fish. The disciples forgot to bring bread and Jesus told the : Beware if the yeast of the Pharisees and the Saducees. Huh? Jesus had to explain to them he meant the doctrine, not the literal yeast. Then came Peter’s confession. Right after that Jesus predicts his death, unto which Peter says “Never” and Jesus answers “Get behind me, Satan.” Strong words. And then Jesus says “Whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” Finally Jesus predicts his transfiguration.
Leviticus 4 defines the sin offering.
Leviticus 5 completes the sin offering and continues with the guilt offering.
And Leviticus 6 tells of the restitution necessary in the burnt offering, the grain offering and the sin offering.
Len Bilén's blog, a blog about faith, politics and the environment. 