March 10 Deut 19-23 &

The idea of a city of refuge is still alive today, just in a different way. For Israel, it was for unintentional homicide. Thus, a person had a place to live and could not be judged guilty and or killed. Today we have some cities wishing to be sanctuary cities. Giving undocumented persons a safe place to live. Just as for the person who committed an unintentional homicide so to the undocumented person they must be moral and upright people. This was not about guilty people hiding somewhere, but good people that needed safety just like the rest of us. With God everyone deserves care and respect. Remember God even put a mark on Cain so no one would kill him with coming up against his wrath. We also hear in Deut. 19:21, “Life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot!” It was a good start at equitable justice where there had been none, but Jesus will take it even further. I was a little rebellious in my youth, but I am glad I lived in the 60’s and not in the time of Deut. 21:21. Finally, I was a roamer, and I would have appreciated Deut 22:25, “When you go through your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat as many grapes as you wish, until you are satisfied, but do not put them in your basket.” I did partake of an apple or pear a time or two or three. No baskets involved.

First Peter 1:3-5 is quite the sentence, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you who by the power of God are safeguarded through faith, to a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time.” As we get closer to Holy Week and Easter, these could be great verses to pray.