Bible students often refer to Leviticus 19:1-37 as the “Call to Holiness.” In this passage, God called Israel to a way of life, a code of conduct that would help them function as a loving community, serving one another’s well being. These were not just rules for the sake of rules. Israel’s spiritual health (like ours) involved not only the reverence they showed to God, but also the way they treated all of their “neighbors.”

• What does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself? One way to think of it is that most of us instinctively look out for our own best interests. So treating “your neighbor as yourself” would mean also looking out for their best interests. How could seeking to treat others with their best interests in mind affect your relationships with family or loved ones? Co-workers? People with whom you are in conflict or disagreement?
• Verse 34 commanded the Israelites to love and treat the immigrants among them as they loved and treated their own people. God reminded Israel that they had been immigrants in Egypt. Think about “neighbors” in your life who are different from you. In what ways could you focus on your similarities as people? How can looking for similarities help you become more willing to serve and bless the people around you?