Lev 24:22, 'There shall be one standard for you; it shall be for the stranger as well as the native, for I am the Lord your God.'" 
    	We are presented with something that is a bit unusual in the Book of Leviticus this morning. This is a book that details the various elements of how the Israelites were to conduct themselves, their worship, their sacrifices, their daily activities, their various feasts, etc. It is a compilation of step-by-step directions from God in order to set them apart from the rest of the nations both to bless and protect them from all the elements that would bring about their demise. 
God was very detailed in the course of what they were to do and how they were to do it. Even in this chapter, we have the beginning with the specifics of how to keep the lamps burning and the manner of making the cakes that were to be holy unto the Lord for the sustenance of the priestly order. Then, in the seeming middle of these instructions, we have a narrative segment dealing with the consequences of blaspheming the Name of God. Such is a most remarkable placement of an account in the midst of this instructional book. It stands out for that sake and that might be exactly the reason that God so included it at this point.
The manner of the cakes and the priestly ordering of the lamps and the placement of the showbread and the amount of ingredients to the used was all indicative of the treatment of these somewhat common goods with reverence because of what they represented in the service unto God. The statements concerning the consideration of the holiness that these elements were to receive in the hearts and lives of the priests were just concluded with the following iteration in verses 8+9. Lev 24:8+9, Every sabbath day he shall set it in order before the Lord continually; it is an everlasting covenant for the sons of Israel. And it shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place; for it is most holy to him from the Lord's offerings by fire, his portion forever." 
It is immediately after this that we are told of the son of the Egyptian and the woman of the tribe of Dan who struggled with an Israelite and blasphemed the Name of God. He was brought to Moses, who sought from the Lord what to do. It was very clear from God’s response that such irreverence, even by one who was considered an alien, could not be abided. It was anathema to God to have His Most Holy and Awesome Name treated as a common and vulgar thing that would be tossed around with contempt and spite in such a sacrilegious way. 
Right after the passages concerning the holiness of the elements of service, the holiness of the name of God was illustrated in this most forceful example to the entire nation. It was a reminder of the fact that all were under the Sovereignty of God and needed to keep that at the forefront of their hearts and minds as did the priests in their continual service. Nothing could be taken for granted or treated as just common place in regard to the things of the Lord God Almighty, Holy and Just.
The other reality of this narrative was the fact contained in this morning’s highlighted passage. 'There shall be one standard for you; it shall be for the stranger as well as the native, for I am the Lord your God.' There would be no double standard of law and governance within the people of God. Whether Jew or alien, all would be under both the provision and the judgment of the Lord. We considered the provision with regard to the widows and the orphans and the strangers and their being allowed to glean in the fields and to partake in the various feasts. The grace and the mercy and the blessing and the faithfulness of being among the Chosen Nation was there for the benefit of the alien as well as the specific members of the tribes of Israel. 
This was detailed for us in Ex 12:48+49, when we were reading that Book of the Pentateuch. Ex 12:48+49, But if a stranger sojourns with you, and celebrates the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near to celebrate it; and he shall be like a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person may eat of it. The same law shall apply to the native as to the stranger who sojourns among you." 
The requirements were the same if the stranger chose to participate, and the blessings were the same. There would be no distinguishing or ill treatment just because they were not completely of the heritage of Israel. 
Please keep in mind that there were a number of Egyptians who had chosen to join themselves to the Israelites as they fled their slavery in Egypt. This was a mixed people, as indicated by the parentage of the boy in this morning’s reading. His father was Egyptian and his mother was an Israelite. This mixed legacy was a common occurrence, so the Lord was making it very clear to all that He would not tolerate an abuse of those who had chosen to join themselves to His people. They would all be under the Law together, treated in the same manner in order that none would be stigmatized or singled out for harsher or disproportionate treatment. All would be held to the same standard under the Law of God. 
This is a reiteration of the passage we read in Lev 19:34, where it was simply stipulated without the emphasis of the example given in the stoning of the blasphemous youth. There is also something else stated that is at the heart of this equal treatment under the Law of God. Lev 19:34, 'The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. 
The truth of loving one’s neighbor is here given in terms of the stranger and aliens in their midst. They were to treat them with respect and kindness and equality because the Jews were to remember that they were strangers in a strange land themselves. They were slaves to another people and the Lord freed them from that slavery. In remembrance of how they were treated, they were to practice a better way in which to deal with those who had joined themselves to God’s people in this manner. Because they served the One True Living Lord God Almighty Who released this people from slavery, so were the people to honor God by honoring one another.
Again this was reemphasized for all the people in Num 9:14, with respect to the way in which the alien or the stranger would choose to acknowledge and honor the Lord God in celebrating the Passover. Num 9:14, 'And if an alien sojourns among you and observes the Passover to the Lord, according to the statute of the Passover and according to its ordinance, so he shall do; you shall have one statute, both for the alien and for the native of the land.'" 
	Later in the Book of Numbers, Chapter 15, verses 13-16, the Lord stipulated that the alien, if he or she chose to offer sacrifices to the Lord could do so in the same manner and under the same obligations as the rest of the people. Num 15:13-16, 'All who are native shall do these things in this manner, in presenting an offering by fire, as a soothing aroma to the Lord. 'And if an alien sojourns with you, or one who may be among you throughout your generations, and he wishes to make an offering by fire, as a soothing aroma to the Lord, just as you do, so he shall do. 'As for the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the alien who sojourns with you, a perpetual statute throughout your generations; as you are, so shall the alien be before the Lord. 'There is to be one law and one ordinance for you and for the alien who sojourns with you.'" 
     	As well, in verses 28-30 of this 15th Chapter of Numbers, the Lord commanded the priests to make atonement for the stranger who committed an unintentional sin in the same way as for the native. There was to be no distinction. Neither would the stranger nor the alien be exempt from the full extent of the punishment meted out for any who blasphemed the Lord. 
Num 15:28-30, 'And the priest shall make atonement before the Lord for the person who goes astray when he sins unintentionally, making atonement for him that he may be forgiven. 'You shall have one law for him who does anything unintentionally, for him who is native among the sons of Israel and for the alien who sojourns among them. 'But the person who does anything defiantly, whether he is native or an alien, that one is blaspheming the Lord; and that person shall be cut off from among his people. 
      	This brings us back to our morning’s reading in the 24th Chapter of Leviticus, verses 16-20. Lev 24:16-20, 'Moreover, the one who blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall certainly stone him. The alien as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death. 'And if a man takes the life of any human being, he shall surely be put to death. 'And the one who takes the life of an animal shall make it good, life for life. 'And if a man injures his neighbor, just as he has done, so it shall be done to him: fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; just as he has injured a man, so it shall be inflicted on him. 
This is a passage that has been abused almost from its inception. It has been dealt with, generally in terms of retribution and revenge. However, when considered in the context of the rest of this 24th Chapter of Leviticus, it becomes abundantly clear that it was God’s way of setting aside that revenge and retribution mentality. He was putting before His people the greater attitude that the penalty should fit the crime. All should receive equal treatment under the law and none should be dealt with in a manner in which to exact revenge. 
As the Lord specifically stated for all in Deut 32:35, 'Vengeance is Mine, and retribution, In due time their foot will slip; For the day of their calamity is near, And the impending things are hastening upon them.' 
God will deal with those who require vengeance. Rather, this eye for an eye methodology of exacting revenge is a gross misuse of what was at the heart of God. He wanted His people to be above the fray of exacting extreme measures of retribution, therefore He outlined, in a very specific way, how the punishment should be commiserate with the crime and no more. All would receive the same measurement of justice, no more or no less. Each would be treated equally under the law within the Nation that God chose unto Himself.
This was a system of justice that set the Israelites apart from the other systems of government of that day. This equality under the law and the equal sentence of justice for offenses was not known in the world to that point. All the other nations practiced much more severe and extreme measures in excessive efforts to keep their people in line with the expected social norms. But God gave His people a better way to deal with the issues of the day.
As Christ was teaching, in Matt 5:37-45, He gave an even more excellent measure of how to deal with those who had wronged another. He was specifically targeting the attitude of revenge and retribution that infested the hearts of humanity and the way in which they had defiled this means of equal and just punishment of crime. 
Matt 5:37-45, "But let your statement be, 'Yes, yes' or 'No, no'; and anything beyond these is of evil." You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.' "But I say to you, do not resist him who is evil; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also." And if anyone wants to sue you, and take your shirt, let him have your coat also." And whoever shall force you to go one mile, go with him two." Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you." You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.' "But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 
    	Christ pointed out the truth that God’s grace and mercy covers the entire world. He makes His rain to fall on all equally. His sun shines in abundance on every man. At this time in the dispensation of God’s heart toward humanity, we need to give full expression to how He so loved us and so should we love others, even those who abuse and mistreat us. 
	Jesus made it very personal to you and to me in Matt 7:1-5, where He pointed out the truth that we are too much involved in seeing the corruptness in others while ignoring our own issues with the residue of our own fallen nature. We are quick to accuse and hasty to demand retribution, while The Lord is quick to forgive in Jesus Christ.
Matt 7:1-5, "Do not judge lest you be judged." For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. "And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?" Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye? "You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. 
Our concluding passage of scripture this morning is found in the Apostle Paul’s Letter to the Romans, Chapter 12, verses 19-21. Here, the Apostle fully discloses why we are not to exact vengeance, but rather to treat all people with the same standard of the measure of Christ’s love, as we have been so loved. 
Rom 12:19-21, Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. "But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. So be it!
'There shall be one standard for you; it shall be for the stranger as well as the native, for I am the Lord your God.' Amen.

This morning’s benediction is Jer 9:23+24. Thus says the Lord, "Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things, "declares the Lord. Amen.