A couple of recent accidents in Claiborne County have reminded all of us just how dangerous cows and bulls can be to their handlers. Such tragic events had to be even more common in the ancient world, in which oxen were regularly used to pull plows or wagons. As the strongest domesticated animal available, their power was thus critical for agriculture and commerce.

And yet we see in today’s passage that even such valuable livestock were to be considered as worthless in comparison to a human life, for if an ox were to kill a man or woman, it was to be stoned to death. Moreover, its crime against humanity rendered it unclean – it wasn’t to be butchered for food, but instead cast aside as waste. We therefore see once again just how important the Law of Moses considers all human life to be.

But it’s not enough for us simply to punish either man or beast for taking a human life. No, today’s passage underscores the need for all of us to take positive steps to protect our neighbors. Notice that in verse 29 the owner of a violent ox must share in his animal’s guilt if he did not take proper precautions to prevent it from hurting other people or even other animals. So surely we modern people should exercise equal caution with the powerful machines that are under our control – not only our tractors, but also our cars and trucks.

And think about the principle that verse 33 teaches. After all, we all know it’s not safe to leave a big hole open in your field or yard. But a Christian can’t simply say, “Well, it’s everyone else’s responsibility to be walk around it.” No, the Law teaches that we are responsible when others are hurt by our carelessness. That’s because it’s not enough for us to avoid actively harming others – we must take positive steps to keep them safe. In short, we are not only responsible for our own safety, but also for the safety of everyone around us.

So what positive steps can we take today to make our homes and our communities safer places? And what better way could there be for us to show our love for our neighbors?

Exodus 21:28-36 (NASB)

28 “And if an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall surely be stoned and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall go unpunished.
29 “If, however, an ox was previously in the habit of goring, and its owner has been warned, yet he does not confine it, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned and its owner also shall be put to death.
30 “If a ransom is demanded of him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is demanded of him.
31 “Whether it gores a son or a daughter, it shall be done to him according to the same rule.
32 “If the ox gores a male or female slave, the owner shall give his or her master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.
33 “And if a man opens a pit, or digs a pit and does not cover it over, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,
34 the owner of the pit shall make restitution; he shall give money to its owner, and the dead animal shall become his.
35 “And if one man’s ox hurts another’s so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and divide its price equally; and also they shall divide the dead ox.
36 “Or if it is known that the ox was previously in the habit of goring, yet its owner has not confined it, he shall surely pay ox for ox, and the dead animal shall become his.