2012-08-23       Reflection on the Sunday's readings:       Daniel Daring        Previous reflections

 Sunday 21(B):   Joshua’s decision – Joshua 24:1-15

In the middle of the second century of Christianity, between years 155 and 167, Bishop Polycarp from Smyrna (now Izmir in Turkey ) was martyred for his faith in Christ. History preserved the exchange of words between the proconsul of the Asian Province of the Roman Empire and the Bishop:  

·        Proconsul: Swear, and I will set you at liberty, reproach Christ!

·        Polycarp: Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He never did me any injury. How then can I blaspheme my King and my Savior? (The Martyrdom of Polycarp)  

            Walking with God for years, experiencing God’s deliverance from afflictions, persecutions and death, the psalmist asked himself a question: “How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me? (Psalm 116:12). The question reveals an attitude of wonder, awe, and amazement at God’s graciousness. It also reveals a desire to find a way of honoring God.  

Enumerating God’s blessings  

In the last chapter of the Book of Joshua, after having defeated all their enemies and having taken the Promised Land in their possession, Israel renewed the covenant with God. Before it had taken place, however, Joshua - the leader of the nation - enumerated four blessings that the Lord showered upon the people: first, calling Abraham and giving him descendants; second, setting people free from the slavery of Egypt; third, protecting and providing for them during the journey through the desert; and finally, giving them the land to live in (Joshua 24: 1-13). It served as a confession of faith in God’s power and goodness towards His people; it also served as a reminder of God’s constant presence in their lives.

There is a worth-mentioning practice among some Christians. They regularly meet and share the things that God has recently done in their lives. The blessings vary from finding the lost keys, getting inspiration to write the important papers, or passing exams in schools, through financial breakthroughs or getting the dream job, up to the great miracles of healing from incurable diseases, or being able to share about Christ with a friend or a stranger. It does not matter whether it is a “small” or a “huge” blessing. The point lies in the benefits of this practice. It injects positive energy; it renews an attitude of expectancy; it sends those Christians back to their homes and places of work with refreshed awareness of God’s presence, and makes them to be attentive to God’s hidden work in their lives. They often end up their meetings asking about the best way to repay the goodness of God so tangibly experienced in their lives.  

Decision to be made  

After enumerating God’s blessings, Joshua issued a call: “Now fear the Lord and serve Him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt , and serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:14). There are three key words that capture the essence of this demand: fear, serve, and throw away. Fear the Lord means to stand in awe of God, His greatness and majesty. It also includes reverence, honor, and respect. Serve the Lord simply means to labor for God. Throw away the gods calls for a total commitment, and an undivided heart only directed to the Lord. It is a decision, which excludes dichotomy between believing and living. One cannot profess, “I believe in God,” and at the same time living as if God did not exist. Throw away the gods means to abandon our personal “idols” – all those things we place our trust in – and walk through life fully devoted to the Lord. Joshua knew, however, that such decision is never easy, so he offered an alternative: “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve . . .” (Joshua 24:15).

James joined a group of young people who wanted to meet once a month for fellowship and worship. He looked forward to those days: the music was great, the preaching was inspiring, and there was a beautiful girl who caught his attention. With the passing time, however, things began to move into a “wrong” direction. The people became serious about their witnessing in front of their friends and family members. They constantly talked about glorifying God in life. They began to change habits and attitudes, which they judged to be incompatible with their faith. He did not like this pious exaggeration; he did not want to end up being branded as a fundamentalist. Yes, he believed in and respected God, but in the matter of life, he was the one in charge. Then, the day arrived when the whole group, which has grown into a large congregation, decided to held a special service during which the people were encouraged to make a decision for Christ. James left the congregation in the middle of that service and never came back.

“Do you also want to leave?” – asked Jesus his apostles, when due to His demanding teaching many turned back and no longer followed Him (John 6:67).  

We will serve the Lord  

“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15), was Joshua’s decision. What gave him such a conviction to place his total trust in God? Experience. Together with Caleb, Joshua was the one who traded the whole road from Egypt to the Promised Land. He saw God at work. He was daily experiencing God’s salvation, in the awesome escape from Egypt , in the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea , and in the Lord’s guidance and provision during their journey through the desert. How could he then opt for other gods? His own experience taught him that God is faithful and worthy of trust. He walked with the Lord for many years, passing through many tough and extremely difficult situations, and God was always there. How could he repay for the goodness of God? By serving Him faithfully.

There is saying: “a man with a doctrine doesn’t stand a chance against a man with an experience.” It is not a doctrine that makes us committed to God. There are many people who eloquently can reason for or against God, yet this intellectual “gymnastic” does not necessary bring a pro God stand in life. It is experience that leads to a life of faith. Seeing God at work, counting His blessings in our lives, renew and build up our faith. Peter said to Jesus: “Lord, we believe – we are fully convinced, and we know – we perceive, that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:69). Such statement of faith can only come from someone who experienced.

 Conclusion  

Among all the seven churches addressed by Jesus in the Book of Revelation, Smyrna was the only one without any blame in the eyes of the scrutinizing spirit of God: “I know your afflictions and your poverty – yet you are rich” (Revelation 2:9). The Lord foresaw the coming sufferings, but He promised them a great reward: “Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10 ). Having experienced the goodness of Christ for eighty six years, Polycarp could not doubt the truthfulness of that promise. At his old age, he was given the chance to renew his commitment to Christ.

Do you see God working in your life? Do you count God’s blessing? Do you ask yourself this question: how will I repay the Lord for His goodness to me? Know that constantly reminding yourself of God’s blessings and His faithfulness gives the courage to stand for Him in life. May it lead you to Joshua’s decision: “as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.”