Daily Readings - Sat Aug 17 2019
Joshua
14"Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.15And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."16Then the people answered, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods,17for it is the LORD our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed.18And the LORD drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God."19But Joshua said to the people, "You are not able to serve the LORD, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins.20If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good."21And the people said to Joshua, "No, but we will serve the LORD."22Then Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD, to serve him." And they said, "We are witnesses."23He said, "Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the LORD, the God of Israel."24And the people said to Joshua, "The LORD our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey."25So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and put in place statutes and rules for them at Shechem.26And Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. And he took a large stone and set it up there under the terebinth that was by the sanctuary of the LORD.27And Joshua said to all the people, "Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words of the LORD that he spoke to us. Therefore it shall be a witness against you, lest you deal falsely with your God."28So Joshua sent the people away, every man to his inheritance.29After these things Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being 110 years old.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful moments of commitment and faith. The first reading from Joshua recounts the great leader’s final exhortation to the people of Israel. Joshua reminds them of the Lord’s fidelity and the miracles He has wrought in their lives, urging them to choose once and for all to serve the Lord with sincerity and integrity. The people, moved by Joshua’s words, reaffirm their commitment to follow God, and Joshua seals this promise by writing down the covenant and setting up a stone as a witness to their pledge. This passage emphasizes the importance of deliberate choice and the need to root our lives in a deep, personal relationship with God.
The Gospel reading from Matthew offers a complementary message. Jesus, when approached by parents seeking His blessing for their children, insists that the little ones come to Him, declaring that the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who are humble and childlike. The disciples, thinking they were protecting Jesus from what seemed like an interruption, are corrected by the Lord. This moment teaches us that true greatness in God’s eyes is found in humility, simplicity, and trust. Just as Joshua called the people to choose the Lord with undivided hearts, Jesus invites us to approach Him with the openness and innocence of a child.
Together, these readings remind us that our faith is not passive but active. It requires us to make deliberate choices to follow God, even when the world around us pulls us in other directions. Like Joshua, we must examine our lives and remove anything that distracts us from wholehearted devotion to the Lord. And like the children in the Gospel, we must approach God with humility and trust, recognizing that His kingdom is not about power or status but about surrender and love. Let us ask ourselves today: What choices can we make to deepen our commitment to God? How can we cultivate the humility and simplicity that Jesus praises? May we, like Joshua and the people of Israel, choose the Lord and serve Him with sincere and undivided hearts.