Daily Readings - Sat Aug 19 2017
First Reading - Joshua 24.14-29
Joshua
14Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.15And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.16And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods;17For the LORD our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed:18And the LORD drave out from before us all the people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land: therefore will we also serve the LORD; for he is our God.19And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.20If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good.21And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve the LORD.22And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the LORD, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses.23Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel.24And the people said unto Joshua, The LORD our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey.25So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.26And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone, and set it up there under an oak, that was by the sanctuary of the LORD.27And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it hath heard all the words of the LORD which he spake unto us: it shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God.28So Joshua let the people depart, every man unto his inheritance.29And it came to pass after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old.
Gospel - Matthew 19.13-15
Matthew
13Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.14But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.15And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful moments of commitment and humility. In the first reading from Joshua, the Israelites stand before their leader, Joshua, and reaffirm their commitment to serve the Lord. Joshua challenges them to choose between the God of their ancestors and the gods of the surrounding cultures, warning them that serving the Lord is no trivial matter. The people, with conviction, declare their loyalty to the Lord, and Joshua seals this covenant with a stone of remembrance, a tangible symbol of their promise to follow God.
In the Gospel, we find Jesus teaching a different kind of lesson about commitment. When children are brought to him, the disciples try to shoo them away, thinking them unworthy of Jesus’ attention. But Jesus rebukes the disciples, saying, “Let the children come to me… for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Here, Jesus emphasizes the qualities of humility, trust, and openness that children embody. He invites us to approach God not with the pride or self-reliance of adults but with the simplicity and dependence of a child.
These readings remind us that following God requires both commitment and humility. Joshua’s call to choose the Lord is a call to fidelity and perseverance in our faith, even when the journey is difficult. Jesus’ welcome of the children, on the other hand, invites us to approach God with the same kind of trust and vulnerability that children naturally exhibit. Together, they teach us that living as disciples means making a deliberate choice to follow God while also embracing the humility and openness that allows us to receive God’s grace.
As we reflect on these readings, let us ask ourselves: Where am I being called to renew my commitment to God? And how can I cultivate a childlike humility in my relationship with Him? May we, like the Israelites, choose to serve the Lord with sincerity, and may we, like the children, approach Him with trust and simplicity. In doing so, we will find the true freedom and joy of living in God’s kingdom.