"We Will Still Serve The LORD"

"We Will Still Serve The LORD"

Saturday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

"Fear the LORD and serve him completely and sincerely. Cast out the gods your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. If it does not please you to serve the LORD, decide today whom you will serve, the gods your fathers served beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are dwelling. As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:14-15

Children were brought to Jesus that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said, "Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." After he placed his hands on them, he went away. Matthew 19:13-15

Piety

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;

Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time;

Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;

Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it;

Trusting that He will make all things right

If I surrender to His Will; So that I may be reasonably happy in this life

And supremely happy with Him Forever and ever in the next. Amen.

Study

The contrasts that the Hebrews faced 700 years before Christ lived are similar to the tug-of-war we battle daily.  Of course, they did not have 24-hour cable news, 401(K) accounts, two cars, a mortgage or 2.3 children (not to mention iBlanks (phones, pods, books, pads, tunes, credit cards, etc., etc., etc.). Do we serve the Lord on God’s terms or on our terms?

Joshua warned the people that they might not be able to follow through on their vow.  However, they repeated it three times like Peter attesting his love of God.

Joshua also echoes the promise heard in Deuteronomy: If you obey the commandments of the LORD, your God, which I am giving you today, loving the LORD, your God, and walking in his ways, and keeping his commandments, statutes and ordinances, you will live and grow numerous, and the LORD, your God, will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. (D 30:16)

We know how the story goes in its immediate turns and into the New Testament. “…The Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. They served the Baals.” (Judges 2:11).  The heard-hearted people remained unable to live up to the vow.

Action

Today we are presented with the classic Biblical challenge.  Do we have the courage, humility, and obedience to repeat the pledge Joshua made? Will we be any more successful in its pursuit? “As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

It is so easy to collapse when we give in to the promises of Madison Avenue, Hollywood, and Wall Street.  Yet, Jesus never promised us a rose garden not even the implied riches of the Hebrew Bible.  He promised us a cross and nails.

This week, there is a moving video interview circulating on social media. CNN anchor Anderson Cooper is questioning media star, Steven Colbert. Stephen's Catholicism comes through in this clip, which brings Anderson Cooper (who recently lost his mom) to tears. Here is the exchange on video.  

Anderson: “You said ‘What punishment of God are not gifts.’ Do you really believe that?"

Colbert:  "Yes. It's a gift to exist and with existence comes suffering. There's no escaping that."

Later, Colbert delivers the kicker to the conversation about suffering that sums up Christianity and choice and love: In my tradition, that is the great gift of the sacrifice of Christ. God suffers, too. You’re really not alone.  God does it, too.”

Here is a man who serves God on God’s terms:

“Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;

Taking, as He did, this sinful world

As it is, not as I would have it;

Trusting that He will make all things right

If I surrender to His Will;

So that I may be reasonably happy in this life

And supremely happy with Him

Forever and ever in the next.”