Scriptural Sermons

In this morning’s Old Testament lesson, Joshua would appear to be harping at the Israelites. First he says to the Israelites, “Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” The Israelites reply, “Far be it from us that we would forsake the Lord to serve other gods; for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight…..Therefore, we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.” Case closed. Or at least it should be. Joshua demands that the Israelites choose whether they will serve the gods of their ancestors or the Lord, and the Israelites choose the Lord. But Joshua feels compelled to issue them a warning. “But Joshua said to the people, ‘You cannot serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God….If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good.’” The Israelites in turn offer reassurance. “No, we will serve the Lord!” Case closed. Or again, it should be. Joshua demands that the Israelites choose whether they will serve the gods of their ancestors or the Lord, and the Israelites choose the Lord. Joshua issues them a warning, and the Israelites offer reassurance. But Joshua feels compelled to issue them an additional warning. “’You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve him.’” And they offer additional reassurance. “We are witnesses.” Case closed. Or by now it definitely should be. Joshua demands that the Israelites choose whether they will serve the gods of their ancestors or the Lord, and the Israelites choose the Lord. Joshua issues the Israelites a warning, and the Israelites offer reassurance. Joshua issues them an additional warning, and they offer additional reassurance. But Joshua then goes on to demand again that they do what they’ve just committed to do. “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.’” They, accordingly, recommit themselves to do so, ”The people said to Joshua, ‘The Lord our God we will serve, and him we will obey.” Case closed. Or by now it definitely, positively should be. Joshua demands that the Israelites choose whether they will serve the gods of their ancestors or the Lord, and the Israelites choose the Lord. Joshua issues the Israelites a warning, and the Israelites offer reassurance. Joshua issues them an additional warning, and they offer additional reassurance. Joshua demands again that they do what they’ve just committed to do, and they recommit themselves to do so. But in fact the case is still not closed. Joshua then makes a covenant to the effect, and then makes a shrine to the covenant. And then finally, at long last, the case is closed. Yes indeed, Joshua would appear to be harping at the Israelites. What would make Joshua harp so? Likely the same thing that makes us harp. We want something done, something that is very important to us, and we are fearful that it won’t get done. And indeed these were Joshua’s reasons. But as is the general case with our own harping, Joshua’s harping was to no avail. The Israelites followed their real inclination and took up with the gods of their ancestors and -- here was the source of his concern, they then became indistinguishable from their environment. Now as harping is to no avail, I would merely hint that the more things change, the more they stay the same. As the people of God, it is still our real inclination to become indistinguishable from our environment. Take the person of business using questionable ethics to questionable ends. He’s a Christian, to be sure, but the bottom line is the bottom line! It’s the world we live in, after all. Take those in the legal trade for whom the rule of God is ordered after the rule of law. They’re Christians, to be sure, but they must render to Caesar that which is Caesar’s! It’s the world we live in, after all. Take purveyors of vice – pornography or drug trafficking. They are Christians, to be sure, but if they didn’t fill the void someone else would. It’s the world we live in, after all. Think of the adherents to the doctrines of consumerism and individualism. They are Christians, to be sure, all the more reason they should embody success and respectability. It’s the world we live in, after all. Yes, as the people of God it is still our real inclination to become indistinguishable from our environment. But the God’s word on the matter is unambiguous and undeniable. Never mind Joshua’s harping! Jesus charges us to be light, salt, and leaven. Jesus asks us specifically what more we are doing than others. Our inclination to be indistinguishable from our environment then must be redressed, but for it to be redressed best first to fully understand it. And so we may ask ourselves, how are we to understand our inclination to be indistinguishable from our environment? It is rooted in deficient personal formation; deficient personal formation that occurs when we succumb to sloth – sloth, pride’s counterpart, whose characteristics are perhaps less noticeable than pride’s because pride by its nature is active, sloth passive. They are less noticeable but every bit as bad. Sloth’s characteristics are indifference, indolence, and acquiescence. The redress for our inclination to be indistinguishable from our environment is then, it is obvious, sufficient personal formation, and this is regained very simply. It is regained through the recollection that God has created each of us as distinguished beings – each with our own characteristics, our own qualities, our own interests, our own gifts. God has created each of us as distinguished beings, but that is not the whole of it. For God has too recreated us according to and through his son Jesus Christ. God has taken our distinguished beings and refined and refashioned them according to and through him, according to and through his way, his truth, his life. And if we recollect this, and live into it, we need do no more, for we as the people of God will indeed find ourselves distinguished from our environment and serving the role in and for it we have been baptized to serve. Amen.