22 August 2021

And Joshua said to all the people, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Long ago your ancestors—Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor—lived beyond the Euphrates and served other gods. Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.

Joshua 24:1-2,15-18, NRSV

Today’s reading from the Old Testament is selected in parallel to the gospel in which many of the followers of Jesus struggled with the challenge of accepting that he was the Bread of Life. They felt that he was using intolerable language about eating his flesh and drinking his blood and were unable to enter into the New Covenant offered by Jesus at his Last Supper. The people of Joshua’s time also had a choice to make. They had now entered the “Promised Land” after their long period of time in the wilderness of the desert. Over time, the people had not always kept faith with the Covenant made between God and Moses and at times had fallen into worship of idols. During their desert wanderings, others had joined the original group of slaves who had escaped from Egypt and these had not been part of the original Covenant. Joshua, nearing the end of his own life, determined that this was the time for the people to renew and recommit to the Covenant. He called leaders of all the tribes together and set before them a clear choice of either loyalty to the Lord or to the many gods their ancestors and others of their own time worshipped. The people declared a choice for the Lord but as we know, it was difficult for them to sustain this loyalty and many subsequently went back to the worship of other gods.

• • Why do you think some people struggled to accept what Joshua and Jesus laid before them?
  • What are the ways in which we can show our fidelity to God?

Reflect on the challenges that living your faith presents and pray for the grace to accept and meet these challenges.