60. a proper 26
Series A K P Z
Joshua 3:7-17 BY God’s grace we cross over to the other side.
In Australia we experience droughts and floods. They had droughts and floods in Joshua’s time too. In verse 15 of our text for today we are told there is a flood:
“Now it was the harvest season and the Jordan was overflowing its banks.”
Today it is dangerous to go near the river. If anyone ever planned to lead thousands and thousands of people across the river Jordan to the other side, one would think it would be wise to wait for a drought. But God chooses to lead his people across now – at the height of the flood – so there is no doubt the people enter the new land through a miracle – an act of God’s special grace for them to arrive home.
It was the very same month they had escaped from Egypt 40 years earlier. They escaped through the waters of the Red Sea. It was an act of God’s sheer grace that saved them from being slaughtered by the huge Egyptian army. As the slaves of the Egyptians they had no hope – and no future to look forward to. By a miracle God came and walked them through the waters. He is the God of the future.
Not that the people were very thankful! They hated the droughts they experienced out in the desert – and the drastic shortages of water. Imagine if we shifted all the people in Canberra out back of Bourke. Can you imagine the complaints and the whinging and the strikes?
Out in the desert the relationship of the Israelites with God went up and down. Like it can be with us and God. God never looked back. He remained faithful to his people. He is the God of the future. Spiritually we can go through trials like a desert experience. We have spiritual trials. Disappointments. Temptations. The happy times because God remains faithful. He knows us well and feeds us on the spiritual food we need through Holy Communion. God knows this earth is not our permanent home. Home is across the river, so to speak!
The river Jordan is in flood. It is dangerous. No one in their right mind would choose this moment to lead women and children across to the Land on the other side.
But God does.
The Land on the other side becomes ‘home’ for the children of God. The Land is a unique gift. It is a miracle from God. All the whingers and complainers go into a new land, not because they are such good and wonderful people, but because God is faithful and keeps his Word.
Joshua leads the people through the floodwaters. The priests go too. They are like pastors who have no miracle powers of their own. When the feet of the priests touch the floodwaters, the waters recede. The floodwaters obey their master. When Jesus tells the wild seas to be calm in a storm, the furious waters obey him and become calm. It is the same God speaking. When the Jordan River is at its most dangerous, God makes it plain easy and simple to cross over to the other side. All the dangers of the flooded river step aside and the people walk across on dry land. God is in control. The ark of the covenant, like a little tent, is the only sign that God is with them.
The people pile up a heap of 12 big rocks to mark this great moment in their history. A bit like the Devil’s marbles, but called “God’s Marbles” to remember God’s special act of grace when he gave everyone – all the people of the 12 tribes of Israel – their own land. God stayed faithful to his Word.
One might expect the people would never forget God’s great act of sheer grace. A miracle, the way God reached out to the no-hopers, and with impossible odds, gave them a land they could call their very own. From slavery to riches! One might reasonably expect God would always be Number One in their lives and on their ‘Thankyou List’. A people who always praised God, and gladly shared his grace with one another.
By the time Jesus came as a visit from God, it was more like the opposite. A look at the Gospel for today shows that evil human nature is back on top. The religious leaders seem to play at games like ‘King of the Mountain’ we might have played as children. Jesus says, “They crush you with impossible religious demands and never lift a finger to help ease the burden. Everything they do is for show.” [Matthew 23:4,5]. And in verse 15,
“Yes, how terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn him into twice the son of hell as you yourselves are.” The loving grace of God has disappeared from their religious lives. Strict religious laws and rules God never made are top of the list. The religious leaders love to lord it over people. People in our day can be impressed by strict cults where the leaders love to own their people and control every move they make each day.
When Jesus comes some religious people might expect God to lord it over everyone. But God comes in humility when he comes in Jesus. Jesus washes people’s feet – the job of the lowest slave in the house when a visitor came along the dusty and dirty tracks to one’s house. Jesus ministers to the no-hopers, and they welcome him. They are touched by God’s grace and they respond to God’s caring love.
You and I have been touched by God’s grace. It happened when the Spirit of God led us through the waters at our baptism. We crossed to the other side – by the grace of God, from spiritual no-hopers to children of the God of the future. Now we are travellers.
God is faithful and walks with us. We have escaped from the clutches of evil powers and forces. God is faithful when we walk through the spiritual temptations in our desert travels – when we might prefer the Laws of God to make us feel good – to the Good News of God’s amazing grace to us, in what we call the Gospel.
God is in complete control. He is faithful to us as we have our ups and downs. He continues to lift us up with his powerful words of forgiveness. His forgiving love continues to touch deep into our hearts and minds. We live by pure grace. God wants it that way.
One day soon, at the time God chooses, we shall cross the River Jordan. The danger of death lies ahead. The ancient Egyptians believed when death took us one would need a boat to cross the dangerous waters to get to the other side. As Christians we know it is like taking a stroll across to the other side through the dangerous floodwaters. God is in control. It is purely by God’s grace that he will choose the right time and takes us through to the other side. No problem for God! No evil can stop us. Sin is washed away and can’t drag us down.
Death might look dangerous to us. Impossible even to cross. But Jesus makes it a mere stroll. An act of God’s sheer grace. God is the God of the future.
So we travel unhindered to the other side. We were the spiritual no-hopers. Now we are the people of God’s amazing grace. We rejoice in his grace. We share it with one another. God loves it this way.
Amen.