Joshua to Jesus

Tuesday, July 22, 2008 -- Week of Proper 11
Saint Mary Magdalene

Today's Reading for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer)
EITHER: the readings for Tuesday of Proper 11 (p. 977)
Psalms 45 (morning) 47, 48 (evening)
Joshua 8:1-22
Romans 14:1-12
Matthew 26:47-66

OR: the readings for St. Mary Magdalene (p. 998)
Morning: Psalm 116; Zephaniah 3:14-20; Mark 15:47 - 16:7
Evening: Psalms 30, 149; Exodus 15:19-21; 2 Corinthians 1:3-7

(I read the lections for Tuesday of Proper 11)


I didn't look ahead, so I assumed we would finish the story of Achan today in the first lesson, but we skipped right to the second battle of Ai and its destruction. Joshua may resume the holy war because the community has rid itself of the contamination of the sin of Achan. Achan had coveted several items of value from Jericho and secretly hidden them. God had instructed Joshua to destroy everything as being under that ban, given to God and therefore destroyed. Yesterday when the army attacked Ai it was routed -- they bore the communal responsibility for Achan's sin, so God devoted Israel to destruction. The sin must be purged.

When Joshua asked, Achan confessed his sin. To rid the community of its contamination, Achan with all of his family and possessions, was stoned to death, burned with fire, and covered with a great heap of stones.

So many fundamental principles of the early Hebrew community come to fore in this story. Holy War -- where God fights and brings victory, therefore God receives the spoils (which are burned). The corporate responsibility for sin -- Achan's sin may have been individual and secret, but all Israel was contaminated. The need for holiness -- the source of the sin must be purged completely for the community to be restored to its state of purity before God.

So much of the communal practice embodied in things like the Holiness Code (Leviticus 17-26) was influenced by the values illustrated in the story of Achan's sin. Customs of atonement and purification have similar roots.

In today's story of the second attack on Ai, we see God again supporting the army of Israel to victory. The rule of the holy war is modified somewhat from the commandment regarding Jericho (which was to be totally destroyed). From this point on, Israel is commanded to follow the more usual pattern of killing all potential slaves, but keeping the other spoils of war -- cattle and valuables.

We can still see the effects of these principles, especially in some forms of Christianity which picture God primarily through the lens of stories like this one about Achan. In their theology, God is holy and pure; God cannot have any relationship with the profane. Sin is a matter of purity and obedience. One who is impure or disobedient must be punished, atoned for, exiled or destroyed. In this tradition, some Christians see Jesus as the pure and obedient sacrifice that mollifies the honor of God and opens the way for forgiveness instead of annihilation. Yes, it does sound like God the Son comes to save us from God the Father. But this theology does limit the degree of death and destruction that the Achan-tradition demands.

Jesus showed us a very different picture of God. In Jesus, we see God not as distant and completely separate from humanity and our flaws, but God who pours out divine life completely in compassion toward us, becoming one with us. Rather than annihilating or punishing us, in Jesus God takes on our sin and evil and returns only love.

Jesus shows us that God is not like the image we have in Joshua 7-8. And in our reading from Matthew today, when Jesus is arrested, we see that Jesus refrains from becoming the Divine Warrior or asking God to engage in holy war. Instead he scolds his disciple who uses a sword to defend him, saying, "Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword." For centuries, the church followed that command literally, and soldiers who were baptized into the church left their military commissions. There is an enduring tradition of pacifism in the church. From holy war to pacifism. That is the direction that Jesus points us toward.

One other point. The community of Joshua and early Israel believed that strict conformity to a single, comprehensive set of commandments and statues was the essence of faithfulness. We see in Jesus a redirection toward the values that underlie the commandments. Jesus summarized all the law under the single law of love -- love God, neighbor and self; love one another.

We see in Paul today a willingness to adapt community values and practices and a strong tolerance for diversity. "Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds." Paul tells them not to quarrel over opinions. There is room for different customs and beliefs within the church.

The community of Joshua and the community of Jesus are fundamentally different.

Lowell

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About Morning Reflections
Morning Reflections is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.

Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117

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The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church
is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

Visit our web site at www.stpaulsfay.org

Our Rule of Life

We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.

Lowell Grisham, Rector

St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, Arkansas