Dt. 31:1-8, Dt. 32: 3-4,7-9,12, Mt 18:1-5,10,12-14
The Old Testament story about the Israelites going down to Egypt to find food emphasizes how God promises to stay with Israel on its journey and can be read as how God will stay with us on our journey too. Today’s readings are even more explicit about God being our protector no matter where we go.
Today, Moses has brought Israel to the edge of a new land. A new beginning. In this reading from Deuteronomy the message seems very clear. God will never fail or forsake you. So do not be afraid or dismayed. Do not be afraid or dismayed.
I think that’s a big issue these days. I think we are often afraid and more often dismayed. Confused about what’s happening in our lives, where life is leading us and how to protect ourselves from the danger. Being afraid can lead us to being overly cautious, timid, unwilling to decide and do what we think is right. Moses tells Joshua and all the people, Be brave and steadfast. That’s what I hear today.
For me the key challenge is to be steadfast. I am often willing to take on something but once started I can become discouraged if it doesn’t seem to be working out as easily as I imagined. As a result, I have come to realize that in almost any project there is a time in the middle that just takes hanging in there. It takes perseverance. This is the time when it costs me something, when I have to expend the energy, hold on to the hope that all will work out right even though there is no guarantee of success. Being discouraged can take over easily. That’s why I find God’s promises so encouraging. I don’t think this just applies to religious and moral behavior. I think God’s promises are statements about big and small goals. The stuff that happens every day.
In Matthew’s Gospel the shepherd has a sheep that’s gone astray. He can play it safe and protect the 99. But he takes a risk, he decides to go after the one that has struck out on its own. Until the shepherd finds the one sheep, there’s the possibility of even greater loss. The questions are many. How long does he look, how far does he go, what directions make the most sense. The questions could be enough to paralyze a person. The possibility of failure could keep that shepherd from trying. It’s no wonder the shepherd is so joyful when he returns. It isn’t just that he has found the wayward sheep. He has made a good decision, taken the risk, gone out and done the work and it all paid off.
The great part is that this is not just a model for us to follow in our lives but a description of how our God operates. God finds us. God brings us home. We can go astray, leave the group, take actions that set us apart and God doesn’t abandon us. I think that we could go so far as to say that God crosses the river ahead of us. And if we need bringing back, God will do that too.
These readings are not about God protecting a people that stay safely hidden behind closed doors. This is about fording a river to a land that other people already occupy. It is about leaving the group that is huddled together and striking out on your own. Yet no matter what the challenge or the risk, God will be marching with us or bring us home if that’s what’s needed. Whether we make the right call or lose our way. God does not abandon us. We will not be lost.
If God guards us so completely then the only question that remains is, what is it that God is asking us to do?
