Moses and Joshua

Seeing how others guide us but only Jesus saves us

08/21/2023

Jos 24:14-29 Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem, and addressed them, saying: "Fear the LORD and serve him completely and sincerely. Cast out the gods your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. If it does not please you to serve the LORD, decide today whom you will serve, the gods your fathers served beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are dwelling. As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." But the people answered, "Far be it from us to forsake the LORD for the service of other gods. For it was the LORD, our God, who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, out of a state of slavery. He performed those great miracles before our very eyes and protected us along our entire journey and among all the peoples through whom we passed. At our approach the LORD drove out all the peoples, including the Amorites who dwelt in the land. Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God."

We hear one of the more popular verses of the Bible today from Joshua 24:15. Many people have this quotation hanging in their homes. It says: “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Have you ever seen that verse before? It comes from our first reading today.

That is a very important verse because the Chosen people have just made their journey from Egypt forty years in the desert under Moses’ leadership. Now, Moses has died, buried on Mt. Nebo, and it is Joshua who helps the people cross the Jordan River and conquer Jericho.

It wasn’t Moses, the great lawgiver, the meekest man on earth, the one who spoke to God face to face like a friend, and whose face glowed after conversing with God. And yet Moses was not the one who led them into the Promised Land, it was Joshua. And that is significant. Not only for the people of Israel, but for me and you.

There are many people in our lives who are like Moses, who help us in our journey in this desert called earth and during our earthly life. But they will not help us cross into the Promised Land of heaven. Joshua will, and Joshua is another way of writing the name Jesus. Many people help us, like Moses helped the people through the desert, but he didn’t help them cross into the Promised Land, only Joshua could do that. Only Jesus does that for us.

Today I invite you to think about all the people who have been like Moses in your life, who have helped you in your journey of life. But I also caution you not to think they are the ones who are going to save you, but rather only Jesus/Joshua will help you cross into the Promised Land.

You know, I am also mindful of all the many priests we have had here in Fort Smith that were very popular, like little Pied Pipers. Priests like Fr. Tom Elliott, Msgr. John O’Donnell, Msgr. Galvin. Wherever they went, all the people like little mice follow them to that parish. While Fr. Tom was here, everyone hurried to Christ the King. When Msgr. O’Donnell came everyone rushed to I.C.

These men are Moses, they are not Joshua. They will not save you. Jesus will save you. Sometimes we put a little too much faith in the people who are merely Moses in our lives. And what happens when Moses goes away, when Moses dies on Mt. Nebo, when Fr. Tom leaves the priesthood, when Msgr. O’Donnell passes away? What happens to our faith? I suppose some people stop going to church.

The same is true, of course, for our own family and our parents. Our mothers and fathers teach us the faith, they are like Moses, and they lead us for a certain distance in our life. But they are not Joshua, they are not Jesus. And we cannot put all our marbles of faith in their basket. Rather, we must put all our faith in Jesus, who alone can lead us into the Promised Land.

It works the other way, too. Sometimes we see religious leaders who have personal weaknesses, and we put too much faith in them and it becomes a struggle of faith for us. I know people these days are not very happy with Pope Francis. They think he is not conservative enough or he is not doing what they would like him to do.

Well, he is not Jesus. He is a Moses. He leads us for a certain distance. But he is not Joshua, the one who leads us into the Promised Land. So don’t worry about it. Our faith is not in a human being, no matter how wonderful, no matter how meek, no matter how many laws he gives, or whether he talks to God face to face, like Moses. Our faith is in Joshua, Jesus

That is why we go to church: Moses leads us to church, Joshua leads us to heaven. And this is how we try to walk by faith through this desert of earthly life, until Joshua leads us, across the Jordan River, into the Promised Land.

Praised be Jesus Christ!