19th Week, Thursday, August 17:
Joshua 3:7-11, 13-17 / Matthew 18:21 - 19:1
The Israelites cross over the Jordan; The waters backed up.
There's a striking similarity between Israel's crossing of the Jordan River and Israel's crossing of the Red Sea. In each crossing the water steps aside. This remarkable similarity is not accidental. The events are two sides of the same coin. The crossing of the Red Sea marks Israel's exit from a land of slavery. The crossing of the Jordan River marks Israel's entry into a land of freedom. Christians see the two crossings reflected in baptism. Baptism marks our exit from a land of slavery, where Satan held us hostage. It also marks our entry into a land of freedom, where God makes us his people.***
How different is our life because of our crossing through the waters of baptism? "God the Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ has freed you from sin, [and] given you a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit…You have become a new creation." Baptismal rite
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In an epic style, imitating that of the crossing of the Sea of Reeds at the Exodus, the author of the Book of Joshua narrates how the people of Israel crossed the Jordan and entered into the Promised Land.
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To cross a river is certainly not an easy task. Rivers may vary in width but a river is still a river and there are also undercurrents that may not be noticeable on the surface of the water.
The 1st reading recalls the Israelites crossing the Jordan river into the Promised Land. Though it may not be as dramatic as when they crossed the Red Sea, nonetheless a river is still a river, and with the waters being stopped for the Israelites to cross over, then a miracle is still a miracle.
What is important is that it was the Lord who paved the way for them. It was He who stopped the flowing waters of the river when the priests carrying the ark of the covenant set their feet in the waters of the Jordan river. And the ark of the covenant remained in the middle of the river until the whole nation had crossed over.
A spiritual aspect that can be drawn from this river crossing is that the Lord God must be our first, our last, and our in-between option whenever we have to make decisions as to which direction to take or what to do.
More often that not, we turn to the Lord as our last option, when all other options had failed for us. But in the crossing of the Jordan river, the ark of the covenant carried by the priests, which represents the presence of the Lord God, was the first to step into the river, and the last to step out of it. So, in the various aspects of our lives, especially in the area of forgiveness, let us turn to the Lord God to step into our hearts and to soften it so that we can cross the waters of anger, resentment and bitterness towards the peace of forgiveness and reconciliation. May we always turn to the Lord in all things, because He wants to be our first, our last and our in-between choice.
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God is good and merciful by nature, forgiving, loyal, radiating generosity. It is natural for him to forgive. In our case, things are more complicated. Are we understanding and forgiving by nature? By calling, yes, but by nature? And second, in God’s case there is only one offended party, God. In our situation, quite often, there are two offenders and two offended parties. Shall the twain ever meet, if only one is willing to let bygones be bygones and to make a fresh start? When we are hurt, we have to tear the word or gesture of forgiveness from our hearts. And yet, we have to do it seventy-times seven times, says the Lord…
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Prayer
God of mercy and compassion, you know how sometimes we have to wring forgiveness from our torn hearts. Maybe we cannot pardon in others what we condemn in ourselves. We are at the same time guilty and offended. God, help us to understand ourselves, that we may be more understanding to others and that we may learn to forgive totally and without regret as you forgive us again and again through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen
