Today's Scripture Reading (February 19, 2022): Joshua 15
Jesus reminded those who listened to his "Sermon
on the Mount" that "a town built on a hill cannot be hidden"
(Matthew 5:14). The town or city constructed on a hill was a metaphorical
description that was supposed to describe his followers. There is something
that is supposed to be fundamentally different about us that is intended to
shine out to the world. I am convinced that that something is love. And the
truth is that we have often failed to love. One of the familiar Christmas
readings often includes this passage from Isaiah.
The
wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
and a little child will lead them (Isaiah 11:6).
The reality of this prophecy is that love will reign
between animals normally considered predator and prey. The comparison between
these animals should be interpreted as being people and groups where
love does not usually reign. Maybe it means there will be love in politics
between conservatives and progressives, or even between Muslims and Jews and
Christians within our society. I believe love should exist even between
churches that have significant disagreements with each other. In Christ, we
should be able to say to each other, "I disagree with you, but I am so
glad that we are in association with each other." "I love you"
shouldn't ever be something that cannot be sincerely said to those who exist on
the other side of an issue. Why would love exist anywhere else if love can't
exist between Christians? It is this kind of love that seems to define the
reign of the Messiah in our lives.
Again, moving back to our illustration that Jesus
intended the city on a hill to be one built on love, when I love, I
don't have to worry about who it is that might overhear me. The
truth is also that a city on a hill is easy to defend. There are no videos showcasing my
hate that my enemies can bring up. I don't have to defend myself;
I just have to love consistently.
The book of Joshua says that Jerusalem was never
taken by Israel. The Jebusites continued to live in the city in the middle of
Israel. And part of the problem was that Jerusalem was literally a
city on a hill. It was impossible to miss, but it was also easy to defend.
Jerusalem had a supply of freshwater, and it had a way of
disposing of the waste. There is no evidence that love existed between
Jerusalem and the rest of the area, just an uneasy truce between Israel and the
Jebusites of Jerusalem. One group knew that they now lived amidst the enemy, while
the other was willing to allow the city to exist because they did not believe
that they possessed the capability to take the city for themselves.
The comment that the Jebusites still lived in
Jerusalem might indicate when the Book of Joshua was written. The book had
to be written sometime before David took Jerusalem, likely sometime before 1010
B.C.E. This was the condition that would exist for the first four centuries of
Israel's history until David decided to take the city by moving his
army through the city's sewer system. David would then make the city his
capital, calling it the "City of David."
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Joshua 16
No comments:
Post a Comment