Reflecting on the story of Joshua and the children of Israel in
today’s Old Testament lesson, I can visualize the priests
who carried the Ark of the Covenant ahead of the people now wading
into the waters at the edge of the Jordan. I can sense the significance
of this moment. “The River Jordan is chilly and wide”
as the folk song goes. But as I follow the story, my attention is
kept on the ark. This isn’t just a story about how the Lord
led the people through a major barrier that represented a great
danger to them. And it isn’t just a story about the mighty
leader, Joshua, who did what the Lord told him to do. It is a story
about a people who were led by the priests who carried the Ark of
the Covenant, a constant reminder that God was with them. But ultimately,
the story is not about the people, not about their leader, not about
the river, and not about the priests, but about the living God in
their midst.
Crossing the Jordan River is a reoccurring theme in the Bible, always
associated with significant choices to follow God. The Psalm for
today reminds me that the people of God had a long tradition of
singing alleluias to the Lord for turning back the Jordan River
and building a sanctuary in their midst. This one has a particularly
joyous ring to it when you read it aloud with feeling, relating
to the experience of deliverance from overwhelming obstacles. If
you have never tried reading praise Psalms dramatically, I encourage
you to pray this way. It is a good way to start the day.
So what does this have to do with the Gospel for today? I think
it has to do with how did Peter know that Jesus was the fulfillment
of the covenant God made with the people of Israel? And I think
that Peter’s questions are our own. How do we know that the
Lord is in our midst? Just as I can sense the significance of the
courage it must have taken those priests with the Ark of the Covenant
to “wade in the water,” as the song goes, I can personally
relate to the significance of Peter’s question. Wading into
the cold deep waters of our own hearts to forgive our brothers and
sisters for their debts to us is often a chilling thought. But hardly
a day goes by that we don’t stand at the river’s edge.
Just touch the water, these lessons teach us, the Lord is with us.
Once we are willing to get our feet wet, it isn’t that difficult
to forgive, the raging sea subsides. Alleluia!