Day 1 (Monday)

Judges 2:1-23 (Introduction to Judges)

Last time we saw the summary of the successes and failures of the children of Israel, with Judah and Simeon and Ephraim doing fairly well and mostly completing the conquest of the areas in the Promised Land that had fallen to them, while the other tribes did not drive out the Canaanites, but rather lived among them, and eventually forced them to labor for them. This time we will see a summary of the end of Joshua, and then see that, having allowed the Canaanites to remain in the land, the Israelites began to worship the demon-gods of the Canaanites, and to forsake the Lord; and then we will see what the Lord does in response to this.

Israel’s Disobedience

2 Now the angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, “I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you into the land that I had promised to your ancestors. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you. 2 For your part, do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of this land; tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my command. See what you have done! 3 So now I say, I will not drive them out before you; but they shall become adversaries to you, and their gods shall be a snare to you.” 4 When the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the Israelites, the people lifted up their voices and wept. 5 So they named that place Bochim, and there they sacrificed to the Lord.

Death of Joshua

6 When Joshua dismissed the people, the Israelites all went to their own inheritances to take possession of the land. 7 The people worshiped the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work that the Lord had done for Israel. 8 Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of one hundred ten years. 9 So they buried him within the bounds of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. 10 Moreover, that whole generation was gathered to their ancestors, and another generation grew up after them, who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.

Israel’s Unfaithfulness

11 Then the Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and worshiped the Baals; 12 and they abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; they followed other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were all around them, and bowed down to them; and they provoked the Lord to anger.

13 They abandoned the Lord, and worshiped Baal and the Astartes. 14 So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers who plundered them, and he sold them into the power of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies. 15 Whenever they marched out, the hand of the Lord was against them to bring misfortune, as the Lord had warned them and sworn to them; and they were in great distress.

16 Then the Lord raised up judges, who delivered them out of the power of those who plundered them. 17 Yet they did not listen even to their judges; for they lusted after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their ancestors had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the Lord; they did not follow their example. 18 Whenever the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge, and he delivered them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the Lord would be moved to pity by their groaning because of those who persecuted and oppressed them.

19 But whenever the judge died, they would relapse and behave worse than their ancestors, following other gods, worshiping them and bowing down to them. They would not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways. 20 So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel; and he said, “Because this people have transgressed my covenant that I commanded their ancestors, and have not obeyed my voice, 21 I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died.” 22 In order to test Israel, whether or not they would take care to walk in the way of the Lord as their ancestors did, 23 the Lord had left those nations, not driving them out at once, and had not handed them over to Joshua.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out that this passage seems to be providing us with some more context for what we saw at the end of Joshua, with Joshua pleading with the people to serve the Lord, and to choose Him, not the gods of the people of Canaan. Having given this summary from a different perspective, this passage then continues with what results, that the people remained faithful to the Lord until the generation that had entered the Promised Land with Joshua had died; and then their children went astray almost at once. We should also note that what follows is not a one-time thing, but a pattern of rebellion, repentance, and reconciliation that will be repeated time and again throughout the rest of the Old Testament.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 2 (Wednesday)

Saint Theophan the Recluse – The Path of Prayer – Sermon 2

Last time, we began this second sermon of St. Theophan on prayer, in which he discussed the use of prayer books as a starting point for developing the reality of prayer in their lives, but proceeded to highlight the importance of moving beyond the use of written prayers only, learning to bring something of ourselves to God. He will continue from that point.

Mental Prayer – 2

Why is it, then, you may ask, that some people use their prayer books for years yet never have prayer in their hearts? To me, the reason for this seems to lie in the fact that the only time they make the effort to raise their hearts to God is while they are actually carrying out their rule of prayer … only in the morning, for example. They think that then their relationship to God is complete, their duty fulfilled. After this, they spend their whole day in other activities, without ever turning to God. Then, when evening comes, they may decide it is time to turn back to the business of prayer.

So it happens that, even if the Lord does give them a good disposition in the morning, it will be smothered under the fuss created by the numerous activities of the day. This is the reason why they have no desire to pray in the evening. They have lost control of themselves, and are unable to soften their souls even to a small degree, so that prayer does not come easily, nor ripen easily. This is an all too common fault that needs to be put right, because one must act in such a way that the soul does not turn to God only when you are standing in prayer, but should do so as far as possible throughout the day. It should be an unceasing offering of oneself to Him.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader can point out whatever he/she notices here, but can always emphasize the point that a Christian should be seeking to live and walk in the presence of the Lord at every moment of the day. This is a reality that it is easy for us to forget, and Great Lent is a precious opportunity to apply ourselves to this work.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 3 (Friday)

Matthew 21:28-46; 22:1-14 (Parables about the Kingdom)

Last time we saw Jesus enter Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, cleanse the Temple of the moneychangers, and meet the high priests and scribes when they confronted Him, asking where His authority came from. His answer was that He would tell them that, if they would tell Him whether John the Baptist’s baptism was from heaven, or from earth. They reasoned about answering, and refused to do so, so He did not answer them either, at least not directly, but then continued with the following parable:

The Parable of the Two Sons

28 “What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. 30 The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

33 “Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. 34 When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. 35 But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way.

37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.’ 39 So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.”

42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures:

‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord’s doing,
and it is amazing in our eyes’?

43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom. 44 The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.”

45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. 46 They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.

The Parable of the Wedding Banquet

22 Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.’ 5 But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them.

7 The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ 10 Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, 12 and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out first of all that Jesus is definitely not hiding from the religious authorities of the day any longer; but neither is He condemning them outright. The purpose of the parables is to speak to them, to urge them, to invite them to choose a different path. It is in their rejection of that invitation that the judgment comes, not from Him, but from themselves, as they self-consciously cast themselves as the ones who reject Him. The image of Himself as the Stone rejected by the builders, which stone crushes those that it falls on, and shatters those that fall on it, is a vivid one. The stone is intended to secure the entire building, but those who reject it, seeking to possess the building themselves without it, are rather destroyed by it.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 1 (Monday)

Judges 1:1-36 (Israel’s Failure to Complete the Conquest of Canaan)

Last time, we saw the death of Joshua, after his final words to Israel urging them to be faithful to Yahweh, the God of Israel, Who had delivered them from slavery and granted to them the inheritance promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. That concluded the book of Joshua; this week, we will continue by moving directly into the book of Judges, which picks up the story after Joshua’s death. Not to give spoilers, but…the news is not good!

Israel’s Failure to Complete the Conquest of Canaan

1 After the death of Joshua, the Israelites inquired of the Lord, “Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?” 2 The Lord said, “Judah shall go up. I hereby give the land into his hand.” 3 Judah said to his brother Simeon, “Come up with me into the territory allotted to me, that we may fight against the Canaanites; then I too will go with you into the territory allotted to you.” So Simeon went with him.

4 Then Judah went up and the Lord gave the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand; and they defeated ten thousand of them at Bezek. 5 They came upon Adoni-bezek at Bezek, and fought against him, and defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites. 6 Adoni-bezek fled; but they pursued him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes. 7 Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off used to pick up scraps under my table; as I have done, so God has paid me back.” They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

8 Then the people of Judah fought against Jerusalem and took it. They put it to the sword and set the city on fire. 9 Afterward the people of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who lived in the hill country, in the Negeb, and in the lowland. 10 Judah went against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron (the name of Hebron was formerly Kiriath-arba); and they defeated Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai.

11 From there they went against the inhabitants of Debir (the name of Debir was formerly Kiriath-sepher). 12 Then Caleb said, “Whoever attacks Kiriath-sepher and takes it, I will give him my daughter Achsah as wife.” 13 And Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it; and he gave him his daughter Achsah as wife. 14 When she came to him, she urged him to ask her father for a field. As she dismounted from her donkey, Caleb said to her, “What do you wish?” 15 She said to him, “Give me a present; since you have set me in the land of the Negeb, give me also Gulloth-mayim.”[a] So Caleb gave her Upper Gulloth and Lower Gulloth.

16 The descendants of Hobab[b] the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up with the people of Judah from the city of palms into the wilderness of Judah, which lies in the Negeb near Arad. Then they went and settled with the Amalekites.[c] 17 Judah went with his brother Simeon, and they defeated the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath, and devoted it to destruction. So the city was called Hormah. 18 Judah took Gaza with its territory, Ashkelon with its territory, and Ekron with its territory. 19 The Lord was with Judah, and he took possession of the hill country, but could not drive out the inhabitants of the plain, because they had chariots of iron. 20 Hebron was given to Caleb, as Moses had said; and he drove out from it the three sons of Anak. 21 But the Benjaminites did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem; so the Jebusites have lived in Jerusalem among the Benjaminites to this day.

22 The house of Joseph also went up against Bethel; and the Lord was with them. 23 The house of Joseph sent out spies to Bethel (the name of the city was formerly Luz). 24 When the spies saw a man coming out of the city, they said to him, “Show us the way into the city, and we will deal kindly with you.” 25 So he showed them the way into the city; and they put the city to the sword, but they let the man and all his family go. 26 So the man went to the land of the Hittites and built a city, and named it Luz; that is its name to this day.

27 Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and its villages, or Taanach and its villages, or the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, or the inhabitants of Ibleam and its villages, or the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages; but the Canaanites continued to live in that land. 28 When Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not in fact drive them out.

29 And Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer; but the Canaanites lived among them in Gezer.

30 Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, or the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites lived among them, and became subject to forced labor.

31 Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco, or the inhabitants of Sidon, or of Ahlab, or of Achzib, or of Helbah, or of Aphik, or of Rehob; 32 but the Asherites lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; for they did not drive them out.

33 Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, or the inhabitants of Beth-anath, but lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and of Beth-anath became subject to forced labor for them.

34 The Amorites pressed the Danites back into the hill country; they did not allow them to come down to the plain. 35 The Amorites continued to live in Har-heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim, but the hand of the house of Joseph rested heavily on them, and they became subject to forced labor. 36 The border of the Amorites ran from the ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela and upward.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out that, even though this passage is long, and seems repetitive, it is in fact critically important to everything that happens afterward, from this point until the conquest of Israel by the Assyrians and Babylonians centuries later. The children of Israel do not, in fact, drive out the people who had lived in the Promised Land before. In many cases, they enslave them (as they themselves had been enslaved in Egypt), or simply live side-by-side with them, but in all cases, eventually they adopt the gods of the Canaanites, and the practices of the Canaanites, and reject Yahweh the God of Israel, to whom they had promised to be always faithful. The actual conquest of the Promised Land, and the final driving out of the demon-gods worshipped by the Canaanites, does not happen until the Lord Himself comes in the New Testament, to drive out the demons who were continually afflicting and enslaving the people there.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 2 (Wednesday)

Saint Theophan the Recluse – The Path of Prayer – Sermon 2-1

St. Theophan was a Russian bishop and saint in the 1800’s, and he wrote a great many letters on the subject of prayer. He lived in a time that is not far distant from our own, but lived a life of prayer and dedication to the Lord, and his writings and sermons on the subject of prayer cut right to the heart of the matter. As we prepare for and begin the Lenten Fast this year, we will read one of his short sermons on how we should approach a rule of prayer. If you would like to review the sermon that we read last year, you can find it in the Week 25 reading from last year. (https://theruleoffaith.typepad.com/rei/2022/02/year-2-week-25-february-20-26-2022.html)

Saint Theophan the Recluse – The Path of Prayer – Sermon 2

Mental Prayer – 1

Yesterday, I showed you one method. By using it, you can educate the spirit of prayer in yourselves even while you are reciting the normal prayers from the prayer-book according to your personal rule.

But this is only the beginning of the art of prayer. You will need to go further. For example, you may recall the way you learn a language. First, the words and the forms of speech are learned by heart from books. But you cannot stop there. Instead, from this basis, you begin to move on to the stage where you can converse freely in the language you are studying.

You should do the same with the language of prayer. We become accustomed to reading our prayers from books – using the prayers passed down to us by Our Lord, and by the Holy Fathers who had achieved the art of prayer. But we must not stop at this. It is necessary to extend ourselves further. Once we have become accustomed to turn our ears and hearts to God using this help given by others, we should then also attempt to bring something of our own to Him, so to speak; to pass on into our own prayerful conversation with God; to raise ourselves toward Him; to open ourselves to Him; to confess to Him the contents and needs of our souls.

But the soul must be taught to do this. I will point out to you briefly what must be done to succeed in this art … but the habitual use of prayer books with reverence, attention and devotion leads to the same thing. Just in the same way that water pours of its own accord from an overfull vessel, so prayer to God begins to spring spontaneously from a heart which is filled with the holy feelings that have been produced by the habit of regular vocal prayer.

There are also special rules, special methods intended solely to achieve this objective, and everyone who wishes to succeed in prayer should become obedient to these rules.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out the core point of this, that we need to learn not just how to attentively pray the prayers of the Church, which we find in prayer books or in Scripture, but ultimately we need to learn how to offer our own lives to God, to “bring something of our own to Him.” This is a harder thing to do, but is an important and necessary step in our growth in prayer and in communion with the Lord. So it is an appropriate thing to reflect on during the season of the Great Fast, which we begin this Cheesefare week.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 3 (Friday)

Matthew 21:1-27 (Entrance into Jerusalem, Cleansing the Temple)

Last time we saw Jesus in conflict with the Pharisees, who criticized His disciples for plucking stalks of grain to eat on the Sabbath, and then criticized Jesus for healing the man with the withered hand in the synagogue. Jesus therefore went away from there, and the crowds followed Him. We will NOT continue with that thread of the story at this time, however, because with the beginning of Great Lent approaching, we need to jump ahead to the narrative of the Lord’s Passion, beginning with His entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. We will return to the remaining elements of the Lord’s ministry after Pascha.

Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

21 When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.” 4 This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying,

5 “Tell the daughter of Zion,
Look, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” (Zechariah 9:9)

6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; 7 they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Psalm 118:25-26)

10 When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” 11 The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

12 Then Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 13 He said to them, “It is written,

‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’;
but you are making it a den of robbers.” (Jeremiah 7:11)

14 The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he cured them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the amazing things that he did, and heard the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became angry 16 and said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read,

‘Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies
you have prepared praise for yourself’?” (Psalm 8:2)

17 He left them, went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

18 In the morning, when he returned to the city, he was hungry. 19 And seeing a fig tree by the side of the road, he went to it and found nothing at all on it but leaves. Then he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once. 20 When the disciples saw it, they were amazed, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” 21 Jesus answered them, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will be done. 22 Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.”

The Authority of Jesus Questioned

23 When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

Discussion questions:
1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point how, in our last reading, Jesus was purposely avoiding conflict with the Pharisees and the other religious leaders in Galilee and Judaea, giving them time to repent. In skipping ahead nine chapters, we now see that that time is drawing swiftly to an end. In entering Jerusalem publicly, and going into the Temple, driving out the money-changers, and claiming it as “His house,” which is to be “a house of prayer,” He is clearly revealing Himself as the Messiah, and as God Himself, and calling the religious leaders to account for their faithless stewardship of His people. It is at this point that they turn finally and lethally against Him.)
2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?
3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?
4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )
5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 1 (Monday)

Joshua 24:16-33 (The People Promise to Serve the Lord)

Last time we saw Joshua summarize the history of God’s people, from the time that Yahweh the God of Israel first called Terah and Abraham to leave Mesopotamia and to follow Him, through the birth of Isaac and then of Jacob and his twelve sons, and their long sojourn in Egypt, their slavery and their deliverance by God through Moses, until their long wandering in the desert, their victory over the Amorites on the east side of the Jordan, and finally their entrance into the Promised Land under his own leadership, receiving the long-promised inheritance themselves. He urged them to leave behind forever the gods that their ancestors had served, whether in Mesopotamia or in Egypt, and to be faithful to the Lord forever, and concluded speaking for himself, saying: “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” We will see what the people say in response, and how the book of Joshua concludes.

The People Promise to Serve the Lord

16 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods; 17 for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; 18 and the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.”

19 But Joshua said to the people, “You cannot serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. 20 If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm, and consume you, after having done you good.” 21 And the people said to Joshua, “No, we will serve the Lord!” 22 Then Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.” 23 He said, “Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.” 24 The people said to Joshua, “The Lord our God we will serve, and him we will obey.”

25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made statutes and ordinances for them at Shechem. 26 Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God; and he took a large stone, and set it up there under the oak in the sanctuary of the Lord. 27 Joshua said to all the people, “See, this stone shall be a witness against us; for it has heard all the words of the Lord that he spoke to us; therefore it shall be a witness against you, if you deal falsely with your God.” 28 So Joshua sent the people away to their inheritances.

Death of Joshua and Eleazar

29 After these things Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being one hundred ten years old. 30 They buried him in his own inheritance at Timnath-serah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

31 Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua and had known all the work that the Lord did for Israel.

32 The bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, were buried at Shechem, in the portion of ground that Jacob had bought from the children of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for one hundred pieces of money; it became an inheritance of the descendants of Joseph.

33 Eleazar son of Aaron died; and they buried him at Gibeah, the town of his son Phinehas, which had been given him in the hill country of Ephraim.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out that Joshua foresees the problems that will come to Israel, that they, or at least their descendants, will not in fact remain faithful to Yahweh, the God of Israel, and will bring judgment upon themselves. We see, however, that the people at this time are indeed faithful to the Lord, and serve him even after Joshua’s death, and as long as Joshua’s generation lives; but even these words which affirm the faithfulness of the people at this time are foreboding, because they imply that things are going to change. Next time, we will begin the book of Judges, and see what happens to Israel in the Promised Land as time begins to pass them by.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 2 (Wednesday)

First, Second & Third Prayers at Orthros

There are twelve prayers that the Priest prays at the beginning of the Orthros service. In all of them, he prays for himself and for all the people, and gives thanks to God for the rest of sleep and for the opportunity to wake up and offer worship and thanksgiving and prayers to God. It is important to understand that the Orthros service is the service that the Church does at sunrise; it begins when it is still dark, and continues as the sun comes up. These twelve prayers, then, reflect what we can and should think and feel and say to God as we wake up and begin our day. These first three prayers talks about rising from our beds and moving directly into thanksgiving and worship, seeking help, strength, blessing and understanding from the Lord in Whom we live, and move, and have our being.

FIRST PRAYER

We thank You, Lord our God, who have roused us from our beds and placed in our mouth a word of praise, to worship and call upon your Holy Name, and we beseech you by your acts of pity, with which you have always treated our life. And now send forth your help on those who stand before the presence of your holy glory and who await the rich mercy which comes from you, and grant that they may always serve, praise, hymn and worship your inexpressible loving-kindness.

For to you belong all glory, honour and worship, to the Father, the Son and the holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

SECOND PRAYER

At night our spirit rises early to you, our God, for your commandments are light upon the earth. Teach us justice and sanctification in fear of you; for we glorify you who are our God, the One who truly exists. Incline your ear and hear us; and remember, Lord, by name all those who are present and who pray with us, and save them by your power. Bless your people and sanctify your inheritance. Give peace to your world, to the churches, to the priests, to our rulers and to all your people.

For blessed and glorified is your all-honoured and majestic name, of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

THIRD PRAYER

At night our spirit rises early to you, O God, for your commandments are light. Teach us your justice, O God, your commands and your statutes. Enlighten the eyes of our understanding, lest we ever sleep unto death in sins. Drive away all gloomy darkness from our hearts. Give us the grace of the sun of justice and by the seal of your Holy Spirit keep our life free from harm. Direct our steps in the way of peace. Grant that we may see the dawn and the day in joy, that we may offer your our morning prayers.

For yours is the might and yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should urge the group to notice what sort of picture or model of human life we see described in these prayers that speak of waking from sleep and rising from our beds, not to work or play, leisure or entertainment, but to communion with the Lord, to righteousness and holiness in the fear of God.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 3 (Friday)

Matthew 12:1-21 (Grain on the Sabbath, Man with Withered Hand, God's Chosen Servant)

Last week, we saw the Lord speak to the strange reality that the cities in which He has been preaching and doing miracles have not welcomed Him and obeyed His word, and warn them that they will be judged in the end for this, because His coming is the salvation that they have been awaiting, and no other deliverance than God Himself become flesh is coming to them, only the consequence of their rejection of Him. He ended by speaking comfort to all those who did follow Him, assuring them that they would find peace and rest for their souls in taking up His yoke. We will see today what follows after, as He continues on with His disciples, and continues to encounter resistance and criticism from the Pharisees.

Plucking Grain on the Sabbath

12 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the sabbath; his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 When the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the sabbath.” 3 He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him or his companions to eat, but only for the priests. 5 Or have you not read in the law that on the sabbath the priests in the temple break the sabbath and yet are guiltless? 6 I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. 7 But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”

The Man with a Withered Hand

9 He left that place and entered their synagogue; 10 a man was there with a withered hand, and they asked him, “Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath?” so that they might accuse him. 11 He said to them, “Suppose one of you has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the sabbath; will you not lay hold of it and lift it out? 12 How much more valuable is a human being than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the sabbath.” 13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and it was restored, as sound as the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.

God’s Chosen Servant

15 When Jesus became aware of this, he departed. Many crowds followed him, and he cured all of them, 16 and he ordered them not to make him known. 17 This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

18 “Here is my servant, whom I have chosen,
my beloved, with whom my soul is well pleased.
I will put my Spirit upon him,
and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
19 He will not wrangle or cry aloud,
nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
20 He will not break a bruised reed
or quench a smoldering wick
until he brings justice to victory.
21 And in his name the Gentiles will hope.”

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (Leader should point out that the Lord makes clear in these encounters with the Pharisees that they have entirely misunderstood the Law, and the character of God Who gave the Law, in seeing the Law as arbitrary rules that turn to the judgment of those who inadvertently break them. The Sabbath Day, the Lord says, is for the sake of humanity, not a rule to justify and excuse ignoring or rejecting those in need, or refusing help to them. We may understand as well that it is precisely on the Sabbath Day, when He was resting in the tomb bodily, that the Lord does His great work of delivering from bondage all those righteous in Hades, as we see in the icon of the Anastasis.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 1 (Monday)

Joshua 24:1-15 (Summary of the History of the Covenant)

Last time we saw Isaac marry his wife Rebekah, as the promises that God had made to Abraham were passed on to the next generation. God had called Abraham to leave his homeland and his father’s house, and to go to the land that God would show him, with the promise that God would give his descendants that land as a sign for the greater promise, and would ultimately make him the father of many nations, and a blessing to all the nations of the earth. We are going to leave the story of Abraham here, and will return to the story of Isaac and his sons next year. For the present, we are going to skip ahead to the end of the book of Joshua, after the descendants of Abraham, and specifically the children of Israel, had entered the Promised Land. This reading provides us with a summary of what had happened from Abraham’s calling until that point, and a sense of what the consistent struggles of God’s people have been, and will continue to be.

The Tribes Renew the Covenant

24 Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God. 2 And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Long ago your ancestors—Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor—lived beyond the Euphrates and served other gods. 3 Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan and made his offspring many. I gave him Isaac; 4 and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I gave Esau the hill country of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt.

5 Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt with what I did in its midst; and afterwards I brought you out. 6 When I brought your ancestors out of Egypt, you came to the sea; and the Egyptians pursued your ancestors with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. 7 When they cried out to the Lord, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and made the sea come upon them and cover them; and your eyes saw what I did to Egypt.

Afterwards you lived in the wilderness a long time. 8 Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites, who lived on the other side of the Jordan; they fought with you, and I handed them over to you, and you took possession of their land, and I destroyed them before you. 9 Then King Balak son of Zippor of Moab, set out to fight against Israel. He sent and invited Balaam son of Beor to curse you, 10 but I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he blessed you; so I rescued you out of his hand.

11 When you went over the Jordan and came to Jericho, the citizens of Jericho fought against you, and also the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I handed them over to you. 12 I sent the hornet ahead of you, which drove out before you the two kings of the Amorites; it was not by your sword or by your bow. 13 I gave you a land on which you had not labored, and towns that you had not built, and you live in them; you eat the fruit of vineyards and oliveyards that you did not plant.

14 “Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out that this passage shows us how God has fulfilled His promise to Abraham; He has brought His descendants, not just the Israelites, but the descendants of Esau as well, as is mentioned in verse 4, into the land that He had promised to Abraham. It is important to note, however, that this is not the fullness of what God had promised to Abraham, because God promised that all the nations of the earth would be blessed in Abraham’s descendants. That promise is fulfilled in our Lord Jesus Christ, and in the ongoing life of the Church, but this inheritance of the Promised Land by the children of Israel is the short-term sign that God is faithful, and the assurance that He will be faithful to fulfill the longer term promise as well.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 2 (Wednesday)

Elder Aimilianos on Martyrdom and Sufferings

This is a saying from Elder Aimilianos of Simonopetra, a recently reposed elder and spiritual father. He was born in 1934, and became a monastic in 1960, in a monastery in northern Greece; as his piety and wisdom became evident, he was appointed as the abbot in Meteora, and then in 1983 he and his monastics were invited to repopulate the ancient monastery of Simonopetra on the Holy Mountain. He fell asleep in the Lord in 2019.

On Martyrdom and Sufferings

"Every day, everyone around you is undergoing a kind of martyrdom. It's impossible to find someone who is not experiencing some form of affliction. You and I may be close, we may know each other well, yet I may be completely unaware that you are suffering; I may have no idea that every day you undergo a kind of martyrdom. And this works both ways, for neither do you know about my sufferings. Each soul has its mysteries that no one else can ever know.

The truth is that afflictions are not the signs of God's absence or abandonment, but rather of His Presence. Afflictions are like the kneading of the dough in the making of the bread. They are the preparations for the mystical marriage, and without them the soul is left unformed, cold, and alone. It is affliction alone that can tear us away from our isolated, individual existence and transform it into something much more whole and open."

– Elder Aimilianos, Psalms and the Life of Faith, pp. 307-8

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should invite a discussion of this point, that afflictions are not a sign of God’s absence, but rather of His presence. This is a difficult word, but one that has proven true in the lives of the Saints time and again throughout the history of the Church. It is good for us to reflect on it, and to consider how afflictions provide us an opportunity to turn away from selfishness and toward one another, and above all toward the Lord.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?

Day 3 (Friday)

Matthew 11: 20-30 (Woe to Unrepentant Cities)

Last week, we saw John the Baptist send his disciples to Jesus to ask if the Lord was the one they were waiting for, or if another Messiah was coming after Him. Jesus answered by telling John’s disciples to tell him what Jesus was doing, since these works were precisely those that had been prophesied that the Messiah would do. He also praised John as the greatest of the prophets, and reproached those who had criticized John for being an ascetic, but were also criticizing Him Himself for NOT being an ascetic, pointing out that they were simply being critical, and not paying any attention to the witness and the Gospel. He will continue this week with further reproaches to all those who have rejected Him.

Woes to Unrepentant Cities

20 Then he began to reproach the cities in which most of his deeds of power had been done, because they did not repent. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, on the day of judgment it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum,

will you be exalted to heaven?
No, you will be brought down to Hades.

For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I tell you that on the day of judgment it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom than for you.”

Jesus Thanks His Father

25 At that time Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

28 “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Discussion questions:

1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out what a strong statement it is, that it will be better for Sodom and for Tyre & Sidon than for the cities that have rejected Him. Sodom’s sins and judgment are well known to us, as we read them in the life of Abraham in week 12, and Tyre and Sidon are the ancient homeland of Baal worship…and Baal was identified by the children of Israel as Satan himself. What I think the Lord is saying is that, for all their sins, Sodom and Sidon did not encounter God Himself in their midst…but the cities of Galilee have, and in far too many cases have nonetheless rejected Him. With that said, the final verses of this, from verse 25 to 30, speak to the Father about those who have received His word, not those who have rejected Him, and of the blessedness that comes to them…that is, to us, if we are Faithful to Him.)

2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?

3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?

4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )

5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?