Joshua 5:9–12 (vss. 1–8 added to show the context)
Meal on the Plains of Jericho
It doesn’t say just what was the disgrace
Of Egypt that the LORD then rolled away;
But it’s implied the social status of
Ancestral slaves would be no more conveyed—
Life now was new, for what was past, was past!
It meant the parents’ tragedies were gone,
And would no more define just who they were—
Which well we know’s more eas’ly said than done.
And thus, the sons and grandsons of those slaves
Were circumcised so all would surely know
They were the LORD’s! They’d hold their heads up high;
In confidence, the LORD who saves, they’d show.
It meant the manna was no more, because
The people now could stand on their two feet;
The Passover they kept that day declared
No other god can with the LORD compete.
Scott L. Barton
(When all the kings of the Amorites beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the Israelites until they had crossed over, their hearts melted, and there was no longer any spirit in them, because of the Israelites.
At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites a second time.” So Joshua made flint knives, and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath-haaraloth. This is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the males of the people who came out of Egypt, all the warriors, had died during the journey through the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt. Although all the people who came out had been circumcised, yet all the people born on the journey through the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt had not been circumcised. For the Israelites traveled forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, the warriors who came out of Egypt, perished, not having listened to the voice of the Lord. To them the Lord swore that he would not let them see the land that he had sworn to their ancestors to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. So it was their children, whom he raised up in their place, that Joshua circumcised; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way. When the circumcising of all the nation was done, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed.)
The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt.” And so that place is called Gilgal to this day.
While the Israelites were camped in Gilgal they kept the passover in the evening on the fourteenth day of the month in the plains of Jericho. On the day after the passover, on that very day, they ate the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. The manna ceased on the day they ate the produce of the land, and the Israelites no longer had manna; they ate the crops of the land of Canaan that year.
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2 Corinthians 5:16–21
Meeting with the Pastor Nominating Committee
Jeff Curtis asked me in the interview
Which verse of scripture meant the most to me;
I said the one where everything is new,
And where, in Christ, we’re from the past set free.
What made this verse pop then into my head—
One I believed, but never called it “best?”
Perhaps in worship, I had often said
Those words, which now, in being asked, expressed.
The “old” means when you think you have it planned,
A place for everything, all in its place;
Out of the blue, then, on the other hand,
God’s newness will be right before your face.
Paul calls us to be reconciled to God,
That is, be acclimated to the news
Which, in our daily life, we find quite odd:
You cannot stop the love which God pursues.
Scott L. Barton
(You can see another poem on this text at 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B, June 13, 2021.)
From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
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Luke 15:1–3, 11b–32
Prodigal Son, Prodigal Dad
Prodigal son, prodigal dad,
I call him that because he’s glad!
To say it as might Dr. Seuss,
Son 1 thought 2 had cooked his goose!
And then begrudged the fatted calf
Was cooked instead! It makes me laugh
To know that Jesus with a smile
Knew God, the Dad, the extra mile
Goes, falling on the neck to kiss
Each son or daughter whom he’s missed.
Scott L. Barton
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable:
“There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’ So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate. “Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends.But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’”
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