21st Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B
In today’s first reading from the Book of Joshua, chapter 24, verses 1 to2a, 15 to 17, and 18b, after the Israelites entered the promise land, Joshua called all the 12 tribes of Israel and addressed them saying: “If it does not please you to serve the Lord, decide today whom you will serve, the gods your fathers served beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are now dwelling. As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. The Israelites answered saying: “Far be it from us to forsake the LORD for the service of other gods. For it was the LORD, our God, who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, out of a state of slavery. He performed those great miracles before our very eyes and protected us along our entire journey and among the peoples through whom we passed. Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God.”
In the gospel reading from the holy Gospel according to John, chapter 6, verse 60 to 69, Jesus poses the same question to His closest disciples after some of his disciples abandoned Him because of His teaching on the mystery of the Eucharist in the temple saying: “Do you also want to leave?” But Simon Peter answered Him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”
These two readings while talking about discipleship, points out that true discipleship involves making the choice to follow Christ willingly. True discipleship means following Christ wholeheartedly and willingly without being forced to do so. It also includes respecting people’s freedom of choice in following God, as Joshua offered the Israelites the choice of serving God or the gods their fathers served beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites. And Jesus offered His followers the choice to stay with Him or leave Him.
These two readings also reminds us of our “Yes” to follow Christ in our call to discipleship through the Sacraments, while calling on us to seriously examine ourselves to find out if we are truly and sincerely following Christ; if we have totally given up the ways of the world and surrendered ourselves to Him; and if we have indeed said ‘no’ to the world by putting aside anything or everything that prevents us from believing in God and following Him.
My dear friends in Christ, saying “yes” to God entails loving Him and surrendering to Him by listening to His Word, accepting His Word, and putting His Word in practice. So let us say “no” to the world and “yes” to God like Joshua and Simon Peter in today’s readings, then firmly follow Christ by truly believing in Him and by showing the world that He has the words of eternal life and is indeed the Holy One of God.
