Our first reading is from Joshua 2:1-14
May the Lord bless you as you receive his word.
Joshua, the son of Nun, sent two spies from Shittim. He sent them in secret. He said to them, “Go and look over the land. Most of all, check out Jericho.” So, they went to Jericho. They stayed at the house of a prostitute. Her name was Rahab.
The king of Jericho was told, “Look! Some of the Israelites have come here tonight. They’ve come to check out the land.” So, the king sent a message to Rahab. It said, “Bring out the men who came into your house. They’ve come to check out the whole land.”
But the woman had hidden the two men. She said, “It’s true that the men came here. But I didn’t know where they had come from. They left at sunset, when it was time to close the city gate. I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You might catch up with them.” But in fact, she had taken them up on the roof. There she had hidden them under some flax she had piled up. The king’s men left to hunt down the spies. They took the road that leads to where the Jordan River can be crossed. As soon as they had gone out of the city, the gate was shut.
Rahab went up on the roof before the spies settled down for the night. She said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land. We are very much afraid of you. Everyone who lives in this country is weak with fear because of you. We’ve heard how the Lord dried up the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt. We’ve heard what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings. They ruled east of the Jordan River. You completely destroyed them. When we heard about it, we were terrified. Because of you, we aren’t brave anymore. The Lord your God is the God who rules in heaven above and on the earth below.
“Now then, please give me your word. Promise me in the name of the Lord that you will be kind to my family. I’ve been kind to you. Promise me that you will spare the lives of my father and mother. Spare my brothers and sisters. Also spare everyone in their families. Promise that you won’t put any of us to death.” So the men made a promise to her. “If you save our lives, we’ll save yours,” they said. “Just don’t tell anyone what we’re doing. Then we’ll be kind and faithful to you when the Lord gives us the land.”
Our Second Reading is from Hebrews 12:7-11
Put up with hard times. God uses them to train you. He is treating you as his children. What children are not trained by their parents? God trains all his children. But what if he doesn’t train you? Then you are not really his children. You are not God’s true sons and daughters at all. Besides, we have all had human fathers who trained us. We respected them for it. How much more should we be trained by the Father of spirits and live! Our parents trained us for a little while. They did what they thought was best. But God trains us for our good. He does this so we may share in his holiness. No training seems pleasant at the time. In fact, it seems painful. But later, it produces a harvest of godliness and peace. It does this for those who have been trained by it.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
As you journey on, go with his blessing:
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace. May Almighty God bless, preserve, and keep us, this day and forevermore. Amen.
