The word serve appears thirteen times in today’s first reading, Joshua 24:14–29. Perhaps this repetition is an invitation for us to take a closer look. To serve means to worship; it can also mean to treat someone in a special and respectful way, or to remain loyal to a person, cause, or belief.
Before he died at the age of 110, Joshua gave his final counsel to the Israelites: “Fear the Lord and serve Him perfectly and sincerely… If you will not serve the Lord, choose today whom you wish to serve. As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” The people responded: “We have no intention of deserting the Lord and serving other gods… We too will serve the Lord, for He is our God.” (Joshua 24:14–18).
This scene reminds me of couples making solemn promises to each other at weddings- pledges of love, loyalty, and service that shape their lives together.
As human beings, what we serve and how we serve reveal a lot about us- our loyalty, our character, and even our worldview. The way we serve our spouses, children, colleagues, neighbours, and even our communities reflects whether we are caring, attentive, considerate, and accommodating.
Sadly, some people stop serving because they have been deeply hurt in the past. They withdraw to avoid being wounded again. For such hearts, I pray that Jesus will bring healing, courage, and the grace to love and serve once more.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus serves the children. While others dismissed them, he welcomed them, cared for them, laid his hands on them, and blessed them. No wonder he later declared in Matthew 20:28: “The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
History is filled with examples of great people who humbled themselves to serve, even those considered “beneath” them.
Let us ask ourselves, how far have we gone in serving-in our homes, families, communities, churches, workplaces, and nation? May God bless our acts of service and grant us more grace and more reasons to serve, so that like Moses, Joshua, and Jesus Christ, we too will one day be remembered and honoured. Amen.
