Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Joshua 1:8
“My child, remember night and day him who speaks the word of God to you, and honor him as you do the Lord. For wherever the lordly rule is uttered, there is the Lord. And seek out day by day the faces of the saints, in order that you may rest upon their words. Do not long for division, but rather bring those who contend to peace…
Be not a stretcher forth of the hands to receive and a drawer of them back to give. If you have anything, through your hands you shall give ransom for your sins. Do not hesitate to give, nor complain when you give; for you shall know who is the good repayer of the hire…
Do not turn away from him who is in want; rather, share all things with your brother, and do not say that they are your own. For if you are partakers in that which is immortal, how much more in things which are mortal? …This is the way of life.”
Didache 4.1-5, a.k.a. “The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles” (late first or early second century) translated by J.B. Lightfoot. Today starts my shift from the Desert Fathers to the Apostolic Fathers.
It is interesting that the exhortation section of the Didache, the early church discipleship manual, starts with the words, “remember day and night.” This bears striking resemblance to the words of Moses to Joshua in today’s Scripture.
But what must we remember day and night? We must remember those who teach us the word of God, honor them, and seek out the faces of the saints. Or in plain terms, reflect on the teachers who influenced our teachers.
Then notice how this connects with giving. We discover that when we remember “the lordly rule” we become people who enjoy and share spiritual and material blessings. The aim of this is so that it becomes our way of life.
God, help each of us remember day and night our teachers and those who have gone before us and rest on their words so that we become peaceful and generous people, eager to share all you richly supply. Amen.