The Challenge and the Calling of Life in the City of Refuge

Synopsis     19:49-20:7     5/18/2018

After the distribution of land to all the tribes, the Israelites assigned Joshua his own portion of land within the tribe of Ephraim. So, he was given a mountain village named Timnah-serah.

As prescribed by Moses, now that the Israelites were installed in the land, the leaders identified the three cities of refuge. These were Kadesh in Naphtali, Schechem in Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba in Judah.

The Community of the City of Refuge

The city of refuge process wasn’t automatic. The unintentional killer asked for refuge at the city gate. The community leaders scrutinized the unintentional killer. They verified a lack of malice. They offered asylum. The community took on the cost of this burden. And asylum had this implication: the city was responsible to provide a place and a living for the refugee.

The Challenge and the Calling of Life in the City of Refuge

So all these people who have made mistakes – deadly mistakes – remain in this special city. Because of their errors, they sit and wait for the death of the high priest. They remain where they are protected. They remain in a place where the legitimate demands of justice cannot touch them. This City of Refuge is the place where they are accepted and supported and defended.

Of course, the modern City of Refuge is the church. It is the faith community of Christ-followers. Ours is the place of protection and provision. Regardless of wherever a person has come from; we accept. We love. People remain in our care knowing that only with the death of the high priest will they be fully redeemed. So we protect and defend and support those who deserve none of it – even as we deserved none of what we have been given – until they realize the full possibility of their lives in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

That’s the challenge and that’s the call.

He replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” Luke 23:43