Back in the days when my knees still worked properly, my weekly delight was 5-a-side football. Every Wednesday evening, I would let off steam for an hour. As we were an ad-hoc bunch of blokes who were old enough to know better, we didn’t have organised teams, we just made up the teams from whoever turned up on the night. In effect, the game was different every week, and this provided a fascinating insight into the world of team dynamics.
Sometimes I would look at the line-ups and fancy our chances. Other times I would inwardly grimace and prepare for a beating. Occasionally something wonderful happened. On paper we would look like a far weaker team, but then something would just click and we would win the game. Team-mates started playing out of their skins, we settled into a spontaneous ‘formation’ that was effective in defence and penetrating in attack, and we all felt that beautiful but mysterious thing called ‘chemistry’. It’s hard to explain, but you know it when you see it.
Teamwork is vital in life. When people pull for each other, it’s an amazing thing. Good teams lead to people being both happier and more productive. There’s a sense of purpose and a collective joy in ‘achieving something together’. Teamwork is great, not just in workplaces, but in families, clubs, and especially in church. As Jesus’ body here on earth, we’re all interconnected.
In today’s passage, we see great teamwork in action. Three of Israel’s tribes don’t need to cross the Jordan, as the land they’ve been given by God is on the east side (v13). They could just stay put, while the other tribes move on. But they agree to give Joshua their wholehearted support (vv16-17), before returning across the river once more to what will become their homeland. It might well be costly, as they may lose people in the fighting that follows; but they share the vision, and at this stage they want to be obedient. They’ve learned the lessons of the desert, and they will support Joshua whatever he does.
There’s a great encouragement for us here. Thankfully most of us aren’t called to fight! But we are called to support each other, to be part of God’s bigger vision for his kingdom. In God’s team, everyone is valuable, everyone has a role. May God grant us all grace to be a united people, and to support each other in building God’s kingdom, on earth as it is in heaven. What might that mean for each of us?