Have we all ever delivered an ultimatum? You know we’re going to draw the line in the sand. Either this or that. Now, in my experience, ultimatums do not work very well. For example, I have a little two year old great niece. Do we have two year olds in our lives? Are we familiar with this concept? Have we ever given a two year old an ultimatum?

Now we think they’re going to know how to choose. For example, my two year old grandniece loves to throw her bunny down on the floor so that some adult will pick it up. She throws it down again, we pick it up, and this goes on until one of the adults finally says, if you do that again, then I’m going to put Bunny away.

Now we know we are not going to do that, because does any one of us want to deal with the two year old tantrum? Of course not. It is a silly ultimatum because the two year old isn’t going to be able to make a choice. Now, on the other hand, in 1914, actually on July 23rd, 1914, the Emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire gave an ultimatum to leadership in Serbia.

They were either going to agree to a set of concrete demands, or there was going to be a full blown war. Now, the Serbians could agree to five of the six, but there was one to which they could not agree. So what happens? The ultimatum is rejected and we have the First World War. Did that ultimatum work out to the benefit of anybody?

No. Ultimatums most of the time. Don’t work. So we have an interesting situation in today’s readings. Joshua, the leader of the Chosen People given gives an ultimatum to them. If it does not please you to serve the Lord, decide today whom you will serve the gods of our ancestors or the gods of the Amorites. Choose. Then Joshua delivers what could be one of the most beautiful lines in all of the Old Testament.

As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. Ultimatum serve the Lord or serve the gods of the Emirates. Nothing else. Choose life. Choose death. The ultimatum and the people of Israel choose to follow Yahweh. A good call on their part. Now it’s very interesting. Their ultimatum seems to have worked. Until they forget. And when they forget, they run into problems.

And the ultimatum falls apart. On the day we were baptized. We are given an ultimatum. Serve God or Satan. And those who spoke for us chose God. Have we forgotten the day we were baptized? Have we forgotten the choice we made at the ultimatum? Because today is the day. Then to remember and to celebrate. Not the ultimatum, but the choice.

Because that is what Saint Paul tells us in the second reading we heard. Notice Paul doesn’t deliver an ultimatum. Rather, he says to husbands and wives, choose to love as Christ loves the church. It’s not an ultimatum. It’s a choice to realize how much God, in his tender mercy loves us. And then we are asked to make that choice again.

To love all of God’s people. To love God’s people as Christ does. And to realize that all we have to do is look above the altar. Or look over to my left at the crucifixion. That’s how much Jesus loves us. That’s how much husbands and wives are to love each other. That’s how much all of us baptized are called to love one another, to make that ultimate sacrifice.

To choose everlasting life in the name of life, so that we can all say. As for me and my household, we will serve and love the Lord. Isn’t that amazing? Ultimatum. Choice. But in the gospel we are given yet another example. Notice that last week we heard the people begin to grumble. Jesus says, unless you eat my body and drink my blood, you cannot have everlasting life.

They say, that is really difficult to hear. Who can accept that? Some of them choose to leave, not to remember. They forget everything Jesus has done for them. Peter, on the other hand, says, where will we go? You have the words of everlasting life. We choose to believe that you are the Messiah. Notice ultimatum. Choice. Question. Jesus doesn’t give an ultimatum.

He really doesn’t give a choice. He asks a question. Are you going to leave me to. And Peter gives an answer with the question, where will we go? Then the answer. You have the words of everlasting life today. Do we hear an ultimatum that we are going to accept? Do we hear a choice that allows us freedom to choose?

Or do we hear a question from the Lord? Do you leave me also? But our answer can be. As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord today. What is our answer to the ultimatum? The answer to the choice. The answer to the question will we stay or will we leave? Will we serve or will we not?

Will we journey with the Lord and follow? Or will we walk away? As in all things, the choice is ours. So ultimatum. Choice. Question. However we hear it. What is our answer? What do we say to the Lord Jesus? Are we with Joshua? As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord. Are we with Paul? Love one another.

Has Christ has loved the church? Are we with Peter? Where will we go? You have the words of everlasting life. Well, however we see it. Let us remember. It all comes from Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday, today and forever.