There are few stories more intriguing, more
confusing, or downright disturbing as the one in our first reading. This
account of Abraham and Isaac hiking up Mount Moriah is enough to make us wonder
what sort of God this is, who would ask a father to sacrifice his son. This is
especially true, if we understand how special Isaac was to Abraham. For the
longest time, Abraham and his wife Sarah were unable to have children. But
then, when all hope seemed lost, when both Abraham and Sarah were quite
old, God blessed them with a child of their own. God displayed his goodness and power by enabling Sarah to give birth
to a healthy son, even though scripture tells us she was 90 years old!!
This child grew up and was sacred to Abraham and Sarah; he was the embodiment of God's promise to them. He was the one who
would carry on Abraham's lineage to the next generation. Few fathers loved
their sons as much as Abraham loved Isaac. And
fewer still realized what a gift and blessing they had in their sons.
God
puts Abraham to the test in order to see the depth of his faith; He asks
Abraham to prove his faith, love, and devotion by sacrificing Isaac, his only,
beloved son. Parents, could you
imagine hearing this from God? Can you imagine
the turmoil and struggle? This certainly seems like a no-win situation for
Abraham; satisfy God by sacrificing your son or keep your son and fail God's test. Abraham chooses to follow
God's command and takes Isaac to the land of Moriah to be sacrificed. As he
raised the knife to slaughter his son, God steps in and says, "wait!!" Now I see how devoted you
are to me. Because of your faith and willingness to give everything to me, even your only son…. I will bless you." And how does God bless Abraham? He
blesses him abundantly, beyond his wildest dreams. The Lord tells
Abraham, an old man with only one son, that he will multiply his descendants
until they become as numerous as the sands of the sea and as countless as the
stars in the sky. And those descendents will be blessed with many good things
all because Abraham had faith in God and was not afraid to give up the one thing that was most important to
him, the one person who was nearest
and dearest to his heart.
Even
though I have heard this story many times, it never loses its power. And while
I am confident none of us will ever be asked to sacrifice a child to the Lord,
(even though some of you with teenagers might
have entertained the thought), this story of Abraham's testing has
something profound to teach us. First of all, it help us appreciate Abraham's
faith? Here was a man, willing to entrust the life of his only son to the will
of God. Abraham was able to look beyond the very logical and reasonable fears
that would have said "no" to God's test and somehow trust that God
would make things right. And God did. Abraham is our father in faith and he
serves as a beautiful example of what we should strive for in our own
relationship with God, even when the
Lord's commands seem too much, too hard, or simply don't make sense.
Haven't
we all been in a spiritually-confusing situation before? That place where God
asks us to give him something or someone near and dear to our hearts. In
each of our lives, God has, God is, and God will call us to make sacrifices
that involve the things most precious to us. He does this to test our faith;
he does this to test our love; he does this so that he can bless us
abundantly, beyond our wildest dreams.
In
my own life, I have experienced this "Abraham moment" whenever the
Archbishop has asked me to move to another parish. For whatever reason, I have
never stayed in one place for more than a few years. I have been very happy in
the different parishes I have served but I have always tried to be generous and
trust that when the Archbishop asks me to move, it is the voice of God inviting
me to give up one good thing so I can experience something even better! And I
have been so blessed each time I have trusted God and moved forward with faith!
This Lenten season is a time for sacrifice, a time of testing. What is God asking you to offer back to
him? Most of us Americans have an obsession with control. Could it be that
he is asking you to let go and trust him in taking a different job or being
open to another child? Perhaps this sacrifice might be seen in God nudging you
to commit a more significant amount of time, talent, and money to those who are
less fortunate. Is it possible that he is asking to let go of the gadgets and
the busyness that so often keep us from deepening our relationship with God and
others? Could it be that God is even calling some to leave everything behind and follow him as a priest or consecrated
religious?
Or
maybe God is asking you to offer someone back to him, just like he did with
Abraham. Is there a good friend or a beloved family member that Christ is
asking you to share with others or offer up in prayer? Is there someone whom we
are putting above God right now? Is there a person we can't let go of,
even though we know it is the right thing for us and for them? Is there someone
dear to us who needs to be challenged or brought closer to God? These examples
are just some of the ways that God might be testing our faith, asking us to
give back to him our greatest blessing so that he can bless us even more.
Perhaps this seems too tough or far-fetched. Indeed it might have been, if God
hadn't done it himself. You see, God so loved the world; God so loved us, that he gave his
only-begotten Son, to suffer and die on the cross so we might be reunited to
him and enjoy eternal life. God has shown us how to give up what is most
precious to us and demonstrates the blessings that come from such a complete
sacrifice. The story of Abraham and Isaac should give us courage in our own
journey of faith, especially during this Lenten season. God is asking us to make sacrifices, to offer our greatest
blessings back to him so that he can bless us even further with a generosity
that defies our imaginations and expectations. Let us not be afraid to let go
and offer whatever that might be so we can share in the glory God has prepared
for us. We have nothing to lose; we have
everything to gain.
