There are few stories more intriguing, more confusing, or downright disturbing as the story we heard in our first reading today. This account of Abraham and Isaac walking up Mount Moriah is enough to make us wonder what sort of God this is, who would ask a father to sacrifice his own son. This is especially true, if we understand a little more about 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.
Which brings us to our reading today. The Scriptures tell us that God puts Abraham to the test in order to see the depth of his faith. The Lord does this in a way that seems unthinkable; he asks Abraham to prove his faith, love, and devotion by sacrificing Isaac, his only, beloved son. Now, if you are like me, at this point you might be thinking: "who does that?" Parents, could you imagine hearing this from God? Can you imagine the turmoil and struggle? This is certainly a no-win situation for Abraham; satisfy God by sacrificing your son or keep your son and fail God's test. In any case, Abraham chooses to follow God's command and takes Isaac to the land of Moriah to be sacrificed. We can only imagine how heavy Abraham's heart must have been as he led Isaac up that hill. I can only imagine the fear, the trembling, and the sadness that must have washed over him as he raised the knife to slaughter his son. And that's when God steps in and says, "wait!!" Now I see how devoted you are to me. Because of your faith, because of your 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 all measure, 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 victory over their enemies and many other 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. That is the beauty of the Word of God; it speaks to us meaningfully, even after all these years. And while I am confident none of us will ever be asked to sacrifice a child to the Lord, (even though some of you might have entertained the thought at certain times), this story of Abraham's testing has something profound to teach us. First of all, doesn't it help us to 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 that same sort of situation before? That place where God asks us to give him something or someone that is near and dear to our hearts. In each of our lives, God has, God is, and God will call us to make sacrifices that will often 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. This Lenten season is a time for sacrifice, a time of testing. What is God asking you to offer back to him? Could it be that he is asking you to trust him in taking a different job? 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 faith and relationship with God? Could it be that God is even calling some of you here 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 it 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 before 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 all seems too good to be true. 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 us his only-begotten Son, to suffer and die on the cross so that we might be reunited to him and enjoy the eternal life that was part of his plan from the beginning. God has shown us how to give up what is most precious to us and he 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 that God has prepared for us. We have nothing to lose; we have everything to gain.
