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Reading the Bible is often not an easy job; one of the reasons for that is the sometimes overwhelming gulf that can exist between modern thinking and ancient thinking.

What to Make of Abraham - Genesis 22: 1-14; Romans 8: 31-39 - June 29, 2008 - Cicero United Methodist Church - Everett J. Bassett

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            Reading the Bible is often not an easy job; one of the reasons for that is the sometimes overwhelming gulf that can exist between modern thinking and ancient thinking. There are some stories in the Bible that are so old that they just seem out-of-place in modem thought. Some of them we can just skip over. We don't need to dwell long on Samuel hacking up Agag, or the grisly details of Jezebel's death.

            But this morning's story from Genesis 22 cannot be pushed aside. It is a basic part of our faith tradition, even though that gulf between modern sensitivities and the story of a man ready to kill and burn his son could not be wider. There are two streams of thought about Abraham. One is the long, long tradition of admiration - he is lifted up as the epitome of faith by Jews, Christians, and Muslims. And this story of his willingness to kill Isaac is at the heart of that admiration.

            But the second stream of thought doesn't admire Abraham at all- sees him either as a tragically misguided fanatic, or a monster, or both. The 18th century philosopher Immanuel Kant took the 'misguided' angle. Kant wrote that Abraham should have known that the voice he was hearing could not be God's voice, because it was asking him to do something that was so clearly wrong. Another philosopher, Soren Kierkegaard, wrote about the absurdity of thinking that God would want such a thing as Isaac's death.

            The 'Abraham as monster' argument is made in a 1996 movie Before and After, where Liam Neesom plays Ben Ryan, a father who goes to any length to protect his son, and virtually destroys himself, his son, and his family as he does so. At a couple points in the story, he is reminded about Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac for the sake of obedience and faith. And finally, Ryan responds in the movie, "What most people miss is: who would want Abraham as a father?"

            And that's the question we ask from a more modern perspective. If someone today made plans to stab and burn his son, he would be arrested and examined. If he said in defense, "God told me to do it," we would question his sanity. Efforts would be made to keep him away from his children until he was treated. That might be how we would approach Abraham today.

            So let's begin with the admission that there is chasm between the 21st century Christian and this story that is more than 3000 years old. There are certain parts of it that we find appalling, and that work big time against understandings about God that we hold dear. If we can just accept that 3000 year gulf for what it is, then maybe we can see the reasons this story has been cherished and taught over and over in three great faith traditions. Let me offer three reasons we might cherish it as well.

            First of all, despite our modem misgivings, this story is probably in its time a huge step forward in decency. 3000 years ago, the sacrifice of a child was not an outrageous act in many places. We know from history, and we know from the Bible, that child sacrifice was very much part of the culture surrounding the biblical people. There were times when the Old Testament people themselves seem to have succumbed to the temptation to sacrifice human beings, as a way of trying to win God's approval.

Then, into that tradition, comes a story of how one of their patriarchs Abraham is told to sacrifice his son Isaac. As I said, this is not unheard of. But to make the story more poignant, it is told in a way that Abraham's love for his son is made very clear. Still, this is not unheard of- there are other stories of rulers and leaders sacrificing beloved children for the sake of the people So, now the boy is bound; the flame is ready; the knife is lifted. And suddenly, angels intervene, and God sends a ram to be killed instead. So here's a new thought for humankind: in God's world, children are not sacrificed - that is not what God wants. God will provide an alternative. And that would be a revolutionary thought in its day. And we shouldn't forget that the very fact that we who grew up in a Judeo-Christian atmosphere can look back with outrage at the idea of Isaac's sacrifice is because of the steps forward in cultural understandings that the Bible teaches. This story of a sacrifice that was called of by God may have been one of those steps forward.

            Another reason we can cherish the story of Abraham and Isaac is in the deep trust and obedience in represents. There is Isaac - carrying the wood for the sacrifice; asking his father, 'Where is the lamb?' apparently not resisting when his father binds him and puts him on the altar and lifts the knife. Whatever else you say about that scene, the trust and obedience of the boy toward his father is amazing. I don't know what this means, but I trust my father to do the best thing for me. And then there is Abraham, trusting God the same way.  I don't understand what God wants, but this child was a miracle gift from God to begin with; I can't stop trusting and obeying God now. That's radical, amazing trust.

            It makes me think of an old parable about a man who is traveling through the desert, and he is dying of thirst. Right when he is most desperate, he finds an old water pump with a note on it. The note says, "Behind the rock is a small cup of water. Whatever you do, do not drink the water. Pour it into the pipe to prime the pump. It will require every drop from the cup, but once the pump is primed, you will receive all the water you need. Please leave the cup filled for the next traveler." And the man looks behind the rock and finds the cup of water. Now think about it. How many people would have enough trust to pour every bit of that water into the pipe?

            Abraham emptied his cup into God's keeping. Isaac was not only his beloved son: Isaac was his future, and the future of his family and his nation, and the future of humankind. But if God said to do this, Abraham was ready.

            Are there situations that call you to that kind of trust? Certainly that must be true for a church.  We worship here this morning in this great sanctuary; at some point before this was built the people of this congregation said, This is what God wants - this is what we will build. It was a great act of trust, and probably some thought, "How can this ever possibly come true? We can'1 afford it; we don't have all the ducks in order." And yet it stands here today as a testament to trust. We're challenged to that same kind of trust. As you could see when you walked down the hallway this morning, we have begun the move into the Conference facility attached to our building, which we have now committed to buy. We have prayerfully considered this for a long time, and are convinced that God intends for this growth. And the same thoughts occur: "How can this ever possibly come true? How will we afford it; it doesn't add up." I'm absolutely convinced that another generation will look at this expanded facility and thank God for the people who trusted back in 2008. Churches are built on great trust, or they are not built at all.

            But trust is a challenge. I read about a student pilot, flying a plane with his instructor by his side. The instructor asked, "When you're landing, how do you know when to ease the plane down?" The student said, "I aim the plane toward the lights at the end of the runway, and then watch you out of the comer of my eye. When you sit up straighter and your eyes get wide, I know it's time." We can trust that God will land us safely.

            There's one more lesson that we want to be sure and take from the story of Abraham and Isaac; it is the lesson we see in the writing of the apostle Paul in Romans 8, verses 31-32: "If God is for us, who is against us?  He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else?  Many people have thought that Paul was thinking of Abraham when he wrote those verses.

            And however you respond to Genesis 22 - whether you are outraged at Abraham for endangering Isaac; whether you believe he misunderstood God's instructions; whether you see this as an ancient story against child sacrifice, or a lesson in radical trust, or all of the above ­however you see it, Paul sees the crux of the matter: God spared Abraham's son. But God did not hold back His own Son. Angels came before Abraham used the knife, and told him to turn aside from the killing of the child. Angels came to Jesus, too, the night he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane - but they didn't turn him aside. They sent him forward to die on the cross for you and me. Radical trust and obedience. But, as Paul said in the scripture, by the obedience of Jesus to the unfolding plan of God, Jesus gave us everything - life, blessing, forgiveness, purpose, salvation, heaven, and peace.

            Knowing this fills Paul with a faith that enables him to take the place of Isaac. He and his fellow believers would gladly climb up on that altar to be slain if it fills God's purpose. In verse 36, Paul writes, "For your sake (that is, for God's sake, or Christ's sake) we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered." Paul is like Isaac going up that mountain - he has absolute trust in his father to take care of him. All he needs to know is what he writes at the end of this beautiful chapter: 'that nothing in life or death can separate him from the love of God in Christ Jesus his Lord.'

            So, when all is said and done, while there may be a challenge of understanding between now and a biblical story that is over 3000 years old, and between now and Paul's statement of faith that was made almost 2000 years ago - the questions haven't changed: who will you trust? Who will you obey? Again and again, the answer that works proves

to be the one given by Abraham, and the one given by Paul- we will trust in the Lord God, heavenly Father of our Savior Jesus Christ. And he will not let us down. And knowing that gives you and me the opportunity to walk confidently in this life. God is good, and as long as we are following his path, great things are possible. Thanks to Abraham's faith, the plan of salvation could go forward. Thanks to ours, who knows what God will do next?

            After Abraham realized that Isaac would live, he renamed that place. He called it, "The Lord will provide." I believe we live in that place as well. Is the Lord calling you to a deeper level of trust? Is the cross beckoning you to draw closer and experience the blessings of life God has for you there? And will you respond in the way that brings hope and salvation into your life, and maybe even into the lives of many others?