March 4, 2012
Lent 2
Genesis 17:1-7;15-17
Romans 4:13-25
(prayer)
Abraham is the ancestor of a ‘multitude of nations’. Christians, Jews and Muslims all see Abraham as their literal or spiritual ancestor – all three of these modern faiths recognize Abraham’s family line as a legacy of divine grace.
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Last week, as we explored the end of the Noah story, we heard the language of covenant: the language of promise. In that story, the rainbow was the sign of a covenant relationship between God and all creation (including humanity).
As we move from the pre-history section of Genesis to the historically based accounts, we begin to hear about how God connected to humanity through the family of Terah from Ur Kaśdim, particularly through Terah’s son and daughter-in-law, Abram and Sarai.
Today, from Genesis 17, we heard the language of covenant (or promised agreement) again.
This happened late in Abram’s life – he was 99 years old; Sarai, 90. The promise was that Abram would be the ancestor of a multiple of nations.
This was not new. A quarter century earlier, when Abram was 75 years old. The promise of a family legacy was tied to the call for Abram to carry on a journey his father had begun. Terah had moved the family away from Ur (in modern southern Iraq), with the intent of travelling to the land of Canaan. But decided to make CHaran (in modern southern Turkey) his home – he lived there until he died.
When Abram was 75 years old, God called him to continue on to Canaan, where he would be live up to his name (Abram means ‘great father’) as God would make, of him, a great nation.
The problem at the time was that Sarai and Abram had never had children and Sarai had already gone through menopause.
Inheritance traditions dictated that Abram’s heir would be Eliezer of Damascus – a ‘slave born in [his] house’. So, technically, the descendants of this Eliezer could trace their official lineage back to the house of Abram.
But God assured Abram that he would have a child of his own and his actual descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky.
So, since Sarai was barren, Abram took the only path he saw to make this promise reality. He had a son with Sarai’s handmaiden (it was actually Sarai’s idea – if I must, I must). Hagar gave birth to Abram’s son, Ishmael when Abram was 86 years old.
In retrospect, Sarai regretted the whole incident and was very harsh and mean to Hagar and Ishmael.
Then we have today’s passage, from thirteen years later. Ishmael was on the verge of adulthood and God recovenants with Abram about the now expanded promise that he will be the ancestor of a multitude of nations. Sarai would be blessed because God would give her a son.
The implied message that has become the story of faiths in the region is that, through Hagar’s son, Abram would be a great ancestor and also through Sarah’s son. (Ishmael’s ancestors became the Arabs – Islam is an Abrahamic faith through Ishmael; Isaac’s ancestors became the Israelites – Judaism is an Abrahamic faith through Isaac; Christian authors wrote that the followers of Jesus were heirs of Abraham through faith. Paul famously wrote to the Galatian Christians: 4:26...for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. 27As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. 29And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.)
This covenant had long lasting effects. It was significant. We could say that this covenant was sealed with new signatures. Symbolic of this new path, Abram and Sarai were given updated names. Abram (the great father) would be now known as Abraham (the father of many) and Sarai would be known as Sarah (princess) as “she will give rise to nations; kings of people shall come from her.”.
But Abraham and Sarah were not the only new names in Genesis 17. This passage is also the first (of only a handful of) occurrences of a new and different name for God. Right in verse one, God says, “I am ‘El Shaddai’.” This name for God is only used seven times in the bible, all in Genesis and its first use is in this passage where God gives new names to Sarai and Abram. El Shaddai is usually translated in English as ‘God Almighty’.
New names were symbols of a new level of covenant between Almighty God, Abraham and Sarah.
Of course, Sarah thought the whole thing was a joke until she actually became pregnant.
The story goes that is why she named the child, Isaac (meaning laughter).
[guitar]
Linnea Good (who played a concert here last year and was at St. Paul’s UC in Edmonton two days ago has a verse in her song “In the Beginning was the Word” that goes like this (please join me in the chorus):
Sarah was a woman who was all of ninety-one.
That’s pretty old to start to be a mom.
When God announced that Sarah,
she would have a baby soon, she fell upon her face
and said in a swoon:
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!
//
Sarah thought the whole thing was a joke until she actually became pregnant.
Sometimes, it is not enough to hear about something: to be simply ‘told’ something. For it to seem real, it has to become a living reality in our lives.
//
//
When the Christian Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians who met in the very back door of the seat of the empire, the early church in the city of Rome, it was to a church that was struggling to find its identity among its diverse community.
The followers of Jesus’ Way in Rome included a large segment of Jewish Christians (those who believed that Jesus was the long-awaited Hebrew Messiah) as well as gentile (non-jewish) converts to Christianity. It is the tension between these two groups that gives rise to much of what Paul writes about in his letter. There were those, among the Jewish Christians (aka the circumcised) who believed that it was necessary for the Gentile Christians (aka the uncircumcised) to convert to Judaism in order to follow Jesus as the Messiah. They felt that Christianity was to be a strictly Jewish movement operating under the Jewish law (the Torah).
In fact, according to an edict of Emperor Claudius around the year 49CE, Jews were expelled from Rome because of conflicts with Christians over the validity of Jesus as the Messiah (there is a reference to this in Acts 18:2). Both Jews and Jewish Christians were expelled because of their infighting.
Claudius’ successor, Nero, allowed the Jews back into Rome in the year 54CE. This would have been just a few years before Paul wrote this letter.
Paul dove right into the debate between the Jewish and Gentile Christians. He points out that Abraham, the great ancestor, lived at a time before Moses and therefore before the Torah (the law) even existed. Abraham (Paul argues) did not live into the promise of God because be adhered to a law that (as yet) did not even exist, but that the promise came to him through the ‘righteousness of faith’. 4:16For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham.
Paul was trying to get the whole community of believers in Rome to see that it wasn’t so much about certain rituals that can be performed with our bodies, but about what is felt in the heart, what is known in the mind and what is believed in the soul. Paul points to Abraham’s strong faith that he was able to trust that God would be faithful to the promise.
//
Sometimes it is not enough to go through the motions and give the outward appearance that something is real for us. It has to become a living reality in our lives...at levels much deeper than mere ritual.
//
Christianity in the 21st century must come to terms with this old lesson. We cannot rely on our rituals alone to be synonymous with true and honest faith. Although, in some circles it still serves us well, Christianity must see itself as less of an institution and more of a movement – less religious and more spiritual – less about words for eyes and hears and more about Word-come-to-life that makes a difference in this world.
This is not a new idea.
That is the example that Jesus showed us.
When some sought to shoo away the child who had crept up beside Jesus, he stopped them and showed a lesson about welcoming rather simply speaking one.
When the need for food seemed too daunting and he was advised to send the crowds away, Jesus called together what resources they had and (lo and behold) a multitude was fed.
Jesus didn’t just talk about the value of serving others, he washed his disciples feet to make the point clear.
Jesus’ words were supported by his actions.
When his disciples were bothered when Jesus talked about the struggle that his ministry would bring, he led by example – he faced his accusers and maintained a consistent, confident attitude – even as those opponents called for his execution.
//
And so, we may gather here together on the occasional Sunday – but that is not intended to be the be-all-and-end-all of our spirituality. It is hoped that each of us will take the inspiration of the songs we sing, the courage from the prayers we pray and the lessons of our readings and reflections [to take the meaning behind these rituals and experiences] and show the love and mercy and grace of God to the world beyond these walls.
We are heirs of the promise that God strengthens us...
- for the living reality of faith,
- for transformation through the Jesus’ movement,
- for the influence of that deep spirituality that rests in each of us,
- for our potential to make the Word come to life.
Hearing about it means nothing, unless we put our faith into action.
When it is felt in the heart or known in the mind or believed in the soul... it has a place in the way we live and move and have our being in this world.
// Let us pray...
Great God, your love is overwhelming. We have seen it’s potential in Jesus. Your grace must burst out through us. Amen.
>*>*offering*<*<
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