June 28, 2026 – The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
Kenny Faught
In the name of the God who provides, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
[WELCOME TO GOOD SAM on St. LeConte Sunday! We remember our sisters and brothers who are on the mountain being initiated into the Sacred Order of the Blister.]
I value the OT and the Epistles, but I favor the Gospels. I’m a Good News kind of guy. But today – It’s Abraham and Isiah.
THE PHILOSOPHER SOREN KIERKEGAARD wrote an entire book about Abraham and Isaac on Mt. Moriah. He called it Fear and Trembling. For me that describes Abraham’s (and Isaac’s) experience . . . the call . . . the trip up the mountain . . . the altar . . . the fire wood. Not exactly “Good News!” More like “fear and trembling.”
SEVERAL EXPLANATIONS EXIST to interpret this story without making God (or Abraham) out to be the villain. (1) There’s the historical fact that Canaanite religion was rampant with child sacrifice, so Abraham was simply declaring that his God was worthy of the same sort of offering. (2) There’s the Jewish view that God is using Abraham to demonstrate that child sacrifice is not demanded and is not acceptable. (3) There’s the idea that God was testing (or perhaps revealing) Abraham’s faith. (4) Still others declare that this story is an OT “type” or “foreshadowing” of God himself and His only Son, Jesus. (Note the son, the mountain, the wood, the sacrifice, the three days). Perhaps you will choose one of these interpretations to satisfy your own mind. Personally, when I read this story, I’m perplexed.
I CANNOT GET THROUGH THIS EPISODE in Genesis without thinking of Abraham’s character and temperament. He was a man of great faith, whom God had blessed and chosen, with some apparent business skills which made him a success. Yet, he sometimes appears as almost a “simpleton.” For example:
- God says, “Abram, gather all your possessions, your family, your cattle, all that you have, leave your homeland, and go somewhere else. I’ll tell you where later.” And Abram says, “Okay!”
- God says, when Abram and his wife, Sarai, are very old, “I will give you a son and make you a great nation.” Abram says, “Okay!”
- Sarah says to Abraham, “We have no children and we’re not getting any younger. Why don’t you take my handmaid, Hagar (an Egyptian), and have a child with her.” And Abraham says, “Okay!”
- When Sarah says, “I want you to get rid of Hagar and Ishmael, your son, Abraham says, “Okay!”
- Now God says to Abraham, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, the only prospect of my promise to you being fulfilled, and sacrifice him on an altar on Mt. Moriah.” And Abraham says, “Okay!”
CAN YOU IMAGINE FAMILY GATHERINGS, sitting in the tent with a fire going outside, telling family stories, when Isaac pops up and says, “Dad, tell them the one about when you tied me up, placed me on the altar, and were going to sacrifice me!” (Will someone please call the Department of Children’s Services!) It is a childlike faith that at once appalls us and inspires us. Very puzzling. We do know that for Abraham belief had a way of becoming faith and faith always takes action. He wasn’t just playing around with religion. He’s available. Three times Abraham says, “Here I am” – to the Lord, to Isaac, and to the Angel of the Lord.
AND HERE’S AN INTERESTING FACT FROM THE STORY: This is the first use of the word “love” in the Bible – “Take your only son, whom you love.”
GENESIS 22 OFFERS US SOME LESSONS – AND SOME QUESTIONS:
- What do we see being sacrificed all around us to lesser gods? Investments of time, money, talents, life – for things that won’t satisfy now and won’t last later. Is there somewhere better we should be making our sacrifices?
- God wasn’t after Isaac. He was after Abraham. His was the test, the refining, the clarifying. Ultimately God shows him that his faith is right, but his folly is wrong. God doesn’t ask for death; He asks for lives of obedience and service – and love. I think Abraham would have loved the Thomas Merton Prayer:
My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think that I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road,
though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore, I will trust you always,
though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear,
for you are ever with me,
and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
- There’s an interesting statement by Abraham tucked away in this story that is easy to miss. He says to his servants (verse 5), “We’ll be back.” “We will be back.” ISAAC and I will be back!” What was he thinking? Hoping? Praying?
- Ultimately, Abraham offers us another name for God. “Jehovah Jireh.” The Lord will provide. God himself will provide the lamb.
I WONDER, WHAT IS NEAREST AND DEAREST TO US? To you? To me? A Personal Confession (and hope that Father Mark will absolve me): There are some people for whom I am willing to die. (It’s a very short list, and you’re probably not on it. Just family and a few close friends.) But there is nobody for whom I would willingly sacrifice a child. Nobody. Nobody. Nobody.
“Indeed [Paul says], rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
AND HOW ABOUT THIS – Hebrews 11:17 By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac. 18 He who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only son, of whom he had been told, “It is through Isaac that descendants shall be named for you.” 19 He considered the fact that God is able even to raise someone from the dead . . . .”
Abraham – God’s child. Isaac – God’s child. Jesus – God’s child.
God be merciful to us, God’s children. AMEN.
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