We are returning to the Old Testament this morning
to continue focusing on the life and journeys of Abraham and Sarah. This
morning, we turn to Genesis chapter 18 verses one through fifteen to read about
one of the miraculous pregnancies found in our scriptures. Join me in reading
this special story….
Proclamation of the Scripture Genesis 18:1-15
The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of
Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of
the day.
Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he
saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low
to the ground.
He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do
not pass your servant by.
Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your
feet and rest under this tree.
Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then
go on your way—now that you have come to your servant.”
“Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.”
So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get
three seahs of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.”
Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and
gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it.
He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had
been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near
them under a tree.
“Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him.
“There, in the tent,” he said.
Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time
next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.”
Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind
him.
Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the
age of childbearing.
So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out
and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?”
Then the Lord said to Abraham,
“Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am
old?’
Is anything too hard for
the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and
Sarah will have a son.”
Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.”
But he said, “Yes, you did laugh.”
Here ends this reading of the word of God for the people
of God. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Prayer: Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for
our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest
them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting
life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
Message Sarah Laughed
Today, we focus on the story of the
original mother and father of our Judeo-Christian faith, Abraham and Sarah. A
few weeks ago, we remembered Abraham’s covenant with God. When Abraham agreed to exclusively follow God
(and have his family follow God as well), God promised that Abraham’s
descendants would fill the earth and Abraham’s descendants would receive
preferential treatment from God. But, as we read in this morning’s snapshot
from Abraham and Sarah’s life, Abraham and Sarah became very old without having
descendants. When this story took place, Abraham was around 100 and Sarah was
around 80 years old.
A lot has changed with medical
technology in the past 4000 years, but it is still unlikely, or perhaps
impossible, for 80 year old women to become pregnant. As a 45 year old pregnant
lady, I can attest that people in their mid-to-late 40s are unlikely to have a
natural pregnancy. Sarah may have been my age times two. Eighty is far past a
normal window of opportunity for pregnancy.
So, when Sarah heard the words of
the visitors, who told Abraham she would have a baby before they visited again
a year later, she laughed. She thought the idea was absurd. Their words were
ridiculous. She thought they were making
a joke.
It wasn’t polite for Sarah to laugh,
though. And, it was especially impolite for her to laugh at celestial visitors.
I don’t know if Sarah could see Abraham’s guests….I don’t know if she understood
who they were. But, when they arrived, Abraham seemed to immediately catch on
that the guests were potentially supernatural in origin. Biblical scholars, and
Abraham, believe the guests were God and two angelic followers of God. Abraham made sure a feast was prepared to
welcome his guests – he rolled out the red carpet to make sure they were
comfortable and felt welcomed. Abraham knew they were not normal visitors – and
he made sure he, his family and his servants would provide for all of their needs.
Sarah essentially laughed at God.
And, then, when God asked her why she laughed, she lied and said she didn’t
laugh. God pointed out that nothing is impossible for God. These words were
repeated to Mary when she was visited by the Angel Gabriel. He told her she
would be having a miraculous pregnancy, despite her youth and virginity, and
when Mary questioned how it was possible, the Angel reminded her that nothing
is impossible for God.
Sarah’s response is so human. Even
four thousand years ago, people questioned how miracles worked. We now understand
a little bit about how human biology works, and we struggle to accept when we
are told things will happen in a manner that is impossible for human biology to
accomplish. But, with God all things are possible, including breaking the laws
that typically govern human biology. And, every once in a while, when we least
expect them, miracles take place.
In the midst of this interaction
between Abraham, Sarah, the Angels and God, Abraham was steadfastly faithful. Abraham had experienced previous visits and
conversations with God. Abraham accepted and believed God’s promises were true.
Abraham may have been a little shocked when he heard about Sarah’s pregnancy,
but he accepted the truth of God’s statement. Abraham had faith that God will
keep God’s promises.
In all of the stories we read about
Abraham, he is a role-model to encourage us to trust God. We are not
necessarily expected to understand God. We can’t fathom the greatness of God or
how God operates. But, despite our incapability of fully understanding how God
works and what God does, we are called to be like Abraham and to put our trust
in God.
On this Father’s Day Sunday, we see
Abraham as a role model for all fathers, a role model for all men, and a role
model for all Christians. He listened to God’s directions about his life and
followed through with fulfilling God’s commands. He trusted God even when God’s
suggestions and plans seemed impossible. He had faith that God’ promises would
be accomplished. Now the world is full of descendants of Abraham. He maybe
didn’t live to see us all, but all of the people of the Good Book – Christians,
Muslims, and Jews – trace our roots in the faith to Abraham and Sarah. He is
our first human father, and he was the forefather of us all.
Let us work to be like Abraham and
Sarah – to trust, to persevere, to listen to God and to live out God’s
teachings and plans for our lives.
Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment