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1 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” 3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together. 9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” 13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.” (Genesis 22:1-14 New International Version Bible)
A blessed and wondrous Wednesday be yours, dear Reader. I pray the blessings of the Lord be with you. And as we pray today, I ask prayers for the family of The Rev. Edgar Avitia, who died on Tuesday in El Paso, Texas, unexpectedly. Rev. Avitia was 62 years old and had worked in these past few years as an executive with The General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church. Edgar and I were colleagues in the Rio Grande Conference and after unification with The Rio Texas Conference. Edgar was a good man and appreciated friend. May God's peace be with his widow, Josie and their children, and all who knew and loved Edgar. Pray for one another, pray for the needs of those who asked prayers from you, and pray for the world and peace in every heart.
Today we join Father Abraham, who is visited again by God and this time not with a promise, but with a demand that most parents would not want to hear. Remember, Abe is now 100 years old. The promise of inmeasurable children is up to two, Ishamel and Isaac; and this demand from God will lower the number down to one. God asks Abraham to take his beloved son, Isaac, to a mountain God would show him and there offer the boy as a burnt offering. One would expect a long, heated session of "Why, Lord? Why my son? You just gave him to me!" But we don't see one, though we don't know what Abe was thinking as he heard and decided to obey God. He was the "Father of the Faith," after all. In all fairness, we know even this yes to God weighed heavily on his heart.
Abe gets up early and begins to pack for the trek that he is about to undertake. He packed his donkey and chops the needed wood for the sacrifice and he heads towards where God had him go. And, get this, he had to travel three days; add that to the heaviness of his heart. Upon reaching the spot, Abe tells his servants to wait while he and the boy would go and worship the Lord. Abe makes the difficult walk up to the place where the sacrifice will take place. The going get rougher when the son asks, "Where Is the lamb?" Isaac had seen enough sacrifices to know that they were equpping in the firewood department and they also had the fire ready; but he did not see the lamb. Hear the faith of Abraham when he replies to his son, "God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And onward they went. When they reached the point of the sacrifice, Abraham built the altar and placed the wood as it should have been. Then for the hard part, he ties up his son, and places him on the altar and takes the knife and raises his hand, ready to kill his son when he hears the voice of the angel from Heaven that stops him from killing his son. And the voice then says, "Now I know you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son." Here we begin to see the why behind such a request and the powerful event so far in the future, yet part of the biblical narrative of a Father who would not hold back His Son, His only Son, to save humanity. The request to Abraham was a very difficult one that still begs the question of why? Abraham knew and trusted God, and more importantly, he loved God. His faith allowed him to say yes to the big move even at an advanced age, and to believe the promise that he would be the father of nations, and these were kept. His having his second son was an unexpected blessing and once he was had him, he held him and loved him and loved God for this gift. And even in his mind, to have a difficult request from God was difficult, but doable. And this calls to mind the countless sacrifices parents have made of sons and daughters to military service, to service on family farms/ranches, to charitable organizaitons, and even church communities. It helps make the statement that life is tough even more true, but we also believe that "God will provide," And He does, time after time, need after need. We can trust God and that should help us face whatever challenge, obstacle, or barrier we may be facing. The story ends with the provision that God provided to Abraham; a ram caught by its horns which Abe used to offer this sacrifice to God. This lamb took the place of Isaac, just as Jesus took our place.
PRAYER: Loving God, in Your mercy help us trust You more. Share with us the strength we need to trust You always, especially when we face what we face, or fear what we fear; We ask Your comfort and peace be with our sister Josie and her children. Share with them Your comfort and strength. We thank you for the life of Your servant, Edgar. Hear our prayer that we lift up in Christ Jesus our Lord, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Help others trust God more.
Receive my blessings of love and peace,
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
