Family

After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together. When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place, “The LORD will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided.” (Genesis 22:1-14 ESV). One of the readings I have chosen for this week is this passage in Genesis. Perhaps for several reasons I am drawn to thoughts of the family. While I was away in Kipnuk, Alaska last week I missed not being able to talk to my family anytime I wanted as there wasn’t any service available. Perhaps it is best to start at the beginning. What is family? Is it middle class, of European descent, living in Vermont in the 1950's, a mom, a dad, one son, one daughter, a dog, and a cat? Or is it a Hebrew woman who surrenders her son to the Nile that he might live as an adopted heir in Pharaoh's court. Adoption is an image of family that popular culture rarely invokes. Almost everyone is close to, or directly involved in an adoptive family, families that often cross class, ethnicity, geography, and time. There are now, and have always been, families where grandparents are parenting a grandchild; where an aunt in a far away state raises a nephew; where children of color are welcomed into predominately white families (and vice-versa); or where the boundaries of class and income are erased for yet another Broadway Annie or Oliver. It is a fact that families are complicated, sometimes painful alignments born out of suffering and sadness that give hope and purpose to both parent and child. Family is about sacrifice. The very heart of family is centered in sacrifice. It makes demands upon our individualistic freedoms. Husbands give themselves to their wives and wives give themselves to their husbands so that the two, wishing to create a mutual relationship sacrifice some liberties, in order that they might become one, a "one" of greater value. That’s the message of Abraham’s experience in our reading this morning. The sacrifice asked of Abraham was extreme, but for the Hebrews nothing less than the identity of the family of God was at stake. Although much is made of Abraham's faith, what about his personal surrender of that which for him was his most personal treasure? It is hard today to fully understand that Abraham was surrendering not only his child, but also his legacy, his own identity. However, family in the eyes of God demands just that! What kind of sacrifice are you willing to make for your family? Putting God first means putting others first also. This is especially true in the family. The more you give, the more you may receive.