Gen. 22:1-18; Matt. 10:37- 42
Love. Isn’t love at the heart of human experience? Wouldn’t you agree? Doesn’t love give meaning and purpose to our lives? Doesn’t Love bind us to those who are dear, open our hearts to those in need? Love changes our lives – in the giving love and receiving of love. And today the word “Love” appears for the first time in the Bible - in our Hebrew lesson. In this story from Genesis- we hear God’s command to Abraham to offer up Isaac up as a burnt offering on Mt. Moriah. This story is often called the binding of Isaac – because Isaac is tied up like a burnt offering. But we ask ourselves; how on earth could this be a story about love?!
Our story today of the near-sacrifice of Isaac is a difficult passage to comprehend. What just and loving God would demand such a test – to sacrifice one’s own child? It calls to my mind the trials and tribulations of Job. Remember how God allows Satan to test Job-- Job loses his children- his cattle- his home-all his wealth-- and had his body covered with boils. But not even Job was asked to actually sacrifice his children.
God’s request to Abraham is very striking: Take your son -- your only son Isaac -- whom you love -- God spells it out. Your only son now, Abraham. Whom, by the way, you love. Is this a story of an abusive God - a misguided Abraham - religious zealousness at its worst? Or is it a story of faith and obedience? Is this about the height of love and devotion? No doubt about it – this is a complicated story. But then, love can get very complicated. Right?
Our gospel lesson sounds as outrageous as our Genesis lesson. Listen again to Jesus’ word: “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” How difficult it is for us to understand the implications contained in our text. It is small comfort that perhaps this is just an exaggeration of speech used in ancient cultures to get a point across—love God more than anyone else dear to us – but it still doesn’t translate well to us modern listeners. It leaves us uncomfortable. Jesus has laid down the gauntlet. Who do we love more – God or our family?
The bottom line of our lessons today is that God wants to be number one in our lives. Of course - we can love our parents. Of course - we can love our children. We are told in the ten commandments to honor our father and mother. Jesus loved his mother so much that while dying on the cross one of his last acts was to make sure she was looked after. How do we love God more? As we prepare for Independence Day in two days, we can also tell ourselves, yes, we can love our country. But do we love God even more than we love our country?
But there’s even more. Our texts teach us that true love – and welcoming others like God does - can be challenging – and even hurt. Love and welcoming forces us to make choices. I’m always shocked when I remember that St. Teresa of Calcutta said - we must love until it hurts – and then it won’t hurt anymore. Love until it hurts? Sounds a bit sadistic doesn’t it?
But when we stop and think about it, that’s what real love does. Love suffers for us. Or what the apostle Paul says, “Love endures all things.” So, love endures the stings of teenagers barbed comments - Love endures sitting next to our partner’s treatment with chemotherapy – Love endures sitting in the waiting room waiting for the operation to end. Love looks on with pain as we watch our children fall down – as they make their mistakes and struggles through life – knowing that sometimes the most loving response is letting them figure things out on their own. Love looks on knowing that it can’t always make things all right. Love suffers with the oppressed of the world. Love opens our hearts to the ultimate vulnerability – to loss. Because of love many of us feel deep pain at the sudden death of our brother and friend, Keith Poss. Love makes us vulnerable to the great losses in life – death, divorce, estrangement. Who wouldn’t exchange places with our suffering child- our suffering parent- our suffering companion in a heartbeat? This powerful love and our acts of welcome -- are a reflection of the profound, unconditional love and welcome God has for us. And God says love me first and foremost.
We can only love God more by opening our hearts to God - each and every day. Spend time with God. Pray – read the bible – serve and welcome others - in doing these things – we experience how much God loves us. I’ve been reading a beautiful series of books by Fr. Greg Doyle – “Tattoos on the Heart” – “Barking at the Choir” Forgive Everyone Everything” “The Whole Language” - For over 30 years Fr. Greg – or “G Dog” – has worked with the gangs and with gang violence of Los Angeles. He founded Homeboy Industries – among other programs – the largest gang reentry and rehabilitation program in the work. He and his staff have brought love and welcome to young people who have done horrible violence – who were raised in horrible violence. Theirs is a love that suffers in witnessing and welcoming young adults who have been thrown away by society. They have joined the pain of former gang members – and in doing so – they have brought love to them – a transforming love – that brings healing and hope to young adults seeking to leave gangs. Fr. Greg says: The desire of God's heart is immeasurably larger than our imaginations can conjure.” “Here is what we seek: a compassion that can stand in awe at what the poor have to carry rather than stand in judgment at how they carry it.” “Alone, they didn't have much, but together, they had a potful of plenty.”
We learn to truly love by being open to God’s love. The amazing secret is this: we love even better when our love relationship with God is first in our lives. We welcome each other better when we have first-hand knowledge of what it’s like to be welcomed by God. God’s love provides us with the tools - the vision – the energy - the endurance power – to engage life at its fulness. Love turns us into wonderful welcomers – for that is what we are called to do – our mission is – to love and welcome.
An interesting aside: Mt. Moriah, the site where Isaac was almost sacrificed, is thought to be the site of the Temple in Jerusalem. The site where all the animal sacrifices occurred. Scholars considered it the site of the Garden of Eden. This was also considered to be in the area near the site where Jesus was crucified. Early Christian believers looked at our Hebrew text and declared – God love did provide. Because Jesus became that lamb. Jesus carried that wood – the cross. It took three days for Abraham and Isaac to reach the site – it took three days for Jesus to rise from the dead. So, our passage prepares us to know – how much God loves us. That God’s love provides for us.
When we experience how God’s love provides -- we can climb any mountain - carry any load for a dear one- and say -here I am, Lord, send me. Here I am Lord -- thank you for your love that will make us be a blessing – that sends us as your ambassadors of love and welcome in the world. God’s love provides always. When we rest in this awesome - sacrificial love of God – we know that love is truly the heart of our human experience – this love is the purpose and mission of our lives. May we know the radical love and welcome of God – and radically welcome and love all who come into our lives. Amen.
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