As I preached the sermon, I wondered if the congregation would think I had crafted the sermon with leaving in mind. To me, that speaks to the contextual nature of God's Word. A month ago, the exact sermon would have spoken to me in different ways. Yesterday, it felt like a word to me as I wonder and worry about the upcoming transition for FPC, Troy and for me and my family.
I read "On Fear and Trembling" as part of my DMin work years ago, and his description of Abraham has stuck with me. I find it very powerful. The whole paper is worth reading.
“Mothers: Watching and Waiting” July 24, 2016; FPC, Troy; Minor character series; Genesis 22: 1-6; Luke 15: 11-32
(Luke 15:11-32) Then Jesus said, "There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.' So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, 'How many of my father's hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands."' So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly, bring out a robe--the best one--and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!' And they began to celebrate. "Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.' Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, 'Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!' Then the father said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.'" (NRSV)
Introduction: We continue reflection on minor characters in the Bible. Well, sort of – Sarah is clearly not a minor character, but the mother of the two sons is not even mentioned, so on average, we have minor characters
Move 1: Sarah – not a minor character, but in this story she is a minor character.
a. In his writing, “On Fear and Trembling,” Soren Kierkegaard describes Abraham as taking this three-day journey with “sorrow before him and Isaac beside him” (Kierkegaard, 9).
- Like the biblical story, no mention of Sarah. I was told this morning by our liturgist that in the movie The Bible there is a scene in which Sarah is begging Abraham not to take their son Isaac to be sacrificed. The Bible does not mention that, but I don't doubt that it could have happened that way.
- Imagine what Sarah must be thinking as she stands by the tent fold watching Abraham and Isaac ride off together.
- does she know exactly what Abraham has in mind?
- Surely she has been married to him long enough to know that Abraham is troubled by this demand from God to sacrifice Isaac. Even if she does not know the specifics, she must sense that there is trouble brewing.
b. As she watches Isaac ride away, she remembers his birth, the child she never expected to have, the child promised to her by God so that their descendants could be as numerous as the stars.
1. She remembers laughing at God when God tells her that she will bear a child at her old age.
2. no laughter today, just tears silently running down her face as she wonders if she will ever see Isaac again.
3. Isaac's life seems up for grabs. Is God's covenant up for grabs as well?
4. Abraham so quickly says, “here I am!” when God calls.
5. Sarah feels like shouting “that's my child. Leave him alone” instead.
Move 2: We also read the story known as the prodigal son, which never mentions the mother.
a. But we know she is there.
- two sons suggest there must be a mother hiding out in the story somewhere.
- the mother who had given birth to both of these sons.
- she had nursed both of them to life.
- she had watched both of them grow up.
- Maybe she saw the changes in her youngest son coming. His restlessness; his pushing against any type of rules; his desire to test the boundaries.
b. So different than her older son, who always did what he was asked to do.
- In fact, he seemed to enjoy pleasing his parents.
- he seemed genuinely interested working with his father, in stark contrast to his younger brother.
- when his younger brother left, the older brother seemed to try and make up for the absence by helping his parents more.
- Now the younger son has returned.
She is thrilled to have him back.
- she had worried so much about him.
- they seldom heard any news about how he was doing, but now he has returned.
- her heart rejoices that he is back.
d. But her mother's heart aches for the older son who is not happy.
1. Despite her husband trying to get their older son to understand, he does not.
2. she is not concerned with whether he understands forgiveness or grace, she just wants him to start hurting
1. Despite her husband trying to get their older son to understand, he does not.
2. she is not concerned with whether he understands forgiveness or grace, she just wants him to start hurting
3. both had been her babies.
Move 3: Hard to wait in the moment for God to be at work.
a. Hannah, the mother of Kevin, who is a NYC firefighter on 9/11, is siting in a plane in Gander because of the closed air space in the US. As the sits and worries about her son: “Hannah thought about all of this and more as she waited on the plane. It was all she could do – think back on the past [when he had survived and been a hero] and pray for the future (The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, New Foundland, Jim Defede, HarperCollins, 2002, 42).
1. A mother sitting on a plane waiting.
2. Remembering and praying.
3. a pretty good model for how we wait.
b. back to Sarah.
1. as she anxiously waits, perhaps she remembers the God who had promised her and her family a future.
- Isaac's birth itself at her advanced age was proof of God's ability to live into that covenant.
3. if God has been true to the covenant then, surely God will be true to it now.
- In the moment, she cannot see the future God has planned.
1. In the moment, she does not know how things will work out for either son.
2. ill her younger son stay true to his new found desire to be back in their midst and leave his other life behind?
3. Can her older son ever find the joy that she and her husband feel at the return of the younger son?
1. No guarantees, but the memory of how God has acted in the past and our hope in God as we move into the unknown future.
2. We who want to know the answers before we ask the questions struggle with the uncertainty.
e. The writer Ann Lamott ,who shares insights about her faith, notes that she “heard a preacher say recently that hope is a revolutionary patience; let me add that so is being a writer. Hope begins in the dark; the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch
1. No guarantees. Wouldn't it be nice to say “I believe in Jesus Christ,” and everything works out from that moment on with no problems ever again? But we know it does not work that way.
2. Working toward the future despite our vulnerability.
3. Working and praying our way forward.
4. and waiting.
4. She does not know how things will work out, but she knows the God who has taught her and her husband about celebrating new life.
5. She can hope for for the future in which that grace will abound and envelop both her sons.
6. the details are yet unknown, but she hopes and prays for that future.
1. No guarantees, but the memory of how God has acted in the past and our hope in God as we move into the unknown future.
2. We who want to know the answers before we ask the questions struggle with the uncertainty.
e. The writer Ann Lamott ,who shares insights about her faith, notes that she “heard a preacher say recently that hope is a revolutionary patience; let me add that so is being a writer. Hope begins in the dark; the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch
1. No guarantees. Wouldn't it be nice to say “I believe in Jesus Christ,” and everything works out from that moment on with no problems ever again? But we know it does not work that way.
2. Working toward the future despite our vulnerability.
3. Working and praying our way forward.
4. and waiting.
Conclusion: Sarah sees them coming in the distance. At first, all she can make out is Abraham leading the way.
Then she sees other people. Is it just the servants? Her heart begins to beat rapidly, and then she can make out the contours of Isaac's face.
Abraham and Isaac. Returning. Together.
Her prayers have been answered.
In truth, she has gone to her own mountaintop over the past few days.
A mountaintop not bound by geography, but by the cries of her heart.
A mountaintop where we have visited.
Searching to find God in her life.
Seeking to remain faithful in the trauma of her waiting.
Just as she silently watched as they departed, she now silently waits for them to arrive home.
The unspoken fear replaced with unspoken joy.
Joy at Isaac's return. Joy at God's saving grace.
Kiekegaard describes Abraham as returning with “hope before him and Isaac beside him.”
Sarah knows that hope.
The mother of the two sons knows that hope.
We know that hope.
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