December 21st - Reflection

Genesis 21:1-21 (NRSV)
God saves Hagar and Ishmael

The Lord dealt with Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as he had promised. Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the time of which God had spoken to him. Abraham gave the name Isaac to his son whom Sarah bore him. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. Now Sarah said, "God has brought laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me." And she said, "Who would ever have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age."

The child grew, and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac. So she said to Abraham, "Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the son of this slave woman shall not inherit along with my son Isaac." The matter was very distressing to Abraham on account of his son. But God said to Abraham, "Do not be distressed because of the boy and because of your slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for it is through Isaac that offspring shall be named for you. As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a nation of him also, because he is your offspring." So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered about in the wilderness of Beer sheba.


When the water in the skin was gone, she cast the child under one of the bushes. Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot; for she said, "Do not let me look on the death of the child." And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the boy; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, "What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid; for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Come, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make a great nation of him." Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. She went, and filled the skin with water, and gave the boy a drink.

God was with the boy, and he grew up; he lived in the wilderness, and became an expert with the bow. He lived in the wilderness of Paran; and his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

Reflection
In a different way than expected God entered the lives of five people here. God saved Sarah from the disgrace of having lived childless. This saving act brought much joy to Sarah and Abraham. But due, to complications in the law code, Ishmael was entitled to an inheritance share that Sarah objected to. However a loop-hole existed that a son by a slave woman could forgo his inheritance in exchange for freedom. So, Sarah forces the issue.

Sometimes, I wonder if our human selfishness interferes with God's plan, but God gracefully works around our sinfulness and uses us anyway. So as this life account continues; God has shown one grace by bringing laughter for Abraham and Sarah.

Then as Hagar and the now teenage son Ishmael are sent out and find themselves unable to support life, God saves once again. Hagar was directed to life-saving water. God has shown grace twice now in this account.

So, as you and I wait on the Advent of Christ into this world and into our hearts; we can rejoice in laughter that as we are called to that life-saving water through the words of John the Baptist crying repentance and baptism, we will rejoice with laughter in the joy that God gives to all people, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Hagar, and Ishmael, you and I, if we only believe and take that life-saving water from God.

The account of a family years past lives on in the Church today. And this account will be brought to one glorious fruition at that second coming of Christ...be it in you heart this day...or be it for all people as Christ returns in glory. Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Come, Lord Jesus, come. --- Amen