Loving God, you remain faithful even when it seems to us that everything is falling apart.  Teach us to trust you in all the circumstances that life brings, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

            A few years ago, a few of us were privileged to visit some of our Lutheran brothers and sisters in Cameroon.  One of the first things I learned there is that how many children you have is considered to be very important.  When people introduce themselves, one of the first things they will tell you is always how many children they have.  In fact, one of the running jokes there in the Lutheran church is that in order to be national bishop, you need to have at least ten children.

         However, this pride in how many children you have makes me wonder what life is like there for those who are not able to have children. My suspicion is that they are made to feel inferior, in addition to whatever heartache they already have over not having any children.  In fact, even here in Canada, where it seems generally acceptable that some people have children and others don’t, there is great heartache for those who would just love to have children, or even grandchildren, but cannot.

         Imagine, then, what life must have been like for Abraham and Sarah, who had reached old age and yet had never been able to have a child together.  Both of them were quite likely lonely, but Sarah even more so, as women were only valued in Middle Eastern culture for their ability to have children. They had moved around a lot, so really didn’t have a community of friends and relatives.  And truthfully, even if they had been in a permanent community, it is unlikely that Sarah would have fit in with the other women who all had their children and grandchildren.  Add to all of that the fact that 35 years had passed since God had promised them a child, and you have a couple of people who are most likely lonely and disheartened. – And then three strangers show up for dinner.

         Let’s pause for a moment to ponder these visitors before we continue with the story.  When we read the story carefully, we discover that sometimes the singular is used to refer to the visitors, as if there is only one of them, and sometimes they are plural.  In verse 3, where Abraham addresses “my lord,” the same word can mean “my lord,” or “my lords,” or “my Lord” (Gen. 18:3).  This ambiguity around whether there is one or three of them has led to a well-known icon by Andrei Rublev ( ).

         This icon has two different names.  It is called the hospitality of Abraham, and also the Holy Trinity.  It is written in such a way that any of us looking at it are welcome at the table.  In the icon, all three figures appear to have wings, since they are referred to as angels in the next chapter of Genesis.  They are also purposely androgynous and can be perceived as either male or female.  The same colours run through their clothing in order to show their unity, and yet each one is coloured in a slightly different way.

         The figure in the middle who is blessing the cup represents Jesus, and you might notice that two of them have their heads bowed in deference to the figure on the left. Thus the icon invites us into the mystery of the Holy Trinity, who is later revealed as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. All of this is floating around in the background as Abraham and Sarah welcome the three visitors.

         Abraham and Sarah and a servant or two rush around in order to prepare some food for the visitors. However, once the food has been prepared, it is only Abraham who stands there to serve them.  The three strangers, who are, of course, no ordinary visitors, immediately ask where his wife Sarah is.  They know her, it seems, and are aware that all is not as it should be in the marriage relationship.  And then, knowing full well that Sarah can hear them, one of them tells Abraham that Sarah is going to have a son.

         Of course Sarah, who is almost 90 years old by this time, can barely contain her laughter when she hears this.  After all, it had probably been years since they had even tried to have a child.  The promise, however, has the effect of bringing Abraham and Sarah back together again.  And in due time, as God had promised, Sarah does, indeed, give birth to a son.  It is then that Abraham and Sarah most likely laughed with joy, and their son is given the name Isaac, which comes from the word for laughter.

         One of the questions to ask with any of the biblical stories is always: What is the good news?  What is it in this story that still speaks to us today?  In this case, we encounter a God who is both faithful and trustworthy when it comes to promises.  There is always hope, even when it seems as though all is lost.  Even though Abraham and Sarah were quite likely lonely and discouraged, God had not forgotten about them.  The promise of a son was indeed fulfilled, and it happened in such a way that there could be no doubt about God’s involvement.

         In the same way, the promise of a Saviour was fulfilled after hundreds of years had passed, through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.  For us, too, the promise remains that all those who put their trust in Jesus will have, not only eternal life, but life in all its fullness. Thanks be to God!  Amen.

Pentecost 14 (NL 2)                        Genesis 18:1-15; 21:1-7

September 15, 2019                       Mark 10:27

St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church

Pastor Lynne Hutchison

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