Loving God, you hear the cries of all those who are lowly or outcast, and you continue to care for us even during times of crisis.  Grant us the faith to be able to see your power at work and the trust that continues to see your goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

    A few weeks ago when I was visiting my dad, I happened to see an episode of Murdoch Mysteries (not a show that I usually watch).  In this particular episode, a murder had taken place in a household where a number of maids and servants were employed.  As the investigation proceeded, it soon became apparent that the man of the house had regularly coerced various serving girls into coming to his bedroom at night.  Over the years, a number of these women had become pregnant.  In each case, as soon as their pregnancy became obvious, they were dismissed from their duties.  Essentially, they were put out onto the street with a child on the way and were left to fend for themselves.  All in all, this is not so different from what happens to Hagar in our first reading that we heard today.

    Before we get into the story, I’m curious how many of you have actually heard of Hagar and Ishmael before....  I’m asking because this is quite possibly the only time you would have heard about them in one of the Sunday readings.  Hagar, then, is an Egyptian woman who has served as a slave to Sarah.  Sarah and Abraham were both getting on in years and still had no children.  And at one point, rather than waiting for God to act, they decide that Abraham should try and have children with Hagar.  Hagar does, indeed, conceive, and she gives birth to a son who is named Ishmael.

    All kinds of jealousy ensues on Sarah’s part, and she treats Hagar harshly.  Twice in Genesis, Hagar flees into the wilderness, and each time she meets an angel.  However, this time she cannot go back.  She is sent away with just a little bit of bread and water – sent out into the wilderness in order to fend for herself and her son.  While Abraham certainly has his redeeming qualities as a man of faith, this is certainly not one of his finest moments!

    However, God has not forgotten about Hagar and Ishmael.  Once the bread and water are gone, Hagar places Ishmael under a bush and in despair sits down to weep.  She can’t even bear to look at her son and fears that he will die.  However, once again God hears the cries of her heart for help.  In fact, the name Ishmael means “God hears.”  “Do not be afraid,” says the voice of the angel.  “God has heard the voice of the boy where he is” (Gen. 21:17).  Then Hagar’s eyes are opened in order to see a well, and she gives her son a drink from it.

    Hagar is an outcast, and a slave, and a Gentile, and yet God looks after her.  Ishmael, too, is outside of the chosen people, in spite of being a son of Abraham, and yet Genesis tells us that “God was with the boy” (Gen. 21:20).  While Isaac becomes the ancestor of the people of Israel, Ishmael becomes the ancestor of the nation of Islam.  God’s reach, it seems, is always so much wider than we might think!

    Actually, this is an important story for us to hear, not just as a historical piece but as a reminder that God hears those who are outcast and abandoned.  God hears those who are in distress.  It is no accident that Jesus spends most of his time with those who are deemed to be worthless by the rest of society.  And God’s message to us is the same as God’s message to Hagar: “So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Mt. 10:31).

    Our readings today remind us of God’s care for us – certainly at all times but particularly during times of crisis.  In Hagar’s case, the crisis was being cast out and abandoned in the wilderness with no apparent hope for the future.  Today’s Psalm was also written during a time of crisis, pleading for God’s help.  And today’s gospel addresses those who would face persecution for their faith, including ridicule, torture, and even death.

    The question that seems to be lurking there behind all these readings is how we respond to times of crisis as people of faith.  Do we continue to believe that God is faithful in spite of our difficulties?  Do we quit going to church and get mad at God?  Do we turn to things outside of our faith for help?  (Like alcohol, or facebook, or gambling, or simply withdrawing from everything) Do we conclude that everything is hopeless and that there is no help for us?

    Today’s Psalm actually gives us a pretty good model for a relationship with God in which it’s okay to complain, but we still know that God is good.  The Psalmist, too, is obviously in the midst of a crisis.  “Bow down your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and in misery.  Keep watch over my life... Be merciful to me, O Lord,... I call upon you all the day long.... Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer.... In the time of my trouble I will call upon you, and you will answer me.” (Ps. 86, EvLW)  

    It is a prayer for help, but also a prayer that has faith in God’s goodness.  “For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, and abundant in mercy to all who call upon you.... You are great; you do wondrous things; and you alone are God.”  In spite of the fact that the psalmist is miserable, he expresses his faith that God will act to save him.  In fact, in the verses that we didn’t read today, he also gives thanks to God and glorifies God’s name.

    Can you imagine yourself doing that in the midst of a crisis?  Can you imagine yourself coming before God in prayer and pleading for God’s help, and at the same time expressing thanks and praise?  It takes a pretty strong faith to do this.  It takes remembering how God has helped you in the past, and the trust that God’s help will continue in the future.  It means continuing to love and to trust God in spite of the things that are difficult or miserable in your life.

    Yet, God’s word to us today is that having such faith and trust in God  is not misplaced.  When we are the ones who are outcast or abandoned, God hears and God helps.  When we are the ones who are miserable and in trouble, God hears and God helps.  When we are the ones who are afraid, we are reminded that God knows us so well that every hair on our head has been counted.  And when we are the ones who are able to give help, God works through us, too, in order to bring healing and relief.  Thanks be to God!  Amen.

Lectionary 12(A)                            Genesis 21:8-21
June 22, 2014                            Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17
St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church                    Matthew 10:24-39
Pastor Lynne Hutchison

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