B: 2nd Sun in Lent (28 Feb 2021) - HUMAN SACRIFICE (Gen 22:1-2, 9-13, 15-18)

The narrative of the sacrifice of Isaac is one of the most dramatic biblical scenes. Abraham and Sarah, who had been held childless at their old age of 100 and 90 years old, respectively (Gen 17:17), were sorrowful for not having an offspring who could carry their seed and patrimony. Earlier, God promised Abraham, “Her name will be Sarah. I will bless her, and I will give you a son by her… She will give rise to nations, and rulers of peoples will issue from her” (17:15-16). This was affirmed by Abraham’s three guests, later, when one of them declared, “I will return to you about this time next year, and Sarah will then have a son” (18:10)—to such a notice Sarah laughed in disbelief (18:12). However, the prophesy became a reality. Indeed, the much-anticipated birth of their son brought a big joy to the couple (21:2), prompting Sarah to exclaim, “God has given me cause to laugh, and all who hear of it will laugh with me” (21:6).

However, a chapter later, God would retake what he has gifted the couple with a tall mandate to Abraham, “Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. There offer him up as a burnt offering” (22:2). This command is senseless, cruel, and vicious. In the narrative, the dearness of Isaac to Abraham is emphasized with the phrases: “your only one” and “whom you love.” Yet, why would God ask from Abraham Isaac when he could ask other things as sacrifice? How could he order a father to kill his son with his very hands? Why would he inflict him with a great emotional tragedy by the eventual loss of his beloved son?

In light of our Lenten reflection, what I like to emphasize in this narrative are two things. First, God occasionally tests our faith. The Hebrew word used in Gen 22:1 is nissah, which can either mean “to tempt” or “to put to the test”, i.e., to give experience or to train someone (cf. HALOT). In this regard, bible translators are divided on its rendition in English, viz., “tempted” (cf. BRG, DRA, KJV), “tested” (cf. NABRE, NRSV, WEB), and “tried” (cf. DARBY, YLT). While the Latin Vulgate’s “tentavit” may have influenced the usage of the rendition “tempted”, majority of translators today favors the verb “tried”, thus, “God tried Abraham.” This formulation indicates that God did not trap Abraham to commit an evil deed; God only tested his quality of faith. Its Greek equivalent peirazo gives clarity to this denotation with its lexical definition: “to endeavor to discover the nature or character of something by testing” (cf. BDAG). In relation to our present context, we should, then, not take fault at God for the human catastrophes we experience in life. God may only be examining what we are spiritually made of: whether or not we are true Christians in both words and deeds. His challenges are neutral in nature; it is we who turn them into positive or negative experiences, as opportunities or miseries, respectively.

Second, we must learn to see always the bigger picture. This virtue of understanding is exemplified by Abraham in the narrative. Instead of complaining, he uttered not a single rejoinder to God but simply followed his command without any hesitation (22:3-10). The only words that came out of his mouth were “Here I am” (22:11), which are, in fact, words of total submission. Because of this display of utmost faith, God blessed Abraham, “Do not do the least thing to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you did not withhold from me your son, your only one” (22:12). In our day-to-day living, we are often myopic in analyzing the realities of the world, focusing only at the present. But if we widen our horizons and consider the greater plan of God, we can transcend from our human attachments, desires, and ambitions. Lent teaches us to be cognizant as well of the welfare of humanity more than our own needs.

- Rex Fortes, CM