Genesis 22:1–14, Matthew 10:34–42
There are a lot of very good reasons for staying away from this story. It is intriguing, terrifying and appalling . Walter Bruggemann calls it “ the most demanding story in the Bible ,” and yet it conveys holy lessons pertaining to our lives . What is going on here, really?
Does God really want that father to kill his own son? And what kind of father would do such a thing? And what kind of son, big and strong enough to carry wood up the mountain, would not at least put up a struggle and try to run away? Isn’t this story what’s wrong with religion—so frequently willing to sacrifice the precious lives of its young people for some silly theological premise?
And yet , the ancient tradition is that Mt. Moriah is the very spot where Solomon’s temple was later located. And while there is no empirical evidence that it is true, the tradition reminds us that there is substance here and that we should not be too quick to discard it.
Like Isaac carrying the wood for the altar, centuries later another man would climb a mountain , he would carry his own cross. The death of Jesus on the cross conveys the ultimate love of God to humanity .
It shows that there are things worth dying for the greater good. It also shows that God can be trusted with our lives, our futures, even our deaths.
Dr. Willy L Mafuta, Ph.D, Th.D
Senior Pastor,
Hopewell United Methodist Church, Hopewell, NJ 08525
www.hopewellmethodist.org
