Second Sunday of Lent (2)

Peter H. Davids

Lent • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

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The binding of Isaac in its full starkness has rightly been read by Christians as a type of Christ. Mark 9 underlines the significance of Jesus' sacrifice and God's involvement. This calls for it to be central to our devotion.

Notes

Transcript

Title and Theme

Costly Sacrifice

Outline and Body

I have an adult son, and while my daughters are super-precious to me, he is the one “like me” who carries on my surname

I have also lost a child, a daughter to crib death, and another, Judy says a son, spontaneously aborted in the first trimester

But neither death was willed by us

Yet, when I think of the various sacrifices we have made, the loss of my son would be greater still - especially if it were a choice

It is in this light that I can understand Genesis 22

It comes after Ishmael has been sent away

It is a test from the God whom Jas 1:14 says does not test

Its severity is underlined: “your only son” “the one you love” in whom, of course, the promise resided

It was, of course, understandable within the culture, but still required trust, faith

And in the end the substitution of the ram would end the possibility of legitimate child sacrifice in Israel forever - after Exodus all firstborn males were to be given to the Lord, but redeemed with an animal

But that does not make the preparations, the journey, the ascent to the mountain, and the binding of Isaac any easier

Paul makes it clear what the sacrifice of Jesus meant for God

“He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, will he not also give us all things with him?”

There the type was fulfilled, but there was no ram, and yet, can we fathom it?

Often God is seen as punishing Jesus, but in reality he is suffering in and through Jesus in that Jesus, the one who was God and man, was the only way the deity could suffer

Perhaps the Gospel is trying to help us grasp the enormity of this sacrifice

The previous chapter has both Peter’s confession and the first passion prediction

Now the three witnesses get a visual presentation of who Jesus really is

There is the visible glory of deity

There are the greatest figures of the OT talking with him, but not shining like him

Finally there is the voice, a voice from the Shekinah itself: “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”

The very words said to Abraham about Isaac, but in a divine context

Listening to Jesus was hard: “ he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of man should have risen from the dead.”

Mark, as often, puts it succinctly, while other gospels give a fuller description of the suffering.

Yet what they have to hear is that the Son of Man will die, and die horribly as he said in the previous chapter, yet, like Isaac did in figure, rise from the dead

Sisters, how will the God who did that for us in Jesus not with Jesus give us all things?

There is not an offering that we can make or a sacrifice that we can be called on to make that compares with God’s sacrifice

There is not fear we have of rejection by God that should not be stilled by meditation on this sacrifice

There is not a benefit that God could bestow on us that we cannot be sure of once we place it in the light of this sacrifice

And that is surely why the Eucharistic Presence of Jesus is always available in our tabernacles so that, we can always approach him in that sacrificial form and in quiet before him let him still in our hearts any doubts that we may have.

That - and in the mass itself - is the place of deepest fellowship with God

Readings

Old Testament

Gen 22:1-18:

22 ¶* After these things God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only-begotten son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; and he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.” 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it on Isaac his son;* and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here am I, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.

9 ¶ When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. 10 Then Abraham put forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only-begotten son, from me.” 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called the name of that place The Lord will provide as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”l

15 And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, 16 ¶ and said, “By myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only-begotten son, 17 I will indeed bless you, and I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore. And your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies, 18 ¶ and by your descendants shall all the nations of the earth bless themselves, because you have obeyed my voice.” 19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beer-sheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beer-sheba.

¶ 22:1–18: Heb 11:17–19.

* 22:1–19: The sacrifice of Isaac, while reprobating the practice of human sacrifice then in use among the Canaanites, gives a magnificent example of Abraham’s faith and obedience, as also does 18:1–15; cf. Rom 4 and Heb 11:8–12.

* 22:6: Isaac, carrying the wood up the mountain for the sacrifice, has often been seen as a figure of Christ carrying his cross to die on Golgotha.

¶ 22:9, 10, 12: Jas 2:21.

k Or see.

l Or he will be seen.

¶ 22:16, 17: Lk 1:73; Heb 6:13, 14; 11:12.

¶ 22:18: Acts 3:25; Gal 3:16.

The Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006), Ge 22:1–19.

Epistle

Rom 8:31b-34:

31 ¶ What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 ¶ He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, will he not also give us all things with him? 33 ¶ Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies; 34 ¶ who is to condemn? Is it Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us?m 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

¶ 8:31: Ps 118:6.

¶ 8:32: Jn 3:16; Rom 4:25; 5:8.

¶ 8:33: Lk 18:7; Is 50:8–9.

¶ 8:34: Rom 8:27.

m Or It is Christ Jesus … for us.

The Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006), Ro 8:31–35.

Gospel

Mark 9:2-10:

2 ¶‖ And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves; and he was transfigured before them, 3 ¶ and his garments became glistening, intensely white, as no fuller on earth could bleach them. 4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses; and they were talking to Jesus. 5 And Peter said to Jesus, “Master,f it is well that we are here; let us make three booths, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 For he did not know what to say, for they were exceedingly afraid. 7 ¶ And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” 8 And suddenly looking around they no longer saw any one with them but Jesus only.

9 ¶‖ And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of man should have risen from the dead. 10 So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant.

¶ 9:2–8: Mt 17:1–8; Lk 9:28–36.

‖ 9:2: Mk 5:37; 13:3.

¶ 9:3: Mt 28:3.

f Or Rabbi.

¶ 9:7: 2 Pet 1:17–18; Mt 3:17; Jn 12:28–29.

g Or my Son, my (or the) Beloved.

¶ 9:9–13: Mt 17:9–13; Lk 9:36.

‖ 9:9: Mk 8:30; 5:43; 7:36.

The Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006), Mk 9:2–10.