Announcement Story? The story spins around posterity promised Abraham back in Genesis 12, reiterated in 13, and expanded on in chapters 15 and 17. Yet the narrative is also a story about hospitality. Such stories of entertaining divine guests are not uncommon in ancient Greek and Near Eastern literature. [1]

Host with the Most - Abraham is the key actor in vs. 18:1-8; and what an act-he sees, he runs, he bows, he hastens, he commands; then he runs from barn to kitchen to table and serves his guests. If this had been "the friendliest church in town" competition, then Abraham would have won hands down!

Sarah as Host - now the focus shifts in vs. 9. The first part sets the stage for the real point of the story: Sarah becomes a part of the hospitality in her own way: how receptive or hospitable will she be to this word of promise? Hospitality is not just giving, but also received in gracious words and acts.

Brueggemann: Abraham and Sarah have by this time become accustomed to their barrenness. They are resigned to their closed future . . . the gospel promise does not meet them in receptive hopefulness but in resistant hopelessness . . . but we must focus on the overwhelming question: "is anything too hard for the Lord?" This comes as a question because the gospel requires a decision . . . [2]

• When did you laugh the hardest last week? What is your favorite brand of humor? What political cartoonist do you like? What comic gets you laughing?
• When have you laughed at the wrong time?
• If you were Sarah (childless and 89 years old) how would you have felt about what you heard?
• How would you describe Sarah’s laughter?
• Augustine (4-5th c)-Faith is believing what one cannot see, and the reward of faith is to see what one believes.

 

Please see my sermon, "The Laugh Shall Be First" on the homily page for this week.

 

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[1] New Interpreter’s Bible I (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1994), page 462.
[2] Interpretation Series (Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1982), page 159.