Four short simple verses... and, if you think about it, all of history is changed. All
Jewish, Christian and Muslim traditions find a common root and build upon these nine
words-'Abram went as the LORD had told him'! Astonishing!
TB in MN
TB in MN, "And Lot went with him." What is the significance of those 5 words?
When I think of all the changes in the world due those first 9 words, I wonder why the
last 5 are added. Sure, Lot did go. A bunch of people went. Why note Lot? A second
reading, thinking ahead of all that will follow in the story (Lot's captivity and rescue,
escape from Sodom, birth of the Moabite and Ammonite tribes, etc.), gives me a sense of
foreboding about Lot going with Abram. I wonder if it would have been better or worse if
Abram went alone?
Later, Moses will get a Moabite wife and wise father-in-law, and the Moabitess Ruth
will be the forebear of David. I can't remember if the Ammonites are good guys or bad
guys. All the -ites run together in my mind sometimes, like I'm running on now.
I don't know if any of this has preaching implications or applications. It is still
early in the week. Your post just got my mind working this way. Thanks....,I think. tom in
TN(USA)
Tom,
At the very least, Lot serves as an important literary device. Where Abraham will be
the perfect faithful servant of God, Lot stands in as the not-so-great faithful servant
who often gets it wrong and makes the bad choices. Lot just does not get it... Much like
the disciples who don't always get what Jesus is teaching. Every hero needs a bumbling
sidekick or a humorous foil.
Abraham, the father of nations, is God's always faithful... and all nations (our three
great religions) trace their roots to him.
As an interesting aside, the Muslim faith will 'rewrite' much of these stories to trace
their roots. In their understanding of 'holy scripture', the Koran is God's perfect
account of the real teachings, the right history and the correct version of all of this...
but than, each faith will claim to be the 'true word' of God. TB in MN
Thanks, Harold and TB. You both make good points.
I hadn't payed attention to that directive in v.1. It does seem as though Abram was
trying to hold just a little to the familiar instead of letting go and letting God
completely lead, "boldly going where no Chaldean had gone before."
And yes, every lesson is more pointed when the opposite way is presented beside it.
Good stuff! Who else can help me see a bigger picture? tom in TN(USA)
I am thinking of comparing and contrasting "The Prayer of Jabez" to the
"Call of Abram." After all this is not some hidden jewel, but the beginning of
the story which by God's own word is how "all the families of the earth shall be
blessed." When do we receive God's blessing? When we "Go" where God tells
us to. We are not blessed by God by telling God what we want but by listening to what God
wants for us. Perhaps I will even write my own little book of easy answers for the good
life.
SunCityRev
In the previous discussion sections, and in preaching on this text in general, much is
often made that Abram is called to go to a land which is unknown to him. I'm going to
focus on the fact that Abram is called by a strange, unknown God! I'm going to title my
sermon, "The Stranger God."
Also, it was pointed out in my lectionary study group yesterday that this is the
beginning of the story of salvation! God begins to undo the curse of the Fall (see last
week's OT Lesson); God promises that through Abram & his descendants, all families of
the earth would be blessed! Ken in WV
P.S.: Of course, one of Abram's descendants is a certain fella named Jesus of Nazareth!
Ken in WV
For me the bigger picture is not to focus on Abram but rather on God here. My sermon is
entitled, "If At First You Don't Succeed..." I plan on talking about how God
refused to give up on humanity although each attempt making a covenant with us failed over
and over again. Isn't is amazing that God tried even one more time with Abram...to me that
is more amazing than Abram saying "yes I will go." For God, failure in reaching
out to His people is not an option. And the same is true for us today...no matter how many
times we mess things up...no matter how creative we get in messing things up, God says
Failure in not an option, and keeps working on bringing us back into relationship with
Him.
Oh well, I rambled. Sorry...just a few thoughts Marty
National Geographic December 2001 on Abraham:
"He may have worshiped Sin, the god of the moon and Ur's cheif diety. . .I
wondered if, somehow, Abraham's reflections on the moon god had led him to the idea that
the world is governed by one God."(p 106).
"On the highest religious level Abraham and his monotheism was a model for Jesus
and his early Christian disciples and, much later, Muhammad and his Muslim followers.
Today he still stands out as a unique spiritual figure, transcending the frontiers of
great religions." (p. 128)
The author then quotes a short poem, "Hymn to the Blessing of Abraham" In
which the line "My God will save me." appears. The author then writes: "'My
God will save me.' In these five simple words is the essence of Abraham and his
astonishing endeavors. They spell out his fundamental belief that there is one God. That
belief changed the world forever." (p. 129)
article by Tad Szulc, photography (gorgeous) by Reza
It is as if they started out to discover the historical Abraham (a slightly more
difficult task than discovering the historical Jesus) and found their own faith. The
article is an excellent background for preaching on this text, which is quoted in the
article.
I also like what Kendall McCabe writes in "Preaching the Revised Common
Lectionary":
"Perhaps the primary duty of the preacher will be to open up the question of what
it means for faith to be a gift from God rather than an activity performed by the devout.
The eshortation to "have faith" has becom eits own form of works righteousness
in much of Protestantism. . .fiath is a gift shared corporately, not an individual
treasure to be hoarded."
I've titled my sermon "Is Faith a Noun or a Verb? -- Should It Be?"
RevJan
I wonder why 4b is left out of here? "Abram was 75 years old when he departed from
Haran." Can you imagine starting all over at age 75? Now that's what I call being
born again. DGinNYC
There is something bothering me here though. I
decided early on in the week to preach this passage of the lectionary this Sunday. After
pretty much finishing up I decided to visit the NT, John 3 lection contributions. I guess
what's bothering me is this. On the same Sunday in which we read that whosoever believes
on Jesus will have everlasting life I concluded my message with something like, from the
Nation of Abram came a Savior. . . Then I seem to be reading here that there are
"three great religions". I realize that in today's environment I do not want to
be devisive. However, didn't Jesus say he was the only way to the Father? Not trying to
start anything. Just struggling. JM in NC
Jm in NC, I think the phrase "Three great religions" refers first and
foremost to their numerical size and range of world influence. In that sense all 3 are
indeed "great" regardless of any opinions concerning their theological content.
I understand and share your caution at setting off anyone. It would take more time than
any of us have between now and tomorrow's sermon to do justice to a comparison but I offer
some very general observations-
Out of Abraham, through Issac and Jacob(Israel) came ONE great religion, Judaism. Out
of Judaism came Christianity, held by many of it's adherents to be a refinement or
extension of Judaism.
Islam, as a religion, came later and traced itself back to Abraham through the lineage
of a different descendant, who also recieved a promise from Abraham's God.
We can find both great lovers of God and terrible despots in the histories of all 3
religions. It remains til the Judgement for us to see clearly what each could and should
have been if not for the pervasiveness of sin.
We Christians say (and rightly I think) that in Jesus Christ God has given humanity the
best and most complete revelation of God's own charachter, as Love and faithfulness, a
revelation that makes possible our being rconciled with God. Perhaps that great gift to
the world is not all God wanted to reveal to humankind. Perhaps there are other
revelations of God to be found in other religions too. We don't necessarily do God justice
by closing our ears and hearts to other truths God has for us, protecting "our"
truth as the only one worth knowing.
In short(now he says), You can call them 3 great religions without calling them equal.
tom in TN(USA)
Tom in TN --
I agree completely. I also think there is something to be gleaned from the story of
Abraham, that there is ONE God, not many. That that God desires a relationship with us,
and desires our devotion and faithfulness. The concept of relationship with God is/was a
radical one in the time of Abraham, and probably in our time, too.
I don't know enough about Islam to know if Muhammad was supposed to be a savior, or
"simply" a prophet, but it is clear that the Jewish expectation was for a
Messiah whom we see fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
I don't think all three religions need to be mutually exclusive. It's people that have
made them that way. . .
RevJan
Back to Lot... Should Abram have left his wife behind too? (I don't think so..) If it's
true that Abraham was 75 years old when he left, maybe he took his nephew Lot along
because he had no sons himself, and Lot was a younger man who could help with the physical
labor. I don't see Lot as the bad guy. He just had some bad luck. One of them had to
choose the land that had Sodom in it.
DGinNYC
Great discussion on 'religion'- good points - thanks. I think I'll stick with Jesus
though.
DGinNYC, I agree that Lot was not a bad guy. I think Lot is a lot (no pun intended)
like me and many others and made some really bad decisions in his life. JM in NC
I remember studying Hebrew and realizing that God promises to "walk" with
Abraham. Walk at our pace. Thank you, walking rather than running it possible. Sue in
Cuba,KS
