Brief synopsis of the readings: The first reading continues the book of Genesis and describes the “sacrifice of Isaac.” After years of infertility, Abraham and Sarah have given birth to a son, Isaac. God then commands Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. When the come to the place of sacrifice Abraham ties down Isaac and is about to stab him to death when God commands him not to kill Isaac and then rewards him for his obedience. The Gospel from Mark describes what we call the “Transfiguration.” Jesus goes with Peter, James, and John up a mountain where they see visions of Elijah and Moses. They tell Jesus that they want to build a monument and Jesus tells them not to do that. Jesus tells them not to tell anyone about this.

If last week’s reading on Noah’s Ark is the most iconic of the Old Testament, today’s account of the sacrifice of Isaac is perhaps the most troubling. As a matter of fact I find this reading so troubling that I’m going to write about it alone, and put aside the Gospel reading of the Transfiguration. My apologies to anyone who was hoping to hear my thoughts on that Gospel. Maybe next year.

Taking aside the idea that God had promised Abraham and Sarah they would have a child, just the idea of ordering a man to kill his young child as a sign of faith strikes us as barbaric and (let’s say it) unworthy of God or God’s disciples. I worked in a parish several years ago where one man would look ahead in the readings and not attend mass on the day this passage was read. He found it painful to worship any God who did this to Abraham and Issac (to say nothing of Sarah).

So why did God do this, and why was Abraham such a willing party? As children I think most of us were told that Abraham comes out a hero because he was willing to do anything God asked. I hope most of us heard it like I did, and never believed we would be asked to do such a terrible thing.

And in truth I don’t know of anyone who is called to make such a sacrifice in Jewish and Christian history. Much like God’s promise to Noah never to flood the world again, God never again asks a father to murder his child.

But I find that unsatisfying too. The fact is, Abraham was indeed asked, even commanded, to do this. This scene comes shortly after the destruction of the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah so Abraham must have known God meant business.

I’ve enjoyed many of the writings of James Michener. One of his books, Hawaii has an early scene on one of the Polynesian Islands where the ruler proclaims that a number of people are to be sacrificed to satisfy the gods (that’s what propels several members to escape by sea and discover Hawaii). It struck me that human sacrifice was all too common in ancient religions. I thought perhaps this is the message God is sending: just as I do not demand the sacrifice of Isaac, I will never demand a person be sacrificed. Human life is too precious to me to ask that anyone end it to satisfy me.

I still find that compelling but I am uncomfortable with the idea that God creates this entire scene so that Isaac is barely saved at the end. I’m also aware that God does not spell it out: you will not sacrifice people, only possessions.

I’m still working on this hypothesis so don’t hold me to it, but I read something interesting in a rabbi’s obituary earlier this year (I don’t remember his name and Google failed me in my attempt to find him). This rabbi believed that Abraham’s moral compass pointed him to a place where he refused God’s demand and God blessed him for it. For him this is a story of a man whose being would not let him follow a command that was evil.

I find this compelling for a few reasons. I think most of us look to Abraham as almost a mythic figure, who leaves his land and family and journeys to a new land and begins a whole new nation (actually three nations because he is seen as the father of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). But he had his moments.

This reading comes to us from the 22nd Chapter of Genesis. In 12th Chapter he and his family have left their home but not yet arrived at their destination. Because of a famine they flee to Egypt. On arriving in Egypt Abraham (called Abram here) fears that the Egyptians will find Sarah (Sarai here) so beautiful they will kill Abraham to have her as their own. Abraham cooks up a story that Sarah is actually his sister and he gives her to Pharoh. Abraham says this to Sarah:

I know well how beautiful a woman you are. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, “She is his wife;” then they will kill me but let you live. Please say, therefore, that you are my sister, so that it may go well with me on your account and my life may be spared for your sake.

Not exactly heroic on his part. Fortunately when Pharoh found out he simply expelled both of them from Egypt and they continued his journey. It is interesting that Abraham did this because he feared for himself alone; he even said to Sarah: “so that it will go well for me.” But later, in this reading, we see an Abraham who will even disobey God to do what is right.

Last week I spoke of God becoming God and learning as He goes (much as all parents do). This is an uncomfortable idea for many of us, but perhaps Abraham’s refusal to carry out God’s wish is another event of that type. Perhaps both God and Abraham are learning on this journey.

This learning has some implications for us today. A methodist minister in Atlanta, James Fowler, wrote a book some time back called Stages of Faith: The Psychology of Human Development and the Quest for Meaning. Rev Fowler argues that our faith changes as we mature. As children we are primarily concerned with obedience and rule following. Later we see great value in finding a community of like minds and morals and being part of that group. But he also sees a place where we break free of that and have enough of a sense of right and wrong that we do the right thing only because it’s the right thing. We have left simple obedience and herd mentality behind.

Thomas Jefferson didn’t believe in Jesus’ miracles. Walking on water, producing loaves and fishes out of thing air, none of that. He’s not the only one, but perhaps he was the most famous. He lived in a time were we were learning a great deal about the universe around us. Jefferson found such elegance and beauty in the world around him that he found in unimaginable that God would break his own rules about the universe so that Jesus could make a point or clarify a teaching.

Perhaps Abraham was making a similar point not about the physical universe, but the moral universe. Throughout our history we have suffered great violence by people who are claiming to be doing God’s will, but we are now living in a time where it has become almost a steady diet on the evening news. The phrase “religious extremists” is almost cliche. And when we see violence and genocide done in God’s name we wonder how someone could have become so misguided.

Perhaps it would be good to see this reading from Genesis in that light: if you believe God is calling you to violence or worse, don’t do it. Don’t think that another person is less than you by virtue of race, ethnicity, or belief. Don’t think that God is somehow pleased by your actions if those actions lead you to hate or more violence.

It’s recently been in the news that President Obama has come under fire for “not loving America.” I don’t think it’s that: I think if he didn’t love America he could easily have been much more successful as a lawyer in private practice and that he chose public service exactly because he does love America. I think he’s coming under fire in some circles because he doesn’t hate those who hate America. I think he is trying to find common ground and solutions. And the fact that his strategy isn’t simply one of returning fire, of shock and awe, is causing the criticism.

Hating injustice is good, but hating the unjust does not bring us any closer to peace. Abraham found that by relying on his own moral compass, Isaac was saved and we all benefit from his courage.