December 20, 2015
Scripture Reading: Luke 1:54–56; Genesis 22:15-18
Luke 1:54He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
55to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”
56Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.
Genesis 22:15The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
Questions for Reflection:
Mary sees the upcoming birth of Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s promises to Abraham. Genesis 22 tells the story of Abraham’s greatest faith test. Abraham is asked by God to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Abraham, in faith, trudges up the mountain to make the sacrifice. God, realizing that Abraham completely trusts him, stops Abraham. At the end, God provides a sacrifice for Abraham. The passage you read above comes immediately on the coattails of that experience.
What does God promise to Abraham? What is the scope of the promise that Abraham receives? God chose to honor Abraham’s faithfulness and obedience by using his descendants to be a blessing. This blessing
Abraham’s experience with Isaac foreshadows the sacrifice that God would make on our behalf. While God did not make Abraham sacrifice his only son, God did give up His one and only Son. St Ephrem the Syrian wrote,
“As you contemplate the [bundles of sticks that Isaac was laid upon] reflect on the cross. As you look on the fire, meditate on the love. Look too, on the sheep hanged by its two horns on the plant that is called ‘Sabek’. Look too, on Christ, the Lamb of God, hanged by his two hands upon a Cross. The plant called Sabek means ‘forgiveness’, for it saved from slaughter the old man’s child, It foreshadows the cross that forgives the world its sins and grants it life. The ram hanging on the Sabek plant mystically redeemed Isaac alone, While the Lamb of God hanged on the cross delivered the world from Death and Hell.”
As you worship God today, thank Him for the Lamb of God that delivers the world from death and hell.