At first glance the first reading doesn’t make sense.
God commands Abraham to sacrifice his son, his beloved son.
God obviously knew how the story would end so the test was not for His benefit.
That means that the test had to be for Abraham’s benefit. Abraham had to understand that you could not go wrong trusting and obeying God.
Abraham had come a long way… there were moments his his past where he had doubted God and God’s will.
Now God was asking him for the ultimate test.
God was asking him for radical abandonment.
God was asking him to sacrifice his son.
In the second reading from the Letter to the Romans.
Paul reminds us that God is for us and that nothing else or no one else can be against us.
And the proof of this incredible truth can be found in the fact that God did not spare His Son.
God who is all good all loving all just… did not rewrite the rules for Himself.
Humanity owed a debt to justice a debt to goodness.
And since we couldn’t pay it because He loved us God, paid it for us
He paid our debt with the blood of his Son on the cross.
radical abandonment.
In the Gospel Jesus had just told his disciples that he will be rejected by the elders, suffer terribly and be killed.
This was exactly the opposite of what the Disciples hoped would happened.
They had hoped that Jesus would become the leader of the people.
The had hoped that he would be respected by all and help rid Israel of the Romans.
It was very difficult for them to let go of their dreams… like it was difficult for Abraham to consider sacrificing his son.
Like it was difficult for God to pay the price of our sins with the blood of his Son.
The disciples hearts were so hardened.
It was so hard was it for them to let go of their preconceived dreams that Jesus had to take desperate measures.
He had to take them up on a mountain top and reveal His glory to them so that they would not loose hope.
Only with a lot of effort and time were they finally able to embrace the way that God intended to save humanity…. with sacrificial love of His Son.
Radical abandonment Abraham tied up his son and was about to kill him.
Radical abandonment God did not spare his Son
Radical abandonment Jesus would have to suffer and give his life for our salvation.
Radical abandonment the disciples would have to let go of their dreams of grandeur and also embrace the road to the cross.
Abraham finally was able to trust God enough… to Love God enough… to sacrifice is Son.
Perfect love, God’s love enabled God to surrender even the life of His Son for our salvation
Jesus loved us so much he was able to die for us. It wasn’t easy don’t for get the garden of Gethsemane.
The disciples loved Jesus enough that they would eventually also surrender their lives rather than renounce their faith in him.
The readings today all point to one common theme.
Love is all about surrendering.
Radical abandonment
When I say I love you I am also saying I surrender myself I abandon myself to you… even my desires, my dreams, my hope, my plans… and even my life if you need it.
A long time ago a Dad whose Son was in big trouble said to me… “I’m not happy now but I love him so much still I would step in front of a train for him and thank him for the privilege of doing it “
I have repeated that over and over again.
Love is not a sentiment.
Love is not just a warm and fuzzy feeling.
Love means letting go and it means letting our lives to drop from our hands.
Love means radical abandonment..
If radical abandonment had to be a part of Abraham’s Life and if God had to abandon his Son for our salvation.
And if Jesus had to radically abandon his life
And if the Disciples would eventually had to abandon their hopes and their dreams and their lives
And if all the Saints had to abandon their lives to God in faithful loving obedience to God’s will.
And if the martyrs had to surrender their lives.
Why or how do we somehow convince ourselves that radical abandonment does not have to be a part of our lives.
What keeps us from loving?
What do we have to let go of?
What do we have to surrender?
Love is not easy if we think it is we are not loving
Love is Radical abandonment that’s at least one of the many messages the Word of God calls us to reflect on today.
Amen
Photo found with google images Author: Azlin Ahmad
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