Homily: 2nd Sunday of Lent - Abraham's Ultimate Test

From the moment we are introduced to the character of Abraham in the book of Genesis, his faith is constantly being tested by God.

There very first time in Scripture God even speaks to Abraham, he gives him a test, and a serious one. Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and your father's house to a land that I will show you. Leave your home, leave your father and kinsfolk, leave everything you have ever known.

That would require a lot of faith and trust for anyone: imagine what it meant before there was gps, roads, credit cards, health insurance. Yet in his first test there is a choice a lot of us can relate to: Will I trust God with my future, will I allow him to lead me to unknown places. Will I allow him to lead me from my comfort, in order to be the person he wants me to be?

Another test came when Abraham was traveling through the countryside with his nephew, Lot. The two men were shepherds, and over time their flocks grew larger and larger. It became clear that the land could not support both flocks of Abraham and Lot. So, Abraham gave Lot a choice. The whole countryside is open to you. Take your choice of any section of the land you want. If you want the land to the left, then I’ll take the land on the right. If you prefer the land on the right, then I’ll go to the left.

Lot took a long look at the fertile plains of the Jordan Valley. The whole area was well watered, it was ideal for raising a flock. So, Lot chose for himself the fertile plans of the Jordan leaving to Abraham the land to the west, the rocky, hard, land of Canaan. Canaan was clearly less desirable, especially since, at the time, it was filled with wicked people who would likely terrorize Abraham and steal his sheep.

This was a test, too. Would Abraham trust God, even when it seemed like he was receiving an unfair settlement. It's hard to trust God when it seems we are getting cheated. There's the temptation to tip the scale in our favor. How many of us would risk our financial future in order to live up to a higher ideal?

There are about twelve such tests of Abraham in the book of Genesis, the most popular and most difficult test we heard today. God had promised Abraham numerous posterity—God said that his descendents would be as numerous as the stars, and now he commands Abraham to sacrifice his only son. He and his wife were already in their nineties!

This is a powerful story, you would do well to read it again some time today in it's entirety, for unfortunately, there is a whole piece of the story missing. For some reason, probably for brevity's sake, the Lectionary omits 7 important verses from the story. The missing verses share with us the exchange between Abraham and his son Isaac.

What we didn't hear today was how Abraham and Isaac were walking toward the place of sacrifice on Mount Moriah. As they walked Isaac carried wood for the sacrifice, Abraham carried a torch and a knife. “Here are the fire and the wood,” Isaac but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?” “My son,” Abraham answered, “God will provide the lamb for the burnt offering.”

There is another story, not from scripture, which details another part of the conversation. Isaac began to explain to his father that their computer was terribly outdated and their computer just wasn't powerful enough, it didn't have enough memory for the windows update. And Abraham turns to his son Isaac, and says, don't worry my son, God will provide the RAM.

It's a bad joke, for many reasons. For God did not promise a ram, he promised a lamb. Fast forward to the end of the story. They reached the placed of sacrifice, Abraham bound Isaac up, and drew his knife. With unshakeable faith, he trusted that God's promises would be fulfilled.

Why did God try Abraham? Did God not already know beforehand that Abraham's faith was firm? Yes; God knew all this, because he knows all things. Almighty God did not prove Abraham's faith for His own sake, but for Abraham's, in order to give him the opportunity of practicing the virtue of faith, and thus to strengthen and deepen his faith, and make him into a paramount example for all generations.

When our faith is tested, it is not because God really needs to make sure if we love him, but that we can grow stronger. A good priest friend of mine would often say, “everything prepares us for something else.” We are tested, that we can encourage others when they are tested.

Our Gospel passage today takes place on another mountain, on which Our Lord revealed the splendor of his glory to a chosen few, in order to strengthen them.

Soon after witnessing his glorious transfiguration, Peter, James, and John would see Our Lord arrested, beaten, mocked, scourged, and crucified. Their faith, like Abraham's would no doubt be tested in the future in the coming days.

They would need to remember the revelation his glory on the mountaintop in wondrous majesty, for to see him marred and disfigured mounted on the cross, would no doubt shake them.

There are times in our faith journey when the Lord takes us up to the mountain top. He gives us a powerful experience of his closeness, he inflames our hearts with love. He does so, in order to prepare us for the desert times, the trials, when our faith will no doubt be tested.

Each and everyone of us must struggle to live our faith amidst so many distractions and temptations, when our faith like Abraham's is tested. To believe in God when his full glory is being displayed before us, is not difficult.

C.S. Lewis wrote, “it is during [the desert periods], much more than the [mountain] peak periods, that we grow into the sort of creature God wants us to be”

St. Peter wrote in his first letter, “1^st Peter: “We suffer through various trials so that the genuineness of our faith, more precious that gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

We suffer through many trials, we are tested, that our faith may be genuine. It is this genuine faith that truly shows praise, glory, and honor to God.

This Wednesday every parish in the diocese will offer sacramental confession from 5 to 8pm. In confession we come before God humbly admitting those times when we failed the test. Every sin is a lost opportunity to remain faithful. We humbly admit our failures, that we may know God's mercy and be strengthened for the trials which will inevitably come in the future. If you haven't been to confession in more than a year, you are long past due. Make a humble examination of your conscience. Jesus is waiting to forgive your sins.

Upon the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter called out with great enthusiasm, “Lord, it is good that we are here.” It is good that we are here together at Mass. The Lord comes to us today not in dazzling white, but under the appearance of humble bread and wine. May we listen to Him, and open our hearts with Him, that we may die with Him, and live with Him forever, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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