The God of Abraham: Grace

We have a tendency to read the Bible piecemeal.

We read a certain passage or hear a story and we don't read it in the context of the larger story.

Much of the Old Testament is like this for us.

It is why we think God is so mean in it.

This is why I choose today's story.

It falls in between the covenant relationship that God establishes with Abraham and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorra.

When we think of Sodom and Gomorra we think about how awful it is that God would destroy those cities.

But we fail to see them in the context of the larger story.

Today's story of Abraham and his encounter with God is dripping with grace.

God appears to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre.

God appears as three men.

The Talmud, which are books that have Rabbis through the years debating the law and the meaning of the Torah, states that all three men came to Abraham for different reasons.

The first came to heal him after his circumcision.

The second came to give the promise of a child born to Abraham and Sarah.

And the third came to talk to Abraham about Sodom and Gomorra.

Healing, hope, and relationship.

Three important ways God shows us grace.

I get to visit lots of people who are sick.

When I interviewed to be your pastor I remember someone on the council asking me, "do you like to visit people in the hospital?"

Of course, I don't like it when people are sick, but one of the joys of being a pastor is being able to pray with people who are sick.

It is a joy to be able to give the comfort of our faith in times that are often scary and difficult.

It is an important part of being a pastor, maybe the most important part.

Of course, I am not the only one who does this.

I know many of you have visited each other while you were sick.

I have heard how you care for each other in those times.

It is important that we are like that first heavenly visitor to Abraham.

That we show up for each other when we are sick.

That we bring healing into each other's lives.

And it is important that we do it not only for each other but others too.

I have been in hospitals visiting parishioners and have ended up also being with other people.

Recently I visited with someone in the hospital.

After I left the person in the next bed said to the person I just visited, "That was a lovely visit."

God shows up for us when we are sick, just as God did for Abraham.

Abraham and Sarah had given up hope that they would have kids.

They were way too old for that.

And even back then they knew that giving birth was for young families.

It is understandable that Sarah laughs at the idea that she would have children.

But there visitor reminds them of an important part of our faith.

"Is anything too wonderful for the Lord?"

I am a realists.

I don't believe in fairy tales, and I don't believe that things just magically happen because we wish them to be true.

But I do believe in God.

I believe that God does things that are outside my ability to reasonably understand what is happening.

And it is important for us to remind each other of this.

It is important that even as we deal with the hard realities of life, that we are still able to remind each other that nothing is too wonderful for God.

That our hope is in God.

And this is the heart of the matter with grace.

Is that it isn't about what we do, it is about what God does.

Grace isn't that we try real hard and God does the rest.

It is the understanding that God does it all.

That without God there is no future.

Without God there is no baby.

Without God there is no hope.

God's grace is what helps us have hope.

It is what makes us believe in unbelievable things.

And maybe what is most unbelievable is that God would care at all.

Up to this point in the story Abraham and Sarah have not been the most faithful people.

They have tried over and over to have this baby problem solved.

They tried to come up with schemes and none of it has worked.

So the only thing left is to have hope that God will do what God promised.

God shows up for us when we are hopeless, just as God did for Abraham and Sarah.

Finally, we get to the part that I know you are all thinking about.

What about when God wipes out Sodom and Gomorra?

What I find most amazing about that story is right here.

God takes time to let Abraham plead for the people.

God lets Abraham have his say.

The Psalmist asks, "What are humans that you are mindful of them?"

What are we to the power of almighty God?

Everything.

This whole thing doesn't work for God without Abraham.

And what is amazing is that Abraham understands the nature of God.

Abraham knows God so well that Abraham know God won't do it.

"Shall not the judge of all the earth do what is just?"
Abraham knows the heart of God, because they have such a close relationship.

And really that what this story shows us.

Is that God cares so much for Abraham that he wants to hear from him.

I have been praying a lot lately about the state of the world we live in.

It might not be the worst time to be alive, but like all times there are things about this world that just break my heart.

Today our government is rounding up people whose "crime" is not having the right documents.

My heart breaks for the families who are living in fear, for families that will be torn apart.

My heart breaks because there are people who will applaud, who will feel satisfaction without mercy for what will happen to undocumented people.

My heart breaks for the people who tonight will be staying in processing centers in El Paso and they won't be able to sleep because there is not enough room.

If your heart doesn't break too then you simply don't care about families, or at lest some families.

I pray a lot about these things.

And what I know for sure is that God hears my prayers.

God hears the prayers of the people of the world that live in fear of their lives and their families future.

God shows up for us when we pray, just as God did for Abraham.

That is the God of Abraham.

That is the God of the Old Testament.

A God who wants to hear from us, and a God that comes to heal us, give us hope, and be in relationship with us.

When we read the whole story this is the God we come to know just as Abraham knew God.

That is how God's grace is given to us through healing, hope, and relationship.

 This week I hope for you to be visited by God.

And that God will heal you.

God will give you hope.

And that in your prayers you will know that God cares about you, and wants to hear from you.

May the God of Abraham, our God, the God of grace be with you.

Amen