Fourth Sunday after Epiphany: Wednesday, Febuary 1, 2006

Old Testament Lesson

Genesis 22:1-18

Søren Kierkegaard was a Dutch philosopher and wrote on of the most powerful books ever written about this text of Abraham being tested by God. He asked what do we make a God that could ask Abraham to do this? How do we handle a God that would do this? He is only answer was with Fear and Trembling, which was the name of that book. God is not human, and He demand things of us the we don't understand or like. After all He is God. I think that is the best way to understand this passage. In this passage, though, Issac was not going to be sacrificed. If Abraham would not do it, then his life was spared. If he followed through, God had a ram in the bush. Either way he was going to be fine.

We don't know what God will ask us to give up. We don't know what God will ask us to do. We don't know where God will send us. We cannot control God. We live an age where everything seems computerized and controlled, but God is not. God gave Abraham and Sarah this son, and then He tells Abraham to sacrifice him. God does not play by our rules. We are supposed to play by His. We should never totally lose our fear and trembling of Him.

New Testament Lesson

Hebrews 11:23-31

By faith, they did this things. Notice, the text didn't say that Moses had faith, so he didn't do anything. He decided to kick back and relax because he has faith. Faith is the beginning of our walk with God. Faith is what starts everything. It is by faith that we do stuff, because that faith calls us to do stuff. If we have faith and we feel like we're re done, we have nothing else to do for God, then we need to look again at the Word. It is by faith that they were obedient to God. It is by faith we work for God. Our works are not the point, but the faith is. That faith, however, will produce those works. By faith, what do you and I do?

Gospel Lesson

John 6:52-59

Jesus tells them that he is the way. Their forefathers ate manna, today, they can eat the true bread from heaven. It is through Jesus that life comes. He tells them that in eating and drinking His body and blood, they will have eternal life. That once again shows the importance of Holy Communion. But, it also shows the importance of Jesus. It is through Him that life comes. Not through what was done in the past, not through the traditions of the past, but through Jesus. The question is not do we keep all the traditions of our ancestors, but do we have Jesus. In the text, they were faithful to the past, but refused Jesus. Let us not make the same mistake. He is the way to heaven, not by works, not by tradition, not by anything else.