15 Jul 08 — Some thoughts about sacrifices

Because of its realism, the Bible has its share of horror stories. I can think of few worse than Abraham’s near sacrifice of Isaac. Whether you understand it as a test of Abraham’s faith (the traditional view) or as God using this “test” to teach the Chosen People that they were not to sacrifice their children like all too many of their neighbors (a respected understanding) it is still a very disturbing story. In brief, after the miracle of Isaac being born to parents 100 years old, God required Abraham to sacrifice this very same Isaac on an altar. And without any comment or seemingly any emotion, Abraham sets out to do so, and only at the last second, with knife in outstretched arm poised over his son bound upon the altar does God intervene to stop him. If you want the full details, you can find it in Genesis 22.

“What does this story have to say to us today?” you ask. Consider the similarity between Isaac and Jesus. In very different ways they were brought to the point of sacrifice. God intervened with Isaac but let Jesus suffer death so that he could be raised from the dead so that death itself could be overcome. Maybe this teaches us something about the “fullness of time” the New Testament speaks about. Had the sacrifice been made in Isaac’s time, it would have been too early and the desired salvific results would not have followed.

More important though is what it teaches us about our children and about ourselves. It tells us that there are limits to what we can faithfully ask of our children. We may not physically sacrifice them upon an altar, but we all know children whose parents have sacrificed their emotions and spirits on the altars of their own greed or desires. All too often what the parents could not do themselves, they try to live out through the lives of their children. God says “No” to this as much as to the knife Abraham was wielding.

But God also says “No” when we ask too much of ourselves as well. Dedication and determination are all good and fine as long as they do not sacrifice the Dreams and Intent that God had born into us. We must always remember that Jesus said his yoke was light, an easy burden. If we become so consumed with our work, our hobbies, even our families at the expense of the whole community, or our ______ we can easily loose sight of the balance Jesus was asking us to achieve.

I have met too many people in life who have sacrificed themselves for something other than what God or even they themselves so ardently desired. It is tragedy enough when even one person is not able to live out their dreams. But the truth is, the majority of our neighbors and even ourselves do not. Christianity at its best should free you to live the Dreams God has for you and should teach you the appropriate offerings to ask of yourself, your spouse, your friends, and your children or those you mentor. And if you don’t feel you really know what that appropriate offering is, then it is time to go to God in prayer and ask for that specific guidance. It may surprise you, but I guarantee, it won’t be another horror story.