Friday, April 15, 2005 Lenten Fast
Hieromartyr Leonidas, Bishop of Athens
6th Hour: Isaiah 45:11-17 1st Vespers: Genesis 22:1-18 2nd Vespers: Proverbs 17:17-18:5
Genesis 22:1-18 LXX, especially vs. 1: "And it came to pass after
these things that God tempted Abraam." By choosing to submit our lives to Christ as King and God - the highest of
authority- we accept His challenge: "you believe in God, believe also in Me" (Jn. 14:1). In this passage from Genesis,
Christ our God places before us an example from the life of Abraham from which we learn that our faith in Him will be
tested, for God wishes our trust in Him to endure despite life's wrenching contradictions. If we will, we shall learn here to
expect tests of faith that involve our dearest attachments, that force us to act, that expose the roots of our faith, and that
reveal faith ultimately to be a gift from God.
First, let us see here that the test of faith will touch what we treasure most in life. We shall confront the choice between
"treasures on earth" and "treasures in heaven" (Mt. 6:19,20). God will lead us deep into ourselves to discover the actual
importance of our relationship with Him, to learn how urgently we need His grace to endure. Notice how the Lord takes
Abraham into these unexplored realms of his soul: "Take thy son, the beloved one, whom thou has loved - Isaac, and go
into the high land, and offer him there for a whole-burnt-offering" (Gen. 22:2).
Do you recall that God promised Abraham, "I will make thee a great nation" (Gen. 12:2)? Abraham, however, had
resigned himself to having a slave in his household be his heir. Then God unfolded further details of His promise to
Abraham: "This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come out of thee shall be thine heir" (Gen 15:4). Abraham had
wavered in his faith and conceived a son Ishmael by a slave girl. Again, the Lord corrected him: "Sarah thy wife shall bear
thee a son, and thou shalt call his name Isaac, and I will establish My covenant with him" (Gen. 17:19). Now was Abraham
to offer this son as "a whole-burnt-offering" (Gen. 22:2)?
The choice before Abraham uncovered what was of prime importance in his life: his son, Isaac, or his relationship with
God. Three times in this passage, the Lord God declares to Abraham that his actions demonstrate his faith (vss. 12,15,18).
Ah, but let us understand what God is teaching us here. He will bring each of us to an equally ultimate choice in this life.
This passage must be read seeing the implication of the relationship of God and Abraham for our own relationship with
God. Yes, Abraham misunderstands and waivers, yet God continues to lead him into a full and robust faith. Then,
Abraham's clearly defined choice came, and so will ours. May God grant us the grace of a faith like Abraham's, that we
may hear the Lord say to us, "now I know that thou fearest God....because thou hast hearkened to My voice" (vss. 12,18).
Abraham found his faith in acting, but even more these events revealed the supernatural source of his faith - that faith is
God's gift - not something of which we are capable, for we are flawed and doubt-ridden. How shall we read Abraham's
reply to Isaac? Was it an evasion of the horrifying plan? Or was it a disclosure of God's gift of faith within Abraham?
Note what the Patriarch says: "God will provide Himself a sheep for a whole-burnt-offering, my son" (vs. 8).
Do you see? Abraham never questioned the choice God gave him. Why? Perhaps because he sojourned among the
Canaanites who regularly practiced child sacrifice (Lev. 18:21, 20:2-5). Plainly, he did not have the guidance of the Mosaic
law. He simply obeyed from faith in God. St. John Chrysostom describes Abraham's faith as a "faith opposed faith," as a
faith to trust God even in the face of contradiction, a faith to obey even when God's command seemed to oppose God's
promise. In St. John's words: God "enjoined things that were in contradiction to the promises, and yet not even so did the
righteous man stagger." For such faith, let us pray!
Lord, grant us grace to gleam with faith like Abraham and so illuminate this dark world.
