exit Ishmael
Below are our Bible readings for next Sunday, readings numbered Proper 7 Year A. These are hard sayings.
In Genesis 21, Abraham's wife Sarah seems to have become bitterly jealous of her slave-girl Hagar, who has borne Abraham a son, Ishmael. Sarah insists that Abraham get rid of both the boy and his mother. This may seem unfair, as it was Sarah's own idea that Abraham take Hagar as a wife and have a child with her. If this were 1950 instead of 2020 I might say "Isn't that just like a woman!" I'm sure Mr. Beaver of Narnia in C S Lewis' story "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" would have said it, and back in the 1940s and 1950s everyone would have nodded and chuckled knowingly. But, boy howdy, this sure as hell ain't 1950, so I'm not even gonna suggest that. I do want to come back to this story after I mention the other readings.
After reading the Old Testament lesson, look at the responsive psalm and notice how apt it is. It actually seems to be Hagar crying out to the Lord.
This morning I'll not say anything about the Romans reading, thinking maybe to come back to it for my Wednesday morning Bible study. That's maybe, not a vow.
The gospel is also (as the Genesis reading) a hard saying. It sounds really bad for anyone who rejects Jesus and his message. Perhaps most startlingly, he speaks of turning our own family against us, even says "I have not come to bring peace, but a sword." What shall we make of this? It doesn't sound like Good News to me.
Back to Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Hagar and Ishmael. I don't want you to work through the week being upset with Sarah for becoming so angry that she insists Abraham drive Ishmael and Hagar away. Yes, it does sound cruel, pure jealousy. But there's a language and translation issue here. Our NRSV is translated "Sarah saw Ishmael ... playing with her son Isaac". The Hebrew word is מְצַחֵֽק which doesn't mean kids playing together at all. NIV et al say mocking, scoffing. Odd that it's the same Hebrew word as Isaac's name, Laughter, but it means laughing at, toying with, teasing, mocking, tormenting, scoffing, even abusing. Sarah looked out the window and saw Ishmael, at least thirteen years old (scholar Ellicot says seventeen), bullying her son Isaac who, just "weaned", was maybe four years old, five? Sarah goes into a murderous rage that any parent might understand. As an adolescent, Ishmael is mean, a bully, getting his little half-brother aside where he thinks nobody can see them, to pick on Isaac who, doubtless hurting, is terrified, crying, sobbing, screaming "Mommy! Mommy!" Not innocent, there is a sense of malevolence.
Dr Craig Keener, who thinks Ishmael was sixteen, has the idea: https://www.craigkeener.com/what-did-ishmael-do-wrong-to-isaac-genesis-219/
Ishmael may deserve to have Abraham beat the hell out of him, but Abraham loves Ishmael and, hearing the calming voice of God, Abraham does the responsible thing for Isaac's wellbeing, and God takes Ishmael from there. What, would you rather Abraham keep Ishmael around to abuse Isaac all his growing up years? Don't get all incensed looking at misleading art of Hagar being driven out into the wilderness holding the hand of some pitiful little boy! Yes, we'd rather Ishmael adore his little brother, take Isaac under his wing, be his protector and his hero, later take him out and teach him to hunt and shoot. But that was never to be.
As we know, Ishmael is destined to become, after Abraham, ancestor of Islam, as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob become ancestors of Judaism.
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The Collect
O Lord, make us have perpetual love and reverence for your holy Name, for you never fail to help and govern those whom you have set upon the sure foundation of your lovingkindness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Old Testament
Genesis 21:8-21
The child Isaac grew, and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. But Sarah saw Ishmael, the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, מְצַחֵֽק mocking, laughing at, playing with, making fun of, making sport of her son יִצְחָֽק Isaac. So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the son of this slave woman shall not inherit along with my son Isaac.” The matter was very distressing to Abraham on account of his son. But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed because of the boy and because of your slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for it is through Isaac that offspring shall be named for you. As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a nation of him also, because he is your offspring.”
So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered about in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.
When the water in the skin was gone, she cast the child under one of the bushes. Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot; for she said, “Do not let me look on the death of the child.” And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the boy; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid; for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Come, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make a great nation of him.” Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. She went, and filled the skin with water, and gave the boy a drink.
God was with the boy, and he grew up; he lived in the wilderness, and became an expert with the bow. He lived in the wilderness of Paran; and his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
The Response
Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17
Inclina, Domine
1 Bow down your ear, O Lord, and answer me, * for I am poor and in misery.
2 Keep watch over my life, for I am faithful; *save your servant who puts his trust in you.
3 Be merciful to me, O Lord, for you are my God; * I call upon you all the day long.
4 Gladden the soul of your servant, * for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
5 For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, * and great is your love toward all who call upon you.
6 Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer, * and attend to the voice of my supplications.
7 In the time of my trouble I will call upon you, * for you will answer me.
8 Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord, * nor anything like your works.
9 All nations you have made will come and worship you, O Lord, * and glorify your Name.
10 For you are great; you do wondrous things; * and you alone are God.
16 Turn to me and have mercy upon me; * give your strength to your servant; and save the child of your handmaid.
17 Show me a sign of your favor, so that those who hate me may see it and be ashamed; * because you, O Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
The Epistle
Romans 6:1b-11
Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For whoever has died is freed from sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
The Gospel
Matthew 10:24-39
Jesus said to the twelve disciples, “A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household!
“So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.
“Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
For I have come to set a man against his father,
and a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.
Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.”