Unthinkable.

"After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, 'Abraham!' And he said, 'Here I am.' God said, 'Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.'"

(Genesis 22:1-2)

In the time of the Old Testament, there was a neighboring religion whose god Molech asked parents to sacrifice their children to him. Later, the very areas where these sacrifices took place would become the trash piles (that were burned) outside the city of Jerusalem. What a terrible and sordid history. At various times in the Hebrew Scriptures, God specifically tells his people that he does not, and will not ever require them to sacrifice their children to Him.

And yet...

There's this deeply troubling story in Genesis 22. Abraham, who at age 99 finally had a child together wit his wife, Sarah. Isaac (aka "Son of Laughter") was the delight and joy of their lives. And God asks Abe to take him to the land of Moriah to sacrifice him there. at this point, Isaac is a young boy. Not an infant. They've formed quite a bond. He's come to see Isaac grow, and I'm sure he's got dreams and hopes for his future. And yet... God asks the unthinkable.

I'm not going to try and explain away this request. Was God settle up a story so later he could say that he'd never ask his people to go through a sacrifice fully (as evidenced by the "happy ending" of this story)? Was this truly a test to see if we love anything (or anyone) more than God? It seems like God could have found another way to "test" Abe without endangering the life of an innocent child.

Maybe this story was all for God's own self? That's exactly what happened with Jesus, isn't it? God's one and only (beloved!) son was killed. Jesus, who cam not show us how to love and life life to the fullest, was killed by us humans because we couldn't understand it. It makes no sense to us today that Jesus had to die. And yet... out of all that chaos and evil, love won. God raised him to life! And forgiveness & grace reigns.

So I don't exactly know what to do with Genesis 22. But I'm eternally grateful for the life, death & resurrection of Jesus. May I live a life that helps bring LIFE (not death) to all.