Sunday, July 12, 2020

The Law of Unintended Consequences

ONLINE REFLECTION, PROPER 7, YEAR A, ST. PAUL’S, FOLEY
JUNE 21, 2020

TEXT: Genesis 21:8-21

I would encourage you to read the first lesson today, from Genesis 21:8-21.

I want to talk with you this morning about what I call ‘The Law of Unintended Consequences”… or the “Boundless Grace of God.”

Genesis is one of the most interesting books in the Bible.  In this passage, we have the continuation of the patriarch story.  Abraham and Sarah have conceived and delivered the second of the three patriarchs, Isaac.  His birth is the begging of the realization of God’s promise to Abram earlier in Genesis.

But it is not that simple.  Sarah, being elderly and without child, had given her slave girl Hagar, to serve as a surrogate for her. Abram and Hagar had conceived and delivered a child.  His name is Ishmael.  But he is not the bearer of God’s promise.  Only the child of Abraham and Sarah could carry forth the promise – the Covenant with God… for all the nations of the world to bless themselves by Abraham name.

Sarah has seen her son, Isaac, playing with the son of Hagar, Ishmael.  She encourages Abraham to banish Hagar and Ishmael – which Abraham does.

The passage tells us that Hagar and the child who has been rejected by his father, Ishmael, are near death in the desert.  But God intervenes.

God tells Hagar that his promise will extend to Ishmael as well – he will live, and that Ishmael’s descendants will be a great nation.

There you have the seeds of the three great monotheistic religions having claim to Abraham.  The Jews and Christians claim lineage from Abraham, because we trace our roots to him back through Isaac and Jacob.  The Muslims claim their roots to Abraham through their descent from Ishmael.

So, it is all quite interesting.  Abraham intended to send Hagar and Ishmael away – to be done with them.  But the boundless mercy of God provided another avenue. Ishmael – though separated from his father – would flourish as a people.

Here’s my point:  God can take our sinfulness, our conflicted motivations, our human brokenness, our lack of commitment, and use it for his purposes.  That doesn’t mean we look for opportunities to fall short… but it does mean that the fate of the world and God’s kingdom does not ride on our shoulders alone.

We are not in charge.  We are agents of the Most High.


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