Nineteenth of Year C
August 2010
In any sort of human relationship there must be some degree of trust, some degree of dependability. Even the most casual of friendships gives one some expectation of support.
In the human relationship called marriage the expectation is of total trust and support.
Every time this expectation is not met, even in minor matters, there is a degree of unravelling in the relationship.
With human relationships this trust and support must be mutual.
My relationship with my God is the same but with one big difference - My God is always totally trustworthy, always totally supportive. Any failures that occur are always on my part.
This can sometimes be hard to take seriously.
Throughout the Bible the story of Abraham (and it is a story) is always presented as a paradigm of faith and trust in God. Abraham was promised that he and his wife Sara would be the parents of a great nation. Abraham and Sara were already pretty long in the tooth and Sara was well past childbearing age. When Sara heard this promise, being a sensible woman, she laughed in disbelief.
Abraham never doubted God even when the promise was fulfilled and he was then ordered to sacrifice his son to God.
For the vast majority of people this total faith and trust in God is an impossible demand on their credulity.
Just look around you and you will find tons of evidence to the contrary.
Also for Abraham, there was tons of evidence to distrust God’s promise. Sara could not ignore this evidence and laughed. Abraham knew this evidence also but trusted God’s promise despite of it. He did not laugh.
God keeps presenting me with these demands that are impossible to meet - love my neighbour as myself, sell what I have and give to the poor, forgive my enemies, turn the other cheek, ‘be perfect as my heavenly Father is perfect.’ etc.
As Jesus said to his disciples on the evening they were going to see him arrested, and the next day condemned to death and executed. ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled’ He said, ‘You trust in God, trust in me.’
What an impossible demand to make of them! What an impossible demand to make of his mother!!!
It is a great gift to be able to trust my God totally especially when (as frequently happens) events and circumstances indicate the contrary.
As the psalmist says in psalm 10; ‘Why God do you keep so distant. Why do you stay hidden in times of trouble?’
This is a great mystery.
I can only bow my head and emulate Abraham.