Abraham.

Advent begins today. It has me thinking of a much more ancient section of the Bible, though. 

When I was a young uneducated moron, the only thing I knew about the Sacrifice of Isaac from Genesis 22 was a Saturday Night Live sketch and Bob Dylan's song "Highway 61 Revisited." I learned more later. 

For what is a key moment in the history of human and divine relations, the whole story is quick, only 10 verses in any standard Christian Bible: 

Some time afterward, God put Abraham to the test and said to him: Abraham! “Here I am!” he replied.

Then God said: Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. There offer him up as a burnt offering on one of the heights that I will point out to you.

Early the next morning Abraham saddled his donkey, took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac, and after cutting the wood for the burnt offering, set out for the place of which God had told him.

On the third day Abraham caught sight of the place from a distance.

Abraham said to his servants: “Stay here with the donkey, while the boy and I go on over there. We will worship and then come back to you.”

So Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two walked on together,

Isaac spoke to his father Abraham. “Father!” he said. “Here I am,” he replied. Isaac continued, “Here are the fire and the wood, but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?”

“My son,” Abraham answered, “God will provide the sheep for the burnt offering.” Then the two walked on together.

When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. Next he bound his son Isaac, and put him on top of the wood on the altar.

Then Abraham reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.

But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham!” “Here I am,” he answered.

“Do not lay your hand on the boy,” said the angel. “Do not do the least thing to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you did not withhold from me your son, your only one.”

Abraham looked up and saw a single ram caught by its horns in the thicket. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering in place of his son.

Depending on who's doing the reading, the sacrifice of Isaac may the craziest or greatest action ever contemplated. We know at this point in the Bible that Isaac is the long-hoped-for son of his father and mother, one granted by God in their old age, when all hope had been lost. And now God wants Abraham to kill Isaac? And Abraham goes right along with it, right up until his hand is about to strike the killing blow? 

Surely anyone doing that now would be thought crazy, and rightly so. (Those of us who believe in the story think that it's very unlikely God would do the same exact challenge twice.) 

After thinking about it for a while, a few years ago I came to a realization that undoubtedly many before me had as well. God wasn't testing Abraham here; He knows everything, and He knew Abraham would follow God's command in this greatest test. But Abraham had to know that his obedience would go to any lengths. After this, Abraham never need doubt his devotion, or the strength of it, again. Most of us do, and a lot.

As the Bible is intended to recount a history rather than tell a modern tale, we don't know much about Abraham's (or anyone's) inner life during such tribulations. What was he thinking? If it were me, I might have thought, I will do as God commands, but I will lie down next to Isaac as the fire rises and be a second sacrifice. 

Or I'd just leave it to my wife to kill me when I got home after I told her what I had done. Sarah was no mouse.

Jesus's followers show again and again how hard it is when God calls one to complete obedience. Andrew is not known for much, but when called he dropped his nets immediately and followed. Peter needed proof. The rich young man followed the Commandments, but when told to sell all he had and follow Jesus, he turned away, devastated. When Jesus told his followers they would have to gnaw on his flesh and drink his blood (!!!!), there was mass desertion. These stories make perfect sense to us, and they also throw Abraham's devotion into stark relief. He became the father of a great people, because he was completely obedient to God.

What, I wonder, am I do say if I'm being called to give up something I truly love -- maybe the only thing I truly love? 

I don't know the answer, and I've been thinking about it a lot.