Reflection - Promises

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/062817.cfm
Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18
Matthew 7:15-20

Most men old enough to have grandchildren would not want to father a child. Even fewer of the men old enough to have great grandchildren would want to father a child. And men old enough to have great- great grandchildren would seem foolish if they desired to father a child. Abram was one of the latter. He was old enough that he could have had great- great grandchildren. But he didn't. He had neither children nor grandchildren nor great grandchildren. This was a source of sorrow for both Abram and his wife Sarai. The belief that one's life continued through one's descendants was much stronger than it is today; and Abram could see only finality for his line.

It was in this context that the Lord came to Abram in a vision. If his story were told today he would probably be dismissed as an unfortunate victim of dementia or Alzheimer's. But Abram had a history with the Lord and this was not the first time the Lord had come to him. He had already been told that the nations of the earth would be blessed through him and that he should leave the place where he was and to go to the land that would be shown to him. Abram did so; and when he came to the land of Canaan he was told that this was the land God had promised. Abram believed; he built an altar and offered sacrifice. Abram was seventy-five when this happened and he had no heir.

The incident in today's reading comes about ten years later. Once again, in Abram's vision, God makes extravagant promises: great blessings were to come to Abram. But Abram laments that he has no heir. "O Lord GOD, what good will your gifts be, if I keep on being childless." In answer, the Lord makes a promise that borders on the outlandish: "Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can. Just so shall your descendants be." Abram asks for confirmation.

     God's answer is to enter into a covenant, a formal, contractual arrangement with him. The symbolism is dramatic. Two animals are split in two. The parties in the covenant pass between the separated parts, symbolically stating: If I fail to live up to this covenant between us, may I be split in two like these animals. Abram's God, the creator of the universe, enters in to this contractural agreement. He passes through the divided animals using the image of a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch, thereby affirming that he will be true to his promise. 

Almost fifteen years later the Lord again appears to Abram in a vision. 

• "Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come forth from you." (Genesis 17:4, 6)

This time the Lord establishes the practice of circumcision as a sign of the Covenant. But, in addition, Abram, who is now called Abraham, is told that Sarah will bear him a son. Abraham and Sarah both respond to this promise with skeptical laughter, for Abraham is almost one hundred and Sarah is ninety. Nevertheless, even in his skepticism, Abraham believes. He and all the men of his tribe are circumcised just as God had prescribed. 

Looked at objectively, this whole scenario seems ludicrous. Here's this old guy, still kicking, but well beyond the average life expectancy of the time. Life insurance companies  probably wouldn't even talk to him. But he claims God chose him to be the father of a great nation even though he has no heir; that all mankind would be blessed through him even though he's only a nomadic rancher; and that his wife will give birth to his son even though he's ninety-nine and she's ninety. Even fantasy fiction authors couldn't make this one up. Such promises as Abraham hears in his visions, presuming at least that they are genuine, are still implausible, even preposterous. But, we are told, Abraham accepted them as authentic.

Such are the promises of God.

St Paul tells us that "In hope [Abraham] believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations." (Romans 4:18)

"No distrust made [Abraham] waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was 'reckoned to him as righteousness.' But the words, 'it was reckoned to him,' were written not for his sake alone, but for ours also. It [righteousness] will be reckoned to us who believe in him that raised from the dead, Jesus our Lord." (Romans 4:20-24)

Accepting the promises of God is not possible for those whose eyes are blind to the truth of what only seems absurd: 

• "For truly, I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you." (Matthew 17:20)

Accepting the promises of God is not possible for those whose hearts are hardened to the joy and whimsy in what only appears distasteful:

• "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit."

The Lord promises "I've got your back" but we worry anyway.

Jesus told us: "He who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do." (John 14:12) And we are content with the ordinary. 

Jesus affirms "I send the promise of my Father, [the Spirit], upon you." (Luke 24:49) and we are satisfied with what we can accomplish on our own.

Faith follows knowledge, specifically, the knowledge of God.

•      Abram knew God and believed even when he was being led into the unknown.
  
•      Abram knew God and believed, even when God's promise seemed a fantasy.
  
•      Abram knew God and believed even when counting either stars or descendants appeared impossible.
  
•      Abram knew God and believed, even when a son was deemed an illusion. 

Abraham did not know God because he believed. 

He believed because he knew God.

And he knew that God remembers his promises forever.