‘Sacrifice” you say?’ by Rev Allister Lane
Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18
Luke 13:31-35
Hello from my home, where I’m currently in isolation.
I’m missing you all today, but thankful for those who are leading worship today,
And pleased I can share my sermon with you this way.
Let’s jump straight into these Bible readings today.
These lectionary readings are perfect for our preparation during Lent as we move toward Easter.
And they connect with our world at the moment, and all the turmoil.
In Genesis God has a conversation with Abram (he’s the same guy as Abraham – before God gives his name an upgrade)
God makes promises to Abram.
Abram’s descendants will be as numerous as the stars in the sky. Abram believes God.
Abram will get land to live in. Abram pushes back a little “…how am I to know that I shall possess it?”
And in response an animal sacrifice takes place.
What is going on here with this animal sacrifice?
It’s important for us to understand this ancient ritual, because ‘sacrifice’ is a theme throughout the whole Bible, and it expresses God’s loving relationship with humanity.
If we understand what it meant then – we can understand God’s Word to us for today.
Rob Bell’s understanding of the meaning of bloody sacrifice:
In the ancient world, when you entered into a deal with someone,
you made a covenant with them.
First, you'd get some animals, like a cow, a ram, a goat or a dove.
Second, you'd chop them in half.
Third, you'd lay out the halves with space between them, forming an aisle.
Fourth, you'd stand side by side at one end of the aisle made of animal halves and you'd each state what you were going to do to uphold your end of the bargain.
Fifth, you'd then walk between the halves of the animals while you
said something like this:
May I become like these animals if fail to uphold my end of the covenant.
Do you see the power of a covenant like this?
This is where the phrase ‘to cut a deal’ comes from.
In the ancient world, the gods were believed to be distant, detached, petulant, waiting for you to offer them sacrifices to appease their wrath and keep them on your side.
That's how people saw the gods.
But this story is about a God who spends a lot of time insisting that this God has plans to do something for Abraham.
In the ancient world this story is totally upside down.
God then tells him that God's going to give Abraham some land,
and he asks,
How can I know that I will gain possession of it?
God responds, Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram .
You know where this is going, don't you?
Because the next verse reads, Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other.
How come God doesn't have to tell Abraham what to do with the animals?
Because Abraham already knows what to do.
He and God are entering into a covenant, they're cutting a deal,
and so Abraham does what people in his day did in situations like this.
Then the sun sets, and in the dark, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces.
What's the deal with the smoking firepot?
It's a sign of the presence of God.
And it is God alone who passes through the animals.
The story starts with something familiar that people at that time did-
but then takes an unexpected turn.
So what's the point?
In the story, God commits to upholding both ends of the deal.
Even if Abraham fails to do his part, this God will be faithful.
Is there something bigger going on here?
Yes. Abraham is being invited to trust God, to believe that God is good and has his best interests in mind and will be faithful to him even if Abraham makes a mess of things.
This is a story about a human being having a relationship with a living God.
It's about a particular kind of relationship with a particular kind of God, one who is good and kind and generous.
One who can be trusted.
One who keeps insisting, Trust me, I got this.
…this story is about grace, trust, love, and hope.
It's not just about cutting a deal. It's about a growing understanding of what it means to be human.
This covenant, like all covenants in the Bible[1],, is an expression of God’s grace.
This covenant, like all covenants in the Bible promises a future with God’s presence, guidance, and blessing.
This covenant, like all covenants in the Bible, points toward the new covenant in Christ.
Which brings us to the passage from Luke’s Gospel.
I would summarise this passage as being about Jesus’ determination to go to Jerusalem.
Luke makes a big deal of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem.
It takes ten chapters!
This has a theological meaning:
it emphasises Jesus’ resolve to reach his Jerusalem goal, and fulfil God’s mission.
This ‘Necessity’ is a feature of Luke’s Gospel.
And is often expressed as “must” (as it is here)
· Jesus must proclaim the good news of the kingdom (Lk 4:43)
· Jesus must stay at the house of Zacchaeus (Lk 19:5)
· Jesus must go on to Jerusalem (to suffer, be rejected and be killed)
This ‘necessity’ feature expresses the compelling sense of God’s purpose and plan.
What link is there in this necessity to go to Jerusalem, with the Genesis reading?
Jesus is going to Jerusalem knowing that he is to be the sacrifice of love and grace for all people
– to fulfil God’s promised plans and purposes.
The words “…and the third day I finish my course.” (v 32)
is unmistakable as a refence to the Resurrection.
The sacrificial nature of Jesus’ death (and his Resurrection)
are the events that demonstrate God’s love, God’s power, God’s mercy,
God’s plan and purpose for all of us.
The covenant God makes with us requires an obedient and faithful response,
but it is no imposition to respond willingly to this generosity of divine grace.
And, just as Abraham and Sarah had ups and downs after God made the covenant, we will find there are ups and downs in our lives still.
Although we can feel there is plenty of evidence to the contrary – God’s promise is faithful.
Frank Skinner quote
(When we consider what is happening in our world: war, suffering, enslavement, he says): “A lot of people don’t understand how I, in the light of so much contradictory evidence, could possibly believe in God. What I don’t understand is how He, in the light of even more contradictory evidence, could possibly believe in me.” (A Comedian’s Prayer Book , p96)
In a world that is messed up (that’s putting it politely)
today’s readings offer us hope in who God is – toward us.
Understanding this covenant God gives us, we are able to make a good response.
The Apostle Paul tells the Christians to make a sacrifice.
Not an animal sacrifice.
“present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God,
which is your spiritual worship.” (Rom 12:1)
The sacrifice Jesus has made is effective for making the relationship we enjoy with God possible.
And our response is worship – with all we are and have.
This is what we are about as a church – we are a Covenant Community.
We have a shared vision of worship
of love
of peace
of justice
and this guides how we live our lives in a world that is dislocated and fragmented.
We value membership at St John’s as an expression of belonging in Covenant Community together;
We recognise the divine purposes and plan that has been fulfilled in Jesus that demonstrates we belong to God and to one another.
Let’s pray:
God of gracious covenant,
Like any family, we live with one another in our diversity.
Your covenant commitment to us allows us to open ourselves to being shaped by Your Word,
Your covenant commitment allows us to be transformed by Your grace,
promised to us in the breaking of bread together
We thank You for this celebration of the ultimate (and once-and-for-all) sacrifice of commitment and trustworthiness, made by Your Son Jesus,
who promises Your constant presence, guidance, and blessing – now and forever.
Amen.
[1] (Noah, Abraham, David)