In this weekend’s Liturgy we read the account in Genesis of
Abraham’s bargaining with God for the preservation of Sodom, out of love for
his kinsman, Lot. I have enjoyed
reading, hearing and proclaiming this Scripture reading countless times, since
I’ve been serving as a lector in my home parish since March 1974, when I was a
junior at Marymount Manhattan College.
As always, my reaction is “Just gotta love
Abraham!” Although it would be centuries
before JESUS, our Messiah, Savior and LORD, true God and true Man, would come
to repair the breach between God and human beings and the veil of the temple
that represented God as too holy and unapproachable for us to encounter one-on-one
would be torn in two, Abraham’s dialogue with the LORD represents the kind of
intimacy and confidence with which the LORD desires us to approach the Throne
of Grace to receive mercy and favor in time of need—in needs both big and small—in
EVERYTHING! The transcendent God is also
immanent, and He desires to walk with us every step of the way.
If you will notice, Abraham is confident, but
he is not casual. God is not his “buddy” or “the man upstairs”. There is no
doubt that Abraham has not forgotten Who God is and who he is (and we are). God
is the LORD of the universe, while we are but dust and ashes. God is Creator. Abraham is (and we are) creature. And still Abraham can speak with Him in his
own language, can appeal to Him in his own words, can be fully himself, and can
understand that the LORD is a patient listener Who is kind, understanding and
compassionate, and even has a sense of humor!
So Abraham’s dialogue with God and his concern, his intercession on
behalf of those he loves, and even his bargaining can be a model of how we can
confidently (while never disrespectfully, irreverently or casually) come to God
with everything—and even more so now that we have our Savior’s own Word for it
that God is our Father and we are His beloved children.
I love to read the dialogue: it would make a
great one act play! Although out of
respect for the sacred text and sacred Liturgy I refrain from imitating a
Jewish accent, I do proclaim it somewhat as I imagine it to me. As I was listening to the lector proclaim it
at this evening’s Mass I could imagine that it could be not unlike one of the
memorable scenes of Tevye addressing God in the wonderful musical play FIDDLER
ON THE ROOF performed by MAGGIE’S LITLE THEATRE in St. Margaret’s parish last
Sunday with a marvelous cast, particularly the actor who made us believe that
he WAS Tevye. And perhaps the responses
from God could have come from a voice that resembled Charlton Heston of
Biblical epic movie fame.
I perceive Abraham, our father in faith and
the father of the Jewish people as the first Jewish lawyer, and Jewish people
have excelled in the law profession ever since!
The ability to negotiate seems to be a charism generously bestowed by
God on the Jewish people from the very beginning!
Abraham, the first Jewish lawyer, the father
of the Jewish people (including “Tevye”), and our father in faith, is a
wonderful model for us all in His approach to God in this passage. Ultimately
his greatest descendant (in terms of his human origins to which St. Paul refers
in his letter to the Romans), would become the greatest Mediator of all Who
still serves as Mediator for us at His Father’s throne. For don’t forget that
in His human origins, JESUS CHRIST, LORD of heaven and earth, Who came to save
all of the human race, Jew and Gentile alike, my LORD and Savior, is
Jewish. After all, as Tevye would say,
that’s what “the Good Book says”.
May the words of my lips (and pen and computer)
and the meditation of my heart find favor with You, my LORD and Redeemer. Thank you for allowing us to approach Your
throne with confidence and naturalness, as we truly are, to receive mercy and
grace in all our needs and the needs of those You have placed upon our
hearts. AMEN.
(c) Copyright 2013 by Arlene B. Muller, OSF.
