Birth

This Sunday we continue our sermon series from Genesis and the Revised Common Lectionary called From Chaos to Community.

Our text this week brings about many images of camping and hospitality and laughter and pregnancy. Particularly, there is a response from Sarah when she is made aware that God has something in mind for her. And how does she respond? She laughs…

Genesis 18:1-15
¹The Lord appeared to Abraham at the oaks of Mamre while he sat at the entrance of his tent in the day’s heat. ²He looked up and suddenly saw three men standing near him. As soon as he saw them, he ran from his tent entrance to greet them and bowed deeply. ³He said, “Sirs, if you would be so kind, don’t just pass by your servant. ⁴Let a little water be brought so you may wash your feet and refresh yourselves under the tree. ⁵Let me offer you a little bread so you will feel stronger, and after that you may leave your servant and go on your way—since you have visited your servant.”

They responded, “Fine. Do just as you have said.”

⁶So Abraham hurried to Sarah at his tent and said, “Hurry! Knead three seahs of the finest flour and make some baked goods!” ⁷Abraham ran to the cattle, took a healthy young calf, and gave it to a young servant, who prepared it quickly. ⁸Then Abraham took butter, milk, and the calf that had been prepared, put the food in front of them, and stood under the tree near them as they ate.

⁹They said to him, “Where’s your wife Sarah?”

And he said, “Right here in the tent.”

¹⁰Then one of the men said, “I will definitely return to you about this time next year. Then your wife Sarah will have a son!”

Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. ¹¹Now Abraham and Sarah were both very old. Sarah was no longer menstruating. ¹²So Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, I’m no longer able to have children and my husband’s old.

¹³The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Me give birth? At my age?’ ¹⁴Is anything too difficult for the Lord? When I return to you about this time next year, Sarah will have a son.”

¹⁵Sarah lied and said, “I didn’t laugh,” because she was frightened.

But he said, “No, you laughed.”

Consider these questions:

1. Have you ever faced something that you knew down to your core was impossible?
2. Who created that situation? Was it circumstance? Your own choice(s)? Was it God?
3. How do you respond when God calls you to do something impossible?