We’ve considered the faithfulness of father Abraham on his journey of faith and we’ve been impressed by his commitment to follow God; to trust and obey. But this? This story of the binding of Isaac stretches me beyond my comfort zone.
Who is this God who would ask such a thing? Who is this father who would do such a thing? Who is this beloved son who would give himself willingly—and why? . . .
The Living in The Story readings for this week juxtapose the Binding of Isaac with the Passion of Christ because this way of reading provides an important and intentional theological perspective. Consider Jesus as the beloved son, but for Jesus there was no ram in the bush; he truly died on that cross. He died as a human knowing that when people die, they stay dead.
Even so, Jesus died holding onto a tenacious, stubborn, absurd resurrection faith, a faith so grounded in the faithfulness of God he believed God’s promise could never be annulled.
Ever since, followers of Jesus still grapple with the mystery: What does this mean?
Read more at Charlotte Vaughan Coyle, Living in The Story: A Year to Read the Bible and Ponder God’s Story of Love and Grace (p. 85). Resource Publications. Kindle Edition
Readings for Living in The Story Week 5
