Lent reveals clearly God’s plan for our salvation!
As Lent begins, Scripture highlights Abraham and Sarah as model disciples. God calls and asks them to move away to a new land which Yahweh will subsequently name. If they do what God asks, Sarah will be the mother of a great nation.
However, they are childless and old. Yet mysterious as this news is, they enthusiastically trust Yahweh and respond to the Lord’s invitation with, “Here we are Lord.” And they immediately set out for their unknown destination. The Lord smiles delighted at their trust.
After arriving at the designated place, and spending many years and both being elderly, Sarah happily gives birth to Isaac, their first born. It is from Isaac that the Lord will fulfill his spoken promise. However, God writes straight with crooked lines. It is his way of getting his beloved creation to consider his proposals and then choose to follow.
When Isaac is a young boy, Yahweh calls again. Again, Abraham spontaneously responds, “Here I am Lord.” Yahweh shockingly asks: “Take your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and offer him as a sacrifice on a mountain I will point out.” If Abraham was shaken by this command, it was hidden. He quietly took Isaac leaving Sarah wondering.
At the spot for the sacrifice to happen, Yahweh again spoke, “Because you acted as you did and didn’t hold back your son from me, I will bless you abundantly and make your descendants as countless as the heavenly stars.” And so, Yahweh blessed Abraham and Isaac for their love and obedience.
Through Abraham’s example, Yahweh wanted creation to be aware of the similar sacrifice God will make giving up his son, Jesus, to an excruciating painful and disgraceful death. What Yahweh is saying is, “This wasn’t easy, but I did it for you.”
Another lesson to be learned is how Jesus trusted his father’s promise that he would rise on the third day, with creation sharing in that same resurrection promise when creation passes through death.
God the father also affirms his son Jesus and his mission with the words: “This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased” ending with this strong exhortation, “listen to him.” The father is insisting that Jesus message and life are the way to heaven. If we listen and then follow him, all creation will enter heaven. The Father is imploring creation that who Jesus is and what he is accomplishing are solely for our salvation.
Meanwhile on the mountaintop where the transfigured Jesus stood with Moses and Elijah, Peter, James, and John who gazed in awe not knowing what to say or do. Finally, Peter offers to build three monuments to honor what they saw.
However, Jesus had other ideas. He suggested instead that Peter, James, and John and every follower thereafter build monuments with their everyday lives right where they are. In this way they may evangelize and convert their neighbors.
Lent is the time for believers everywhere to listen again to God’s well-developed plan for our salvation. Then, with jubilant voices, we can answer loudly and clearly with Abraham’s words: Here I am Lord! I am here to do your will!”
