Sermon delivered on Trinity 2A, Sunday, June 29, 2014, at St. Augustine’s Anglican Church, Columbus, OH.

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Lectionary texts: Genesis 22.1-14; Psalm 13.1-6; Romans 6.12-23; Matthew 10.40-42.

In the name of God: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Church season of Ordinary Time can often seem as a time when the Church is not focused. Unlike Advent, Lent, Easter or Pentecost, in Ordinary Time it is rare if there is a single theme that last for more than a week or two and often in a single Sunday we are presented with a variety of different themes. This would appear to be one of those Sundays or so it seems.

Our Gospel reading from Matthew is remarkably short and to the point. If one welcomes one who is called by God to come into their lives those persons who welcome such will receive a blessing because they welcome not only that individual but Christ Himself. Welcome a prophet and you get a prophets reward. Welcome a righteous person and receive a righteous persons reward and even those who show even a minimum of compassion to the believer will not be forgotten by the Lord. This is good news not only to those who receive a prophet or righteous person or who provide some modicum of care, but to those who are sent out by the Lord that there is first an assurance that there will be those who will respond to them and to the Lord and second that such persons will having experiencing God’s blessing for doing so be more willing to do so in the future and to encourage others to likewise respond. In short, it is an encouragement to the one called to be a prophet or other instrument of God’s presence and to respond as we heard the prophet respond in a song we sang last week ” Here Am I” use me.

The Epistle Reading from Romans deals with a real problem for the early Church which flowed from the teaching of Paul. Salvation is a free gift of God and not something that the believer can earn. No act of sacrifice, no abstaining from sin can earn this Salvation; therefore, some reasoned that if staying away from sin cannot earn one salvation, why worry or concern oneself over sin or in another words if God’s grace is sufficient for salvation then whether I sin or not is unimportant. The natural result is that many do sin. Paul’s responds in the strongest response when he points out that those who sin have bound themselves to be slaves of sin – a relationship that leads to death – physical and spiritual death. Rather Paul exhorts the believers to offer themselves up to be slaves, that is to turnover their whole lives, to offer themselves, as slaves to righteousness that is also to offer themselves therefore as slaves to God. As in Paul’s time slavery was common, he knows well that is using that term that the people hearing him will understand how complete the dedication must be.

Then we turn to our first reading Genesis. It is a story that we are all familiar with. Abraham is called to sacrifice his son, in obedience he sets out to do so, and at the last minute his son is spared his life and his father is spared untold grief. But before, we get back to this reading, I would like for us to have a little better understanding of the importance and practice of sacrifice in the Old Testament. In those times, it was common for almost all people who believed in a divine person or entity to have some ritual in which something was offered to their god for one or more purposes – to win favor, to obtain forgiveness or to enter a special relationship with their god. Sadly it was not unusual for there to be the sacrifice of individual lives often of one’s own children and even babies during the time of Abraham. It is in this historical framework, that we find that from Genesis through to the New Testament a long history of sacrifices for the People of God. Some of these seemed to be spontaneously as when Noah having survived the floor makes a sacrifice to the Lord. Other sacrifices are set forth in great detail such as the sacrifices that occurred in the Temple at Jerusalem. Of these, I would like to reflect on several. The term for sacrifice can also be translated “offering.” This is because the thing that is being sacrificed is being offered or given to God. It is also a reflection that the person in giving the sacrificial gift is offering him or herself.

The first type of sacrifice that I want to discuss is the Peace Offering. It was a meal shared with the Lord, the ministers of the altar and depending on the circumstances a number of the people in the congregation. A portion of the animal offered was burnt upon the altar, and was understood to be sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. There were also unleavened cakes of wheat which were normally eaten by the priests, but sometimes by the person making the offering and sometimes by members of the congregation as well. When different individuals or groups entered into agreements or covenants it was often entered into with the Sacrifice of the Peace Offering.

The next Sacrifice is the Trespass Offering. This was a sacrifice or offering that occurred when someone admitted that he has injured another through fraud or other means. The person would first be required to repay in full the injured party any losses that were the result of the wrong. Then the person seeking reconciliation would make an offering at the Temple worth the same amount plus 40%.

The Sin Offering was a sacrifice to make up for sins and failures to live up to God’s commandments. The animal sacrificed or offered depended upon the role the person played in the community. The High Priest would have to offer a Bull, the other Leaders at least a male Goat, and for the common people there was listing of acceptable animals that could be offered mostly depending upon levels of wealth. For the very poor a grain offering was acceptable. Important to this sacrifice was the pouring out or shedding of blood and it ceremonial sprinkling on and around the altar of sacrifice. Without the shedding of blood , it was believed that there could be no forgiveness of sin.

The Meal Offering consisted of fine flours, olive oil, or vegetables or a type of dough made with oil and flour but not honey or leaven. Often there would be the use of incense burned with a portion of the food stuffs. The priests would take a portion, but the rest would be eaten by the congregation. The purpose was an affirmation and speaks of a life that is dedicated to generosity and giving.

The last type of Sacrifice that that I want to discuss is the Burnt Offering. In this type of Sacrifice the animal offered is completely burned up on the fire of the Altar of the Temple which was never to go out. The animal was to be one without blemish. The Burnt Offering was performed to atone for the sins of the whole people rather than individual sin or as a dedication offering of a person’s life to the Lord. These five types of Temple sacrifices are the general types and there were variations for special occasions and circumstances. Prior to the Temple there was even greater variety and practice.

This now leads us back to the story of our first reading. In this story we see Abraham who had been promised by God that he would be the father of a great nation now being told that he must sacrifice his only son – remember last week when he disinherited the son he had with the slave girl. But now a son that had come to Sarah and him while they were way past normal child baring years – again as an answer to their prayers and fulfillment of God’s promise.

In our current story, three times God calls out to Abraham and each time he responded with the expression meaning “Hear am I” an expression which is not only an acknowledgement of hearing God, but of a willingness to do what God asks. Abraham is told to go on a journey to a designated place to sacrifice his only son as a Burnt Offering. Abraham’s life had been one of many journeys but never one so dramatic. We can only imagine the thoughts and pain that must have run through his mind and heart. From this story and others we know that he loved his son. We also know that upon the sacrificing of his son that any hope of being the ancestor from which a great nation was doomed. It would seem as if God was backing out of his promises. This was a test. Would he be faithful. He was and at the very moment he was about to slay his son God stepped it with a substitute. The term test as used in this story means to proof something is true or reliable. Despite the many weaknesses of Abraham when put to an ultimate challenge he did indeed prove reliable and God showed Himself true to his promises. The people of the Old Testament saw in this story a proof of God’s faithfulness. It would also show them the need to be faithful even when it appeared that God was bringing them into times of great trial.

For the Church of the New Testament we often see in this story a hint or preparation for what God the Father would do.In the death and suffering of Jesus on the Cross the Father did not provide a substitute but sacrificed his only Son and in doing so proved His love for his people. In the death of Jesus Christ we have the perfect sacrifice in which the victim was without the slightest blemish of sin and yet was the perfect Sin Offering. By His Death, Jesus reopened the relationship between God’s People and God and restored the Covenant of Grace in what is the perfect Peace Offering. In His dying upon the cross, Jesus paid the price not for just some of our transgressions but all of or sin and thus became the perfect Sin and Transgression Offering.

Through His Gift of the Eucharist, Jesus has and continues to invites us to bring to the Father simple offerings of bread and wine which through His Sacrifice become His very presence and unite us both with Him and with that Sacrifice which was and is also the perfect Meal Offering.

Given the wonderful, awesome and complete offering and sacrifice made by Jesus, no other sacrifice is needed or can compare but by God’s grace we are able to join our sufferings, our caring for others, our praises, and our lives to those of Jesus as He continues to offer Himself to the Father.

In the name of God: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.