The Testing of Abraham: Akedah

Genesis 22:1-18; Ps 116 I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living; Romans 8:31-34; Mark 9:2-10

Today we encounter the testing of Abraham. God ask Abraham to tai this only son, the one he loves and offer him as a sacrifice.
Listen again to the opening lines of the first reading, "God put abraham to the test. HE called to him "Abraham!" "Here I am" he replied. Then God said, "Take your son ISaac, your only one, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. THere you shall offer him up as a holocaust on a height that I will point out to you."

Think about that for a moment. Let it settle into your bones. Too often we read right over the passage without really experiencing it fully.

This particular story in Hebrew is called Akedah, the binding of Isaac.

The passage continue that Abraham, early the next morning saddled his donkey and cut the wood for the sacrifice and took along his son and two servants and set out for the place God had told him. The place was three day journey away.

Imagine that slow ride to the mountain. Imagine the anguish in the heart of Abraham. Remember Isaac isn't just his son, but rather he is his future, his life an drove.

Once they arrive, think about that slow climb up the mountain with Isaac at his side carrying the wood on the his back that will soon become his bier.

Then about half way up, Isaac ask a question, "Here are the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"

This experience would have been familiar to Isaac; he grew up watching his father, a man of faith offer sacrifices to God his whole childhood. Nothing is unusual about the journey, about the fire, about the wood on his back.

Yet, something is missing an young Isaac wonders what kind of sacrifice will this be.

Abraham, with great tranquility and confidence responds to his young son's question with a simple statement of faith, "God will provide."

What must have been running through his mind as he looked at his son and spook those words, "God will provide!"

Then we get to the climax. Once they arrive at the place, Abraham arranges the wood upon the altar he built then he bound Isaac and put him on top of the wood, which now had become his bier.

Imagine such a duty being performed.

Then Abraham raises the knife and directs its point toward the very life cents roy his son, zeroing in on the breast where the heart beats lively.

What could we possible learn from this story?


We learn astonishment and amazement at the power of faith active in the heart of this man, Abraham.

We learn that faith is not a feeling or emotion but rather it is a way of life, a call to action, a demand of obedience and duty toward God. Faith is when we reach for the impossible, th infinite with the very finite flesh and blood of our existence trusting God will provide.


Faith is choosing to withhold nothing from God.

Listen to the verdict of God over Abraham because of his action, "Now I know how devoted you are to God, since you did withhold from me your own beloved son."

Faith is serious business. It is not a game we only play on Sundays and for some only some of the sundays at that.

God demands to be taken seriously! God wants our undivided attention and loyalty! Does he have it?


We all must look at our life and see what we withhold from God.

How often do we live thinking if we have faith then GOd will spare us from trials and tribulations and pain? God doesn't want to spare us from anything; he wants to save us!

Listen to St. Paul, "God did not spare his own son, but handed him over for us all."

What we learn in this story is that God is found to be faithful. God does provide. Blessings flow forth to those who are obedient, those who withhold nothing from God.

We all want God's reward but we want to get it our own way. We want the reward but we don to want to path he has laid before us.

What do we hold back? What do we spare from God?

Think about our financial life: how often we hoard it for ourselves rather than using it to show forth GOd's generosity in our life.

Think about our sexuality: how often we want to spare it for ourselves rather than let God redeem it and let become what it was suppose to be. Couples who live together before marriage what to be spared from the practice of faithful chastity. They don't trust that GOd will provide.

Couples who are married and use artificial contraception are asking GOd to spear them from fruitful love and fruitful trust in his plan for them, They let fear dictate rather than faith so they hold back and thus pervert the very union that is suppose to reflect GOd's creative power.

Think about our heart: we hold back our hearts when we guard grudges and refuse to forgive. We are asking God to spare us form the difficulty of imitating him and learn true charity rather then letting it all be redeemed.

God will provide. We, like Abraham, must bind our life and love to God completely.