Reflection on the readings for the 21st June, the 3rd Sunday after Trinity
- Jun 22
- 6 min read
Readings: Genesis 21:8-21; Matthew 10:24-39
Today’s reflection is by Reader, Cal Bailey.
God’s promise always remains.
Relationships can be the greatest blessing to us. And they can be our greatest difficulty too. We’re going to see today that those statements can be true at the same time. They aren’t contradictory.
I wonder if you can think of a relationship which has been difficult for you? With a boss or colleague perhaps; with a partner or member of the family; with a neighbour, or with a friend.
I’ve talked before about a difficult relationship I’ve had with a cousin, and in a family business that was very difficult when we were working there together; and it remains so today.
It might even be with a building. I’ve had a difficult relationship with this building. It’s beautiful, but almost useless for anything but worship; yet it’s capable of being both more beautiful and useable by many others. But it’s listed and expensive to change. For some years, I thought it’s too difficult to change. Making it really beautiful will be too hard. Until someone persuaded me that we must, and we should and we can.
I want us to take a difficult relationship from the Old Testament today and look at what we can learn.
It’s the story of Hagar and Sarah. As a man, I’m wary of talking about relationships, especially between two women. But I hope you’ll see why it’s worth trying! Hagar was Sarah’s maid or slave. They both wanted children – Sarah and her husband Abraham had been promised a child by God. But it wasn’t happening. She was getting too old, so she tried to help God by sending Hagar in to Abraham.
Hagar became pregnant and contemptuous. Sarah became jealous and cruel. Hagar fled into the wilderness. But God’s angel found her and said two things: go back to your mistress; and you shall have a son.
A difficult relationship. Then, in her old age, wonderfully, Sarah became pregnant with Isaac. In due course both women gave birth, and named their children Ishmael and Isaac. That’s where our reading starts.
Promises to both women were kept. But the difficult relationship remained – jealousy about inheritance, in particular, because Ishmael was first born which was significant in that culture – yet Sarah was the wife. Reluctantly both God and then Abraham saw that the relationship couldn’t continue and Sarah was allowed to dismiss Hagar who – for the second time – goes into wilderness exile.
Why, you might ask, is this grim story included in the Bible?
I wonder if you can see how similar Hagar’s story is to the Old Testament story of the nation of Israel? Both are enslaved – Hagar to Sarah and Israel to the masters of Egypt; despite their slavery, both are a threat – Hagar is a threat to Sarah and Israel became a threat to Pharoah; both flee and journey through the wilderness twice; Israel first through the desert on the way to the promised land, and later on the way to exile in Babylon.
The Old Testament was compiled in its current form while Israel was in Babylon – and it becomes clear why this story is included. For Israel, the story of Hagar was like their story.
Not only are their difficulties similar, but so are the promises God has made to them. God has promised them both that they will be fathers of great nations - Ishmael is father of the Arab nations in today’s Middle East, and Isaac is father of the nation of Israel.
With our longer history, we can see that the difficulties of Hagar and Sarah are the difficulties of Arab and Jew today.
And we can also see that God kept his promise to both mothers. Despite the difficulties, the anger, the hatred, the resentments.
You may wonder if this history has something to say to the current conflict? It is overlooked by today’s commentators. But I want to focus on what we learn about God.
Because our reading shows us that, whatever difficulties we throw in his path, God keeps his promise to make great nations from both mothers. Both their boys come near to death – Ishmael in the wilderness; and the very next chapter, Genesis 22, is the story of how Isaac was nearly killed. Both are saved by the intervention of God. Israel saw their own history in the story of the mother of Arabs, Hagar. That’s why they included it in their scriptures. The promise of God overcame the difficult human relationship. We may frustrate God’s plans, but God’s promises remain – even to people at odds with each other, even to people who hate each other, even to people who try to kill each other – they always remain, and will always be fulfilled.
You may feel that you are the most unwanted, most awkward, most unloved person alive. But God’s promise to us too will be fulfilled. Let’s look at them – there are many, and I’m only going to take the ones in our New Testament reading spoken by Jesus.
“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your father. And even the hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.” Mt 10:29-31
Are you worried about a difficult relationship? Is there some other major challenge facing you? You are of great value to God, just as Hagar was. God didn’t forget Hagar. God found her in the wilderness, twice. He hasn’t forgotten you. God will find you in your wilderness.
Jesus calls us to hold onto the promise at the end of our gospel reading: “Whoever finds his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Mt 10:39.
Sarah tried to become a mother by deception. She tried to find her life the wrong way. But God’s promise to her remained despite this. God’s promise always remains. Our lesson is that God is always trustworthy. We can afford to risk our life for God. Those who lose their life for Jesus will find it. In other words those who trust God, even when it looks foolish, will be honoured by God in the end. They will not be forgotten or lost or left in the wilderness. God’s promise always remains.
I want to come back to my difficult relationship with this building. It is now very different. I have come to support the vision to make this building as beautiful as it can be; and as useful as it can be; both for worship and for use by our community. Indeed I believe this can become the most beautiful community space in Horsforth.
I know it seems a big task. But we have made a start. We have already stopped water ingress by replacing the roof at this end of the church. Over recent months, we have been seeking permission to renew the roof over the rest of the church, as the next big step before working on the inside of the building. We have finally received the permission we need.
Our vision is also to make this building warm in winter. And to do so by a method which is carbon neutral. We think we can do this with ground source heat pumps, powered by solar energy. So we want to put solar panels on the south facing nave roof. We think it’s simply the right thing to do while we’re up there. That’s what took permission.
Funding all this is a challenge. So far the work has been funded by grants and legacies, not by the congregation. Here’s the challenge: the PCC is asking the congregation to fund the solar panels. The cost is £25,000, or £625 each for 40 panels.
So we’re going to have a Gift Day in July – the same day as our picnic – July 12th. We’ll be asking you to promise us what you can, to help us raise £25,000.
Can you afford to give one panel? Two panels? More? Can you be generous? This will involve trusting God. Trusting God that you will have enough left to live on.
The story of Hagar and Sarah today helps us to be sure that we can trust God. He’s a God of big promises to us. Those promises remain even when we let God down or don’t deserve them. We can be forgiven, start again, come back - to enjoy the promises of God. That’s the wonder of our God. “Whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” God’s promise always remains. Can you trust it? Let’s put that promise to the test!