The Gift of Laughter
Following Christ in the footsteps of Abraham
Genesis 18:1-15
The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. 2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
3 He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by. 4 Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. 5 Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant.”
“Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.”
6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get three seahs of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.”
7 Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. 8 He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.
9 “Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him.
“There, in the tent,” he said.
10 Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.”
Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. 11 Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?”
13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
15 Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.”
But he said, “Yes, you did laugh.”
Genesis 21:1-7
Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. 2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. 3 Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him. 4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. 5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
6 Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” 7 And she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”
The first thing that strikes me about this passage is the hospitality of Abraham. These men were UNKNOWN to Abraham and yet he rolled out the red carpet. I think we can learn a lot about hospitality from this passage.
Once Abraham saw the three men, he went out to meet them, leaving his tent and the shade of the oak tree, he didn’t wait until they came close, he rushed out to show his good intentions by bowing low before them.
They have traveled many miles through the desert and so he offers water to wash their dusty tired feet and rest and refreshment under the oak trees where he made his home. He asks Sarah to make some bread and selects a choice calf, tender and good, to be prepared for the guests. This is all before he knew they brought glad tidings.
This really reminds me of the father of the prodigal son and how he lavished his returning son with love despite his actions.
Abraham’s expansive hospitality is also reflected in the actions of Jesus. As an itinerant preacher Jesus didn’t have a home to invite people into and demonstrate hospitality, even so, there are clear examples of him welcoming and eating with all types of people in the gospel accounts like Matthew, a tax collector, despised by his people, who became one of his closest companions. He shared water and conversation with a Samaritan woman, something unheard of at that time. He washed his disciple’s feet, taking on the role of a servant. And one of the clearest examples is when he feeds 5,000 people with 5 loaves and two fish - they were hungry and so he filled their stomachs. He didn’t say, “not my problem” – instead his great compassion moved him to action.
I have to admit that hospitality is not one of my gifts. I’m not a very social person and we are lucky to have people over maybe once or twice a year. But since I know that hospitality is a foundational value of our religion I am trying to get better. I practice welcoming gestures when I am out and about. I smile at people I meet and wave when I meet them on the road. I hold the door for people and look for other opportunities to help them.
I have always sought out those who seem lonely and befriended them in an attempt to let them know that someone cares. I also believe God brings people to you to expand your circle of acceptance. It could be someone who is attached to someone you already know, your child’s friend or your grandchild’s partner. It could even be someone in your own family that you struggle to understand – there are definitely differences between the generations. How are you doing with hospitality? What are the ways you extend welcome and acceptance to those you meet?
And how are we as a church doing with welcoming our guests? Are we warm and hospitable to all who enter through our doors? Do they feel wanted and cared for?
Looking at our readings from Genesis today, you may wonder why are there two passages included? The first passage from chapter 18 is where Abraham receives the promise of a son and the second passage from chapter 21 describes the birth of that promised son. I like to read both because it emphasizes that God is faithful – whatever God promises will eventually be delivered.
As I read this first passage, I see that the one of the men says “I will return to you at the appointed time.” You see, this promise of a child is already scheduled on the divine calendar and it makes you wonder how LONG has this appointment been on the books? It has already been 24 years since our last look at Abraham’s life where God promised to make him into a great nation. Since then, Abraham has faithfully followed where God led, even leading military campaigns against the inhabitants of the land and so far the only child he has is the one his wife manipulated into being by having Abraham sleep with her handmaiden Hagar.
Abraham will be 100 years old when Isaac is born and Sarah will be 99. Did they know that they would have to wait this long for fulfillment of this promise? I think they had given up on the idea that their descendants would be as numerous as the stars because when the honored guests reiterate the promise of a child coming from Sarah’s womb – she laughs.
I cannot read this passage about the promised coming of Isaac without thinking on my own Isaac. I remember the great anticipation accompanying my first child being born. I remember the great joy on that birth day. When I was pregnant I read a lot of books about pregnancy and childbirth – a shocker I know! But I remember reading that not every egg gets fertilized and not all fertilized eggs make it through the journey to living being. Only 40-60% of fertilized eggs make it through to full term.
This only emphasizes for me the MIRACLE of conception and the BLESSING of children. It’s something wonderful to think that God orchestrates every conception and every birth at the appointed time. After the birth of Isaac, Sarah says, “God has brought laughter for me; everyone who hears with laugh with me.” God has turned Sarah’s derisive laughter to effusive joy! I know my children have been a joy to me and I know that JOY is a gift from God.
Joy is different from happiness, joy exists independent of circumstances. As you look around you in this very room you can see joy shining forth from people’s faces just like Moses when he descended the mountain after seeing the Glory of God. Joy transfigures your soul. And I know why people feel this way – I know where it comes from – it comes from knowing God.
Paul has something to say about this in our reading from Romans (5:1-8). You can always count on Paul to bring up the most interesting points. He writes, “we also REJOICE in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” If we shorten this chain, we learn that suffering produces hope. What?! Why would he even say that?
I know this is incredible, but I can attest that this is true from my own experience. When you are in the depths of despair or writhing in pain on your bed – hope is all you have. You NEED hope and so you search for it – your LIFE depends on it. You need hope to survive when you are suffering and so you search diligently for it in the darkness and clutch at it and once you have it you hold it near to your heart and repeat those comforting words over and over until you finally believe them.
People in this world have lost hope, they have lost their way in the darkness and that’s why they need Jesus. We all need Jesus, the light of the world, Jesus who is our chief source of hope and joy.
I remember when I was swamped with grief after my first husband died at the age of 41 from esophageal cancer. I was left alone trying to find my way in the world with two small children. Depression threatened to consume me, but HOPE is what kept me alive.
Even in my current situation how do I endure – what keeps me going? Small hopes like knowing that tomorrow I will feel just a little better, hoping that this chemo is working to shrink the tumor, thinking that one day I will be done with this treatment and will have the energy to do the things I want to do. These hopes raise my spirits like helium balloons. But ultimately, it is my faith in the good purposes of God that keeps me going in the face of fatigue and pain. This HOPE is like a dirigible, big enough to convey me in style to my destination. Where will I end up at the end of this journey? How will I be changed? Only God knows. And I trust in God.
I trust in God to bring blessings at the right time and also afflictions. Paul also reminds us today that Christ died “at the right time” for the ungodly (vs. 6). Christ’s sufferings also occurred AT THE RIGHT TIME, scheduled on the divine calendar, bringing great hope for the world. Christ was sent out to bring hope to the world and we are the disciples that Jesus has called and sent out into the world for the same purpose. What are we doing to bring the hope of Christ to this hurting world?
Prayer
God of joy and laughter, you have not created us for sorrow but wish for ALL PEOPLE to experience the great joy which comes from being in your presence. Your son Jesus taught us to love others and it is through the sharing of this love that we can bring hope to this hurting world. It is our mission to bring your gift of laughter and joy to those who need it the most. Teach us to welcome all people, to love and accept all people who you have created in great diversity like every other form of life on this planet. AMEN