The Message, June 18, 2023: "Laughing at God," Genesis 18:1-15

Author: Rev. Scott W. Cousineau
June 20, 2023

 

“Laughing at God”
A Message by Rev. Scott W. Cousineau
Genesis 18:1-15

Okay … let me see a show of hands … how many of you enjoy a surprise visit from a stranger? Anyone?

Recently, I watched a video of a comedy bit. Basically, the comedian asked the audience: “Do you remember when you were young? Do you remember how excited you got when someone rang the doorbell?

“You would scamper to the door … ‘someone is here! Who is it?! Who is it?!’

“And now … what do you do when someone rings the bell? ‘Pull the blinds! Turn out the lights! Everyone be quiet!!’”

Obviously, the bit is an exaggeration. That is what comedians do. However, it is funny because he is not too far off of the mark. He knows that the random knock on the door is likely to be someone selling something, or handing out political literature, or worse … someone that wants to tell you about God!!

When I was in elementary school, the students were asked to sell raffle tickets for some fundraiser. I made it to exactly ONE door. I went to my next-door neighbor’s house and received such a cold reception that I could not bring myself to go to any more houses!

During the pandemic, I received a shocking visit at the parsonage door. I looked out the window and saw two police officers standing there! They asked me if I was Reverend Scott Cousineau, to which I replied in the affirmative. Then they said that they had received a call … a complaint … that I was serving communion without wearing a mask. (Yes … it is true. Someone called the police on me.)

I informed them that I was indeed officiating the sacrament of communion, and that I was not wearing a mask. But then I also said that it was okay because there was NO ONE in the sanctuary! We were live-streaming the service and the sanctuary was empty.

In our scripture passage this morning, we witness an even more incredible surprise visit. Abraham was not visited by the Mamre Police Department. He was visited by none other than Yahweh … GOD!!

As the reader, or the listener, we are privy to more information than Abraham. We are told right from the get-go that the visitor was God. Abraham had to figure it out on his own, and we got to sit back and watch the show.

Abraham was much more akin to the folks in the first half of the comedian’s joke. He was extremely gracious to his visitors. He ran to greet them and bowed before them. He thanked them for stopping by … “I pray that I have found favor in your eyes,” and then as was required by their hospitality code, he invited them to say.

He instructed that water be fetched that they might wash their feet. And then in a display of modesty and humility offered them a “morsel” of food.

A morsel. Abraham instructed Sarah to prepare three measures of floor … one third of a bushel … the equivalent of thirteen liters of dough. (I did the math … rather the internet did the math … that is fifteen POUNDS of flour.) That is a lot of dough! He fetched milk and cream and then ordered that a fatted calf be prepared. Abraham’s “morsel” turned out to be a sumptuous feast. And at this point, he still may not have realized who it was that was sitting in the shade of that tree.

Until the Visitor said, “Where is Sarah your wife?”

“Huh?! How does he know Sarah’s name?! How does he know my wife?!”

The Visitor’s true identity became clearer when the declaration was made, “When I return this way next season, your wife Sarah will have a son!”

Ding, ding, ding! All of the lightbulbs and bells were going off in Abraham’s head. In the previous chapter in the Book of Genesis, God had visited Abraham and told him that Sarah would have a son. God made the covenant with Abraham. He would be the father of a great nation … too numerous to count!

And all of you Bible scholars out there, do you recall what Abraham did when God had said that to him? Abraham …laughed. He fell on his face and laughed.

Then here we are in today’s passage, Sarah overheard the Visitor and she laughed within herself. Once again, we the listener/viewer had been tipped off by the narrator. Abraham and Sarah were “advanced in days,” they were beyond child-bearing age.

And then, if any doubt still remained in Abraham’s heart or mind, God wiped that away. “Why does Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Shall I really give birth in my old age?’ Is anything beyond Yahweh? Is anything impossible for God?”

Is anything beyond Yahweh? That question really is the heart of the story. All of the drama led up to that question. Is anything impossible for God?

If we consider the arc of the Abraham story, we see the development of their relationship. Yahweh appeared to Abraham … a man who had never known God before … and instructed him to pack up his family and move to “a land that I will show you.”

Abraham packed up his family and left … not knowing where he was going.

Yahweh spoke to Abraham and told him that he would father a great nation, that he would be a blessing and all who blessed him would be blessed.

Yahweh made a covenant with Abraham. God would bless him with a son.

Abraham fell on his face and laughed.

Yahweh reiterated the promise of a son. Sarah laughed.

Why did they laugh? Were Abraham and Sarah models of faith? Or were they models of disbelief? Why did they laugh?

How would they answer the question, “Is anything beyond Yahweh? Is anything impossible for God?”

Did they laugh because they truly believed that the blessing of a son really was beyond the power and ability of God? Or … did they laugh because they well knew that there is nothing in all the world that is impossible for God?

Did they laugh because God is clearly delusional? Or did they laugh because blessing them with a son was well within God’s awesomeness? Were they laughing for joy … pure delight?

We notice as the episode comes to a close, that the question went unanswered. Neither Abraham nor Sarah responded to God’s question.

The same question is asked through scripture, is anything impossible for God?

Could God really lead the Hebrew people to freedom when they fled Egypt?
Could God lead the people safely through the wilderness?
Could God stay with the people of Israel when they were taken away into exile in Babylon?
Could God bring them safely home?
Could God protect them from the Philistines? Could God defeat other foreign armies?
Could God rebuild the Temple?
Could God overcome the impossible with Elizabeth and bless her with a child in her old age?
Could God bless a young woman named Mary with a child that would be the savior of the world?
Could God overcome the power of death?

It is the central question of our faith? Is anything impossible for God?

Can God see us through our difficult days?
Can God mend our broken places? Can God heal our broken hearts?
Can God lead us to a brighter day?
Can God bring us together that we might know peace?
Can God heal communities that are being torn apart by violence and hate?

What we learn as we live lives of faith is that faith does not conform to a reasonable set of facts or acts that fit into the “normal” scheme of life or perception. God and our faith in God extends beyond our understanding. But we still have to answer the question ourselves, “Is anything impossible for God?”

Essentially, the question boils down to “Is God God? Or not?”
Is God expansive and all powerful? Or do we try to cram God into the confines of a box of our making?

It is the fundamental question that everyone must answer. How will we answer?

Amen.

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