Sermon for Proper 7, Year A, June 25, 2023

Here is today's sermon, Proper 7, Year A, June 25, 2023. It is based on the reading from the Hebrew Scriptures, Genesis 21:8-21. It is the story of Abraham dismissing his slave Hagar and her son Ishmael. This is the woman with whom Abraham first had a child after the Lord promised in the covenant that Abraham would be the father of nations. After his wife Sarah had a child Isaac, she wanted to get rid of Hagar and Ishmael. I make the point that the life of faith is often a paradox, or topsy-turvy. Just like the story of Abraham dismissing Hagar is the exact reciprocal of the Exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt: The Hebrew Abraham raises the Egyptian child Ishmael / The Pharaoh's daughter raised the Hebrew Moses The Egyptian Hagar is the slave and the Hebrew Abraham is the master/ Pharaoh enslaved the Hebrews The death of firstborn Ishmael / The death of the Egyptian firstborn Ishmael is delivered through water / The Hebrews are delivered through the Red Sea The Egyptian Hagar wanders in the desert / the Hebrews wander through the desert Ishmael will found a great nation after the desert wandering / the Hebrews will found a great nation after their desert wandering