Some people just love the “view from the top” of very high buildings or mountaintops. The air is fresher, the view is incomparable. But today we have a story of Abraham who went up a mountain, with a “view from the top”, to sacrifice his only son.
With our concern for child abuse, we may think “What kind of a God wants murder as a sign of obedience?” It is said that the people of that place practiced child sacrifice. So the point of the story may be not only to show Abraham’s obedience, but that God was showing that He is not like other gods that had been worshipped. God shows that human sacrifice would never be a part of fidelity to the Lord of life!
In any event, we see God always standing by in faithfulness. Whatever our struggles, Lent is a good time to “discover again our fidelity to the one true God.” Lent used to be a time for giving up things—chocolate especially! But perhaps we need to “give in” to God instead of “giving up” chocolate. To give in is to listen for God’s words as Abraham did, and to let ourselves be led into our future by God, as Abraham was, no matter how frightening it is.
On Mt. Tabor the apostles “view from the top” saw God’s awesome glory shining in Jesus. They too, had to put faith in God and His Son Jesus as they walked a path unfamiliar to them. As we continue our journey through this Lenten Season, may our faith grow stronger each day until that time that we can share the Glory of God in His Kingdom.