Doubting Abraham & Sarah
“God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall give rise to nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said to himself, “Can a child be for to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” (Genesis 17:15-17, NRSVue).
“They said to (Abraham), ‘Where is your wife, Sarah?’ And he said, ‘There, in the tent.’ Then one said, ‘I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son.’ And Sarah was listening at the tent entrance behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, ‘After I have grown old, and my husband is old, shall I have pleasure?” (Genesis 18:9-12, NRSVue)
When was the last time someone told you something so unlikely as to be impossible that you laughed out loud?
Quite honestly, it happens to me a lot. Just a few weeks ago, it was suggested that I join the Out-&-About Choir here at St. Andrew. I burst out laughing. Who, me? I don’t have much of singing voice. But that doesn’t matter. Every Tuesday morning, I’m learning and growling my way through the baritone parts of several hymns.
So who’s laughing now?
It is really easy to understand Abraham and Sarah’s amusement. According to Scripture, Abraham is 100 years old, Sarah is 90. They both have a good laugh. The idea is just plain silly. It is ludicrous. Things like that just do not happen, do they? Well? Do they?
But one of the Messengers asked “Is there anything too wonderful for the LORD” (Genesis 18:14a, NRSVue). They go on their way. Time passes. But then, in the fullness of time, “The LORD dealt with Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as he had promised. Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the time of which God had spoken to him” Genesis 21:1-2 NRSVue. Things like that just do not happen, until they do.
So who’s laughing now?
Abraham and Sarah’s doubt differs significantly from that of Thomas. Thomas demanded proof of the impossible. Abraham and Sarah truly believed that they were just being consoled in their old age. They did not, as Thomas did, refuse to believe. They just could not imagine such a miracle happening to them. Thomas denied belief. Abraham and Sarah’s doubt was just believing things like that just do not happen – that is, until they do.
Abraham and Sarah’s doubts were not unbelief. Abraham and Sarah firmly believed and served God. Their doubt was, as Michael Patton wrote, “the bridge that connects current faith to perfect faith” (7 Ways to Deal with Doubt: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/7-ways-to-deal-with-doubt; 2016).
It is normal to have doubts, questions, concerns. Award-winning author Madeleine L’Engle once said, “Those who believe they believe in God but without passion in the heart, without anguish of mind, without uncertainty, without doubt, and even at times without despair, believe only in the idea of God, and not in God himself.” So, doubt is a pointer toward faith. And doubt is the bridge that connects a current faith to a more perfect faith.
Don’t we all seek a more perfect faith? Think about that today.
Jerry Lipscomb
