Tuesday, September 23, 2025

Reading 10 | The Bible in 100 Passages

Today's Scripture
Genesis 18:1–15

The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them and bowed down to the ground. He said, “My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on — since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah and said, “Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour, knead it, and make cakes.” Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it. Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared and set it before them, and he stood by them under the tree while they ate.

They said to him, “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 be fruitful?” The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too wonderful for the Lord? At the set time I will return to you, in due season, and Sarah shall have a son.” But Sarah denied, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “Yes, you did laugh.” (NRSVUE)

Reflection

The assignment and writing of this series of devotionals occurs at a perilous time when gratuitous acts of unspeakable violence — against each other, against communities, against countries — seem de rigueur. For one who has taken an oath to care for others, my heart is sometimes heavy.

All of us hear the warnings, “Rome is burning.” Where is our anchor? For the sentient human, there is concern; for Christians, there is disarray. Our grand belief in the All-powerful, the Almighty, is countervailed by today’s distorted images of power. To hold power is no longer a noble cause; it’s a corruption.

How prescient, then, that we are embracing the Bible in 100 Passages. Pause and process — there are just 100 Passages, or fewer, securing our doctrine and chronicled in our archive of faith — the Bible. If ever we needed to steady our anchors, all 100, that time is here.

Genesis 18 describes power as it was meant to be. The Lord appears not in spectacular iridescent raiment bejeweled and perfectly coiffed; no, the Lord appeared as three men on foot, ground level. The Lord became human, avoided haughty and portrayed humility. The Lord accepted hospitality, expressed gratitude, and granted the most precious gift — the gift of new life. No edicts; no raised voices; just gentle and genuine strength; good power.

And Abraham’s response was magnanimous — by some accounts, the order was for both a young (likely un-neutered) bull and three seahs of flour, or 1/3 of a bushel. A sole servant must wrestle, dress, and prepare a feisty bull, and an older woman must knead and bake 1/3 bushel or 21 liters of dry flour. And amidst such a laborious task (it is clear Abraham did not help), she hears a promise that she, at age 98 (her son, Isaac, was born a year later at age 99), would bear a son. So, let’s role-play. Sarah is tasked with the enormous, given no help, promised the unthinkable, and looks at her then feeble 99-year-old husband and mumbles, “There is no way,” then laughs? That entire moment of incredulity was worthy of laughter, until it wasn’t.

The Lord gathered her attention, cautioned her laughter, then offered a grand lesson in power, good power. Nothing is too hard; a promise is a guarantee; a word given is sacrosanct; extraordinary is possible; God’s love never fails. Never.

The lesson learned from this Bible passage? Our Lord is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. What an anchor. We need not worry. We know a power that supersedes all; there is good power in our souls.

Prayer

Dear God, thank you. Amid turbulence, you give us calm; when uncertainty abounds, you give us blessed assurance; and when we sense brokenness, your good power restores. Thank you for your mercy and grace. Amen.

Written by Clyde Yancy, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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