(Listen to this homily here).
Genesis 22, the chapter from which our first reading came,
is one of the most important readings in the whole Bible. I’d put it in the top five readings in
the entire Old Testament.
This
chapter contains the testing of Abraham and it is chalk full of allusions to
Jesus Christ. Theologians call
something in the Old Testament that points to something in the New
Testament—especially Jesus—a type. Isaac, then, is a type of Christ.
Now imagine Abraham and Isaac walking
up the mountain. Many of you may
imagine an old man walking with a young boy who is carrying a few sticks. This image needs to be shattered! Remember, “…Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and
laid it on his son Isaac’s shoulders…” Think about how much wood it would take to make a big enough
fire to consume an entire animal!
Rather than a young boy, Isaac was probably in the prime of his life,
carrying the wood for the sacrifice.
Isaac carrying the wood up a mountain…who does that sound like? Of course—Jesus. In fact, Isaac walked up the same place
as Jesus! Mount Moriah and Mount
Calvary are actually part of the same mountain region. In Jerusalem today, the great Muslim
shrine of the Dome of the Rock is supposedly housed over the rock on which
Abraham was tested. A few blocks
away is the Holy Sepulchre where Jesus was crucified. Both Isaac and Jesus were innocent men, freely
obeying the will of their father.
Here’s one final example of a type in our first reading. Abraham, the father of Isaac, is a type
of God the Father. Isaac is Abraham’s beloved son—his
firstborn of Sarah that he was prepared to offer up in sacrifice. This is precisely what God did with His
beloved Son.
I would encourage you to reread
Genesis 22 sometime today. In many
ways it points directly to the love God has for us through His son.
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