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| He still has the bear. |
When our son was born we had him baptized. That’s the way we Presbyterians do things. It’s a recognition of the continuity of the Old Covenant with the New, of a parallel between the Jewish rite of circumcision and Christian baptism, of identifying and welcoming the children of God’s people into the community of God’s people.
It is also a formal, public dedication of the child by the parents to God. That was hard for me to do because I took that part seriously. I was relinquishing control. I was trusting God with my son.
At the time, I was in seminary. During the chapel service one day the leader read Genesis, chapter 22. It’s the story of Abraham taking his son Isaac to offer him as a burnt offering sacrifice to God. God told him to do so. When I heard this passage with the new ears of a first-time father, it struck me to the core of my being. Abraham’s task with his son was exactly mine. I wept, right there in the seminary chapel.
Genesis 22 happened to be my Bible reading today as well. My son is hospitalized in a distant place and I can’t go see him. The dedication of my son to God has been confusing for me. I thought it would go differently.
I was praying a few moments ago. I don’t pray as often as I should or as well as I should, but as I brought all this to God, and I just told my son this two days ago, all I can say is how precious he is to me. Utterly precious. And how my son has suffered.
Genesis 22 starts with Abraham and the blessing that followed from his obedience (he did not have to sacrifice his son in the end). It speaks to me about my son. And it speaks to us all about God’s Son. And as I struggled openly before God about how precious my son is to me, I thought naturally of how precious God’s Son is to him, and the sacrifice – and the suffering – his son went through. When I feel my love for my son inside, it helps me understand God’s love for his Son – and for me.
As God’s Son is so precious to him, how precious must we, his sons and daughters, be to God our Father. And so must we be willing to suffer and struggle too, and bear with the confusion and heartache. And so must we trust him with those that are precious to us, even when all we see is the burnt offering sacrifice.
How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory
Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that left Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
