The story of Jacob

In our lack of biblical knowledge, many Old Testament figures tend to be one-dimensional. They were stereotypes of heroes or villains. Like Isaac, many of these prototypes are not fully appreciated. On the contrary, Jacob was a more colourful figure.
Our first impression of Jacob was that he was a quiet boy. Sorry, it should be "a quiet man".
When the boys grew up, Esau was a skilful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents (Genesis 25:27).

In his leisure time, Jacob boiled pottage (Genesis 25:29a)! Were these not girlie jobs? How could you expect such a man to shoulder the responsibility of a family? Would you expect the women to go out to earn a living for the household?
Immediately, Genesis proves our prejudice wrong. Jacob was able to persuade his elder brother Esau to exchange his birthright for the red-bean soup he was boiling (Genesis 25:29-34). Jacob saw the value of this birthright while Esau despised it.
Esau annoyed his parents for marrying two Hittite wives (Genesis 26:34-35). Therefore, Rebekah the mother helped Jacob cheat the blessing of the firstborn from Isaac, his father. Esau was enraged and swore to kill Jacob after the death of Isaac (Genesis 27:41). The situation was desperate. Isaac did not retract his blessing from Jacob. He sent Jacob away to his uncle, Laban the brother of Rebekah in Paddanaram. He still blessed Jacob.
God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples.
May he give the blessing of Abraham to you and to your descendants with you, that you may take possession of the land of your sojournings which God gave to Abraham (Genesis 28:3-4).

Jacob started his journey from Beersheba. He reached Bethel and dreamed of a ladder reaching heaven.
And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! (Genesis 28:12).
This is the famous Jacob's ladder. You will be disappointed to find that this ladder, and the word ladder, appears only once in the whole Bible. But this is a famous symbol for Jesus.
After calling Nathanael, Jesus alluded to this ladder.
And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man." (John 1:51)
Truly, Jesus is the way through which we may reach God (John 14:6). He is the channel through which God's grace come to us.
Back to Jacob, this is only an etymology story. It explains the meaning of Bethel בֵּית-אֵל, the house of God.
And he was afraid, and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." (Genesis 28:17)

וַיִּירָא וַיֹּאמַר מַה-נּוֹרָא הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה אֵין זֶה כִּי אִם-בֵּית אֱלֹהִים וְזֶה שַׁעַר הַשָּׁמָיִם

Jacob met Rachel beside a well (Genesis 29:10). The Bible has recorded a number of such encounters, usually ended up with marriage arrangements. The last one was between Jesus and a Samaritan woman mentioned in John 4. No marriage arrangement resulted. Why did Jesus enable such an encounter? He could have met this Samaritan woman under other circumstances. Why did Jesus choose such a situation pregnant with marital connotations?
Laban cheated Jacob to marry the ugly elder sister Leah first. In the end, Jacob married 4 women: Leah and her maid Zilpah; Rachel and her maid Bilhah. They gave birth to the 12 sons and one daughter to Jacob (Genesis 35:23-26). Dinah the daughter was born of Leah (Genesis 34:1). Jacob paid a rather heavy price for these women because he had spent 14 years working for Laban in exchange for the two cousins. Again, there were wife-rivalries between the two sisters. Later, Jacob had to work for another six years in order to earn enough riches to reconcile with Esau, his brother. Jacob had cheated his brother. If he ever wanted his brother to forgive him, Jacob had to build up enough wealth to negotiate, to repay his debts and to redeem his own life. He was so successful within the last six years that the sons of Laban wanted to chase him away.
Now Jacob heard that the sons of Laban were saying, "Jacob has taken all that was our father's; and from what was our father's he has gained all this wealth."
And Jacob saw that Laban did not regard him with favor as before.
Then the LORD said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you." (Genesis 31:1-3)
Jacob set about returning to his brother. Laban chased after him but God warned Laban not to harm Jacob. So, Laban made a covenant with Jacob by building a heap of stones. The place was therefore called Galeed.
Laban said, "This heap is a witness between you and me today." Therefore he named it Galeed (Genesis 31:48).

וַיֹּאמֶר לָבָן הַגַּל הַזֶּה עֵד בֵּינִי וּבֵינְךָ הַיּוֹם עַל-כֵּן קָרָא-שְׁמוֹ, גַּלְעֵד

This is yet another etymology story.
Jacob continued his way and met the angels of God.
and when Jacob saw them he said, "This is God's army!" So he called the name of that place Mahanaim. (Genesis 32:2, MT 32:3).

וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב כַּאֲשֶׁר רָאָם, מַחֲנֵה אֱלֹהִים זֶה; וַיִּקְרָא שֵׁם-הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא, מַחֲנָיִם

But Jacob's wrestling with an angel should be counted the most famous part of the story.
Jacob was in a dilemma. He wanted to seek reconciliation but at the same time, he was afraid for his own life. Esau had brought along 400 men. What if Esau was as hostile as before? Therefore, Jacob sent his riches in front of him, acting as a buffer between Esau and himself. The following formed one present and Jacob had prepared several such droves.
two hundred she-goats and twenty he-goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,
thirty milch camels and their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty she-asses and ten he-asses (Genesis 32:14-15).
His last line of defence was his family members.
And he put the maids with their children in front, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last of all (Genesis 33:2).
Benjamin was not yet born to Rachel. The "presents", wives and children were dispensable. Jacob had prepared well for twenty years. That night before meeting Esau, Jacob could not sleep and wrestled with a stranger who was believed to be an angel. The struggle lasted the whole night. At last, the angel renamed Jacob Israel. In short, this is yet another etymology story explaining where Israel came from.
Then he said, "Your name shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed." (Genesis 32: 28, MT 32:29)

וַיֹּאמֶר, לֹא יַעֲקֹב יֵאָמֵר עוֹד שִׁמְךָ--כִּי אִם-יִשְׂרָאֵל: כִּי-שָׂרִיתָ עִם-אֱלֹהִים וְעִם-אֲנָשִׁים, וַתּוּכָל

Thus Israel was explained.
The same renaming event appears in Genesis again, but this time without explanation.
God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddanaram, and blessed him.
And God said to him, "Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name." So his name was called Israel (Genesis 35:9-10).
The two brothers reconciled in a very touching scene (Genesis 33:4). Still, Jacob remained highly cautious until he safely reached Succoth (Genesis 33:8-18).
But Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built himself a house, and made booths for his cattle; therefore the name of the place is called Succoth (Genesis 33:17).

וְיַעֲקֹב נָסַע סֻכֹּתָה, וַיִּבֶן לוֹ בָּיִת; וּלְמִקְנֵהוּ עָשָׂה סֻכֹּת, עַל-כֵּן קָרָא שֵׁם-הַמָּקוֹם סֻכּוֹת

There are many more etymology stories that I have not put down here. Otherwise, it would be too overwhelming.

Dear Lord, it is edifying to observe the evolution of Jacob/Israel. You have set up these models for us to imitate. May we learn from their journeys of faith and encounter You on the way home. Amen.

The story of Isaac

Isaac has always been a shadowy figure for me. Most of the time, his name goes between his father and his son. We know quite a bit about his father Abraham and his son Jacob. As for Isaac, other than the story of his father offering him up as a holocaust and the name of his wife, Rebekah, very little is known. His life is forever overshadowed by his father and his son. However, it is only our fault. Genesis has something more to say about him. Bible teachers seldom talk about Isaac to their students and we are too lazy to study his life in greater details ourselves. So, let's get to know more about Isaac.

Sarah died at the age of 127 (Genesis 23:1). Isaac was then 37. Three years later, Isaac married Rebekah (Genesis 25:20). Genesis has this to say.
Then Isaac brought her into the tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death (Genesis 24:67).
It sounds a bit curious. Isaac was not comforted for three years. What does it mean? Did he mourn for his mother for three years? Some scholars speculate that Isaac was traumatized by the sacrifice event. He remained attached to Sarah for thirty years. It was probable.
What did Abraham do after burying Sarah? Genesis tells us that Abraham married another woman called Keturah (Genesis 25:1). She bore Abraham six more children.
She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.
Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim.
The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah (Genesis 25:2-4).
Again, it sounds curious. It is impossible to know the gender of Zimran, Medan, Ishbak and Shuah becaue only the children of Jokshan and Midian were named. Were the other four children girls? The last part of 25:4 is the most curious. Were they not grandchildren rather than children of Keturah? I don't want to think of them as children of incest.
Abraham might have tried to compensate for what he had done to Isaac.
Abraham gave all he had to Isaac.
But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living he sent them away from his son Isaac, eastward to the east country (Genesis 25:5-6).

That was all Abraham could do to Isaac, giving him a wife and all that he had.
Abraham died at the age of 175 (Genesis 25:7). Isaac buried him with Sarah (Genesis 25:10).
After the death of Abraham God blessed Isaac his son. And Isaac dwelt at Beerlahairoi (Genesis 25:11).
There are a few parallel stories between Isaac and Abraham. Some scholars speculate that probably Isaac and Abraham were patriarchs of different peoples. But the editor of Genesis skilfully joined them together as father and son, using these parallel stories. This is a rather bold theory. Let take a look.
There was a famine and Isaac moved to Gerar (Genesis 26:1). Sounds familiar? Abraham had also moved to Gerar after God had destroyed Sodom (Genesis 20:1). Abimelech was the king of Gerar. In Gerar, the sister-wife story happened to Abraham. Abimelech took Sarah and God warned Abimelech. Abimelech gave Abraham cattle and silver in compensation. He allowed Abraham to stay in Gerar (Genesis 20).
In case of Isaac, fearing for his own life, he told the people of Gerar that Rebekah was his sister. But Abimelech saw Isaac fondling Rebekah from his window (Genesis 26:8). This time, Abimelech only warned his people not to take Rebekah and did not give any cattle or silver to Isaac. Like what he had done to Abraham, Abimelech was generous enough to allow Isaac to stay. Isaac stayed for a long time and God blessed his produce.
And Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. The LORD blessed him,
and the man became rich, and gained more and more until he became very wealthy.
He had possessions of flocks and herds, and a great household, so that the Philistines envied him (Genesis 26:12-14).

Only then did Abimelech expel Isaac who did not move too far away. He dwelled in the valley of Gerar and dug wells for his cattle.
Not another parallel story took place.
Returning from Egypt, Abraham travelled to Negeb and settled between Bethel and Ai with his nephew Lot. The land could not support them. So, they parted company.
So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan valley, and Lot journeyed east; thus they separated from each other.
Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, while Lot dwelt among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom (Genesis 13:11-12)
In case of Isaac, after he had dug up the first well, there was a quarrel between the herdsmen of Isaac and the herdsmen of Gerar.
So he called the name of the well Esek, because they contended with him (Genesis 26:20b).

וַיִּקְרָא שֵׁם-הַבְּאֵר עֵשֶׂק כִּי הִתְעַשְּׂקוּ עִמּוֹ

This is an etymology story.
Isaac continued to dig two more wells, suggesting that like his father Abraham, he did not contend with the people.
Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that also; so he called its name Sitnah.
And he moved from there and dug another well, and over that they did not quarrel; so he called its name Rehoboth, saying, "For now the LORD has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land." (Genesis 26:21-22)
After digging the third well, Isaac moved up to Beersheba. Again comes an etymology story to explain Beersheba. But this one gives an alternative interpretation to the name of Beersheba.
Abimelech came to Isaac to establish a covenant with him.
They said, "We see plainly that the LORD is with you; so we say, let there be an oath between you and us, and let us make a covenant with you,
that you will do us no harm, just as we have not touched you and have done to you nothing but good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the LORD." (Genesis 26:28-29)
Afterwards, Isaac sent them away in peace. The same day, the servants of Isaac reported that the well they dug had water.
He (Isaac) called it Shibah; therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day (Genesis 26:33).

וַיִּקְרָא אֹתָהּ, שִׁבְעָה עַל-כֵּן שֵׁם-הָעִיר בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע, עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה

This explanation is less explicit than that of Abraham's. Abimelech did visit Abraham to ask him to swear an oath that he would not deal falsely with him. Abraham swore. Later, there was a dispute over a well dug by Abraham. He brought seven ewe lambs שֶׁבַע כְּבָשֹׂת to Abimelech as a witness that he had dug the well (Genesis 21:30). Notice that the word seven is the same as swear.
Therefore that place was called Beersheba; because there both of them swore an oath (Genesis 21:31).

עַל-כֵּן, קָרָא לַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא--בְּאֵר שָׁבַע: כִּי שָׁם נִשְׁבְּעוּ, שְׁנֵיהֶם

The reason of swearing an oath is the same. The dispute over wells is the same. The visit from Abimelech to demand an oath is the same. Thus the status of being a patriarch has been established, though without battles and bargaining and less colourful.

Dear Lord, Isaac was less fortunate. Yet, he remains a prototype of Yours. May we be able to show, as least as a prototype of Yours to our neighbours. Amen.

14th Ordinary Sunday (Year B)

Today, Fr. John Baptist Kwan celebrated the 11 a.m. mass with us. He informed us that Fr. Lejeune had returned to his home town in France and would return in mid-September. We wished him bon voyage. Fr. Kwan also thanked us for making the celebration on June 27 a huge success. It would be an unforgettable piece of memory for each and every one of us. The Year of the Priests had officially started. Fr. Kwan urged us to pray for the well-being of all the clergies in the hierarchy and for more young people generously responding to God's call. Then, he turned to the readings today.

Paul was known to be very demanding. But I am not sure whether we can label him a perfectionist. Before his conversion, he was a Pharisee trained under the famous Rabbi Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). He persecuted the Christians because they worshipped more than one God. After his conversion, he tried to convince his fellow Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. Failing that, Paul turned to the Gentiles and was beheaded as a martyr for the sake of Jesus. He left behind a corpus of epistles dating before the composition of the gospels. It is no exaggeration to call him a co-founder of Christianity. In the second reading today, we learn of the famous phrase "a thorn in the flesh".
And to keep me from being too elated by the abundance of revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to harass me, to keep me from being too elated (2 Corinthians 12:7).
Many explanations have been offered but none is satisfactory. Some suggested that it was a temptation to disbelief. Others suggested a physical illness, such as poor eyesight or speech disability, that hindered his ministry. Yet others referred to his hot temper, his personality that also hampered his missionary work. Some suggested that it was a rival who opposed him and caused him many troubles. One prolific Episcopal bishop even proposed homosexuality! All in all, none of the theories is conclusive and we have to wait until the end and ask Paul what he meant.

Fr. Kwan preferred looking at it as a perfectionist tendency in Paul. But Paul knew himself well. Therefore, he accepted his imperfection and after begging Jesus to remove it to no avail, he embraced it so as to keep himself humble. So, one thing is sure. Whatever this thorn in the flesh may be, it prevented Paul from being arrogant. Paul was able to draw strength out of this particular weakness. The grace of Christ shines through our weaknesses.
Three times I besought the Lord about this, that it should leave me;
but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities; for when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:8-10).

Fr. Kwan invited us to ponder on our own weaknesses. Pray over them so that the power of Christ may strengthen us. We shall overcome.
Then he turned to the story of Jesus returning to Nazareth. Despite his earlier successes in Judea, Jesus did not a welcome as expected because his own countrymen had a preconception of what he was and therefore what he would be.
Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him (Mark 6:3).

Immediately, Fr. Kwan brought forth people's reaction to the proposed relocation of Zheng Sheng College in Mui Wo. People in Mui Wo had a prejudice against these young addicts undergoing rehabilitation. It was unfair to them because they were denied the opportunity to reform and transform. One particular graduate managed to obtain enough qualification to enter the university this year in the Advanced Level Examination. This is proof enough of the contribution of this college to reform and transform young addicts.
People in Mui Wo demanded instead the reopening of the secondary school for their children. Two years ago, the school was closed down because parents in Mui Wo preferred sending their children to the Central and Western District on the Island. They thought that their children deserved better choices. Now, in order to block the relocation of the rehabilitation college to their neighbourhood, they reversed their earlier position. It is contradictory and hypocritical. Fr. Kwan reminded that when we criticized the villages in Mui Wo, we should first examine our own conscience to see if we also fall into this hypocritical trap. Do we also harbour a prejudice against them? If Zheng Sheng relocated among us, would we welcome them?
In the end, Fr. Kwan did not touch on the question of the brothers and sisters of Jesus. A lot of scholars have debated on this topic. We should know more about the issue and form our own opinion. But in the end, remember the teaching of the Catholic Church.

Dear Lord, I am worse off then St. Paul. I am not brave enough to confront my own weaknesses. I pray that I may be able to humbly admit them and embrace them so that Your strength may empower me to serve You. Amen.

Home sweet home?

"All happy families are alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."
This is the most quoted first line of the novel Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy published in 1877. Let's face it, though families have long been held to be the basic building cells of a society, many of these cells are dysfunctional. Though families are supposed to provide safe havens conducive to the healthy development of children, many of us city people are dumbfounded by evening news that just around the corner in our neighbourhood, some of these "havens" turn out to be torture chambers of minors.  Happy families are rare. If the Bible provides us with more than an idealized picture of societies in ancient Near East, we have to admire the candour of the authors, especially that of Genesis which we are reading. He did not shy away from telling us child abuses, co-wife rivalries, incest and sibling rivalries etc. down right from the very first family.

The Bible has not told us the life of any slave family, if slaves had ever been able to build up any so-called family. Slaves worked most of the time for their masters. They did not have the time and freedom to do their personal things beyond the bare necessities. In fact, high living standards in Hong Kong have forced many parents into slave-like working parents. They have very little time to spend with their family members. True, many successful professionals choose to remain single. Even if they get married, they prefer keeping pets to raising children of their own. These more capable people do not want to waste their energy in building and maintaining families. Their commitment lies elsewhere. I am afraid Genesis will not be able to shed any light on the family life of these two groups of people. So, let me return to my own situation.
Sibling rivalry is one of the main themes running through Genesis. Cain killed Abel out of jealousy. Among the three sons of Noah, only Shem's family was highlighted. Ishmael was driven out by his father Abraham and only Isaac remained. Isaac married Rebekah at forty (Genesis 25:20). Rebekah was barren and had to wait until twenty years later when she was able to give birth to a pair of twin brothers, Esau and Jacob.
When the boys grew up, Esau was a skilful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents.
Isaac loved Esau, because he ate of his game; but Rebekah loved Jacob (Genesis 25:27-28).
Genesis tells a little story to show the unworthiness of Esau. He despised his own birthright (Genesis 25:29-34).

When Isaac was 100, Esau his firstborn took two alien wives and they made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.
When Esau was forty years old, he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite;
and they made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah (Genesis 26:34-35).
With this background, Rebekah engineered a coup d'état for Jacob to obtain the firstborn blessing from Isaac who was old and blind by then (Genesis 27:6-29). Consequently, Esau swore to kill Jacob.
Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and Esau said to himself, "The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob." (Genesis 27:41)


Genesis tells us that Rebekah did not regret what she had done. She did it because of the alien daughters-in-law. She was certain that Esau was only impulsive in issuing the death threat but it would only be a threat after all. It would not materialize. Listen to this mother.
But the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah; so she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said to him, "Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself by planning to kill you.
Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; arise, flee to Laban my brother in Haran,
and stay with him a while, until your brother's fury turns away;
until your brother's anger turns away, and he forgets what you have done to him; then I will send, and fetch you from there. Why should I be bereft of you both in one day?"
Then Rebekah said to Isaac, "I am weary of my life because of the Hittite women. If Jacob marries one of the Hittite women such as these, one of the women of the land, what good will my life be to me?" (Genesis 27:42-46)

This is the last word we hear Rebekah speak. She wanted no more Hittitie daughter-in-law!
The relationship between mothers and daughters-in-law has never been easy regardless of which culture you are in. As a man, it is incomprehensible to me but I can feel the strain when I am caught in the crossfire. Being the firstborn, it is inevitable for me to be the target of favouritism from both of my parents. My mother's is smothering. Luckily, my younger brother supports me a lot. He did not gain the same intensity of love from mum because, according to her, my younger brother cried too loudly in his childhood! But his personality is more independent because from primary 4, my parents sent him boarding in Aberdeen Technical School run by the Salesians. Regrettably, my mother did not allow him to be baptized. Therefore, rivalry between us was reduced to nought. We studied in different schools, worked in different fields and hanged around in different social circles. Now that I have a family of my own, he still lives with my parents, remaining single. I feel like owing him something. Now that I have 4 children of my own, I hope I have loved them enough yet not smothering. I hope they will support each other like arms and limbs.

My Lord, I thank You for the blessings You have been showering on my family. I believe in Your miracles and the importance of families. I pray that children from dysfunctional families may grow out of their traumas and come forever closer to You. Amen.

Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle

Today, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast day of St. Thomas the Apostle. Tradition has him preached the gospel up to India where he was speared to death. The Church has only collected four gospels in the canon of the New Testament. From these four gospels, we can know the stories of only a handful of apostles. Even Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter was not much mentioned. Therefore, we do not expect to find much information about St. Thomas in the canonical gospels. However, there are a few Gnostic apocrypha bearing his name. For example, the Gospel of Thomas and the Acts of Thomas. The canonical gospel of John gives us three incidents about Thomas. So, let us get to know more about Thomas, the Twin.
The first incident took place in the resurrection of Lazarus of Bethany (John 11). Martha, Mary and their brother Lazarus were good friends of Jesus. Very often, Jesus would stay in their home. After knowing that Lazarus was ill, Jesus did not go immediately to cure him about tarried for two more days. He knew he would raise Lazarus from the dead in order to glory God.
Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill.
So the sisters sent to him, saying, "Lord, he whom you love is ill."
But when Jesus heard it he said, "This illness is not unto death; it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by means of it." (John 11:1-4)
Some scholars take John 11:3 very seriously and suggest that Lazarus, not John, was "the beloved disciple" of the gospel of John. But Lazarus is not the focus of today. I will discuss it when the occasion arises in the future.
Thus he spoke, and then he said to them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awake him out of sleep."
The disciples said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover."
Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep.
Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead;
and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."
Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." (John 11:11-16)
Well, do you still want to be a friend of Jesus? Think thrice. Jesus would allow Lazarus to die before he came to raise him. This was how he treated his friend. Jesus would fold up his hands to see you die! Abraham was a good friend of God. Yet God would ask Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac to prove his faith. Alas, it is not easy to be a friend of God, a friend of Jesus.
When Jesus explained to the disciples that Lazarus was dead and the reason why he had not gone to save Lazarus before he died was to benefit his disciples. From what Thomas had said in response, we may conclude that Thomas was cynical. He did not believe that Lazarus had died. Even if Lazarus had really died, Thomas did not like the idea that Lazarus' death was for their benefit. Death is a tragic event. Can any good come out of a tragedy? Thomas could not agree.
"Let us also go, that we may die with him." Thomas showed his disbelief. His response was meant to be sarcastic. He would believe only after he saw it with his own eyes.
John spent chapters 13-17 to tell us what happened in the Last Supper. It is amazing how John was able to remember what Jesus had said in such great details to fill up five whole chapters, a total of 155 verses! What was worse, Jesus spoke a lot of things in ambiguous languages. For example, Jesus said.
Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me.
In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?
And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
And you know the way where I am going."
Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?"
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me." (John 14:1-6)
Jesus was foretelling his passion and his return to the Father. He promised to return to take them with him. Then we would stay with him and enjoy eternal life with Jesus together. Jesus has already taught us how to gain eternal life. This is one possible way to interpret John 14:3-4. But Jesus was ambiguous here. He did not speak explicitly that he was going to die within a few hours and that he would return to heaven. We cannot blame the failure on the part of the apostles to understand him. What Thomas said in John 14:5 was just a repetition of what Peter had said earlier (John 13:36). Since Jesus had mentioned the way in John 14:4, naturally, Thomas was eager to know the way. Unfortunately, though Jesus' answer has often been quoted by our Protestant brethren, I am afraid this answer is too pregnant with theological subtleties that no apostles present were able to understand it. Thomas simply pushed Jesus for more clarifications. Yet, he got nowhere closer to understanding.
When the ten apostles told Thomas that they had seen the risen Lord, Thomas could not believe them. He wanted evidence, not witnesses.
So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe." (John 20:25)
Eight days later, Jesus appeared to them all and invited Thomas to put his fingers in his wounds. Thomas the empiricist surrendered.
Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing."
Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:27-28)
Well done, Thomas. Your empiricist attitude was rewarded.

Dear Lord, I thank St. Thomas for his model of persevering pursuit of truth. Grant us the perseverance St. Thomas had so that we may rest satisfied at the end of our life. Amen.

Did Abraham sacrifice Isaac or Ishmael?

I am not any Biblical scholar, nor do I know Quran. But this is a well-known challenge to the Judaism and Christianity. According to Genesis 22, God tested Abraham and commanded him to offer Isaac, his only and beloved son, as a holocaust. Isaac was his only son because previously, Abraham had followed Sarah's demand to drive Ishmael away.
After these things God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I."
He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." (Genesis 22:1-2)
Ishmael was the ancestor of Arabians who practise Islam. They also honour Abraham (Ibrahim) as a prophet. In Quran, there is also a story of Abraham intending to sacrifice his son. However, the name of the son is not explicitly spelled out. Then most of the commentaries point at Ishmael rather than Isaac. The following is a translation quoted from The Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement.
(Abraham prayed:) My Lord, grant me a doer of good deeds.
So We gave him the good news of a forbearing son.
But when he became of age to work with him, he said: O my son, I have seen in a dream that I should sacrifice you; so consider what is your view. He said: O my father, do as you are commanded; if Allah please you will find me patient.
So when they had both submitted and he had thrown him down upon his forehead,
and We called out to him saying,
O Abraham, you have indeed fulfilled the vision. Thus do We reward the doers of good.
Surely this is a manifest trial.
And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice (37:100–107).
There is no doubt about the identity of this son in Quran. He was Ishmael. Further below, Isaac appeared.
And We gave him the good news of Isaac - a prophet,- one of the Righteous (37:112).
Of course, one may also argue that this good news is one and the same as the one in 37:108 above. But I am not familiar with the style of Quran. I don't know if this kind of inclusivo is also a style in Quran. If it is, there was only one son involved in the story and he was Isaac. I have no intention to get involved in this debate. I am not qualified to do so. Rather, let me contemplate the psychology of Abraham.
Abraham had been a friend of God. As from Genesis 12, he had been walking with God for nearly 38 years. At 75, God called Abram to uproot from his kindred in Haran and promised to make of him a great nation (Genesis 12:1-2). He journeyed south and entered Egypt. God afflicted Pharaoh and his house because of Sarai. Abram left Egypt richer (Genesis 12:16-20). When Abram parted company from his nephew Lot, God promised him children and land (Genesis 13:14-17). When Abram went into battle to save his nephew Lot, God fought for him to defeat an alliance of 4 chieftains with only 318 men (Genesis 14:14).
After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, "Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great." (Genesis 15:1) Ever since, God had protected Abram and showered him with a lot of riches. This God was trustworthy. And how did they spend their spare time together? Counting stars in the evening.
And he (God) brought him outside and said, "Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them." Then he said to him, "So shall your descendants be."
And he believed the LORD; and he reckoned it to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:5-6).
St. Paul focuses on the faith of Abraham and takes this as the basis of justification. Now, God saw that Abram's faith was mature enough to enter into a covenant with Him. He established the first covenant with Abram (Genesis 15:18-21). Then came the story of Ishmael who was born to Abram when he was 86. Thirteen years later, when Abram was 99, God renewed His covenant and renamed Abram Abraham. Circumcision was institutionalized (Genesis 17). There followed the Bargain Story between God and Abraham (Genesis 18). Not only was his faith strengthened but also his standing. Abraham was on negotiating terms with God, to bargain on behalf of sinners. For the first time, he became a mediator between God and sinners. He was fulfilling his role as a source of blessing promised previously by God (Genesis 12:2-3). Though Genesis does not mention, I am sure Abraham was able to see from his tent with his own eyes how God destroyed the two cities. This God was awesome and to be feared.
The real test of his faith came 8 years later when his son Isaac was seven years old. Abraham was able to negotiate for sinners in Sodom. But this time, it was a non-negotiable command. Abraham had no choice. Did Abraham entertain any hope of resurrection like the author of the Hebrews?
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only son,
of whom it was said, "Through Isaac shall your descendants be named."
He considered that God was able to raise men even from the dead; hence, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back (Hebrews 11:17-19).
I doubt. The author of Hebrews belongs to the era of the New Testament. He believed in the resurrection of Jesus. But did the people in the Old Testament have the concept of resurrection? Had they had, the apostles would not have so much difficulties in accepting the resurrection of Jesus when he told them the imminent passion. I am afraid the author of Hebrews has read his own belief into the mouth of Abraham, has projected his own New Testament theology back to the people in the Old Testament.
Moreover, many passages in the Psalm show that death was the end of everything. There was no hope in resurrection. For example,
"What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise thee? Will it tell of thy faithfulness? (Psalm 30:9)
What man can live and never see death? Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? [Selah] (Psalm 89:48)
The dead do not praise the LORD, nor do any that go down into silence (Psalm 115:17).
Of course, there are also verses in which the author was confident that God would deliver his soul from death. For example,
For thou hast delivered my soul from death, yea, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life (Psalm 56:13).
Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
For thou hast delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling (Psalm 116:7-8);
But here, the death might not be literal. Once again, the concept of resurrection in the Old Testament is a project worth pursuing.
Back to Abraham. He was experiencing an extremely difficult situation. His faith and thus his previous relation with God were undergoing an extreme test. He had enjoyed God's protection and riches. He had also witnessed His awesome power. Now, this God turned back to extract payment of His previous services! Wasn't it terrifying? Resurrection was unknown to Abraham. Had Abraham cherished any hope of resurrection, this test would not have been any test at all. If Abraham had known that God would raise Isaac from the death, it would not have been such a big deal to offer up Isaac in a holocaust. No. Abraham did not have the faintest idea of resurrection.
As I have argued earlier, sufferings breed maturity. In this test, Isaac demonstrated his intelligence and obedience.
And Isaac said to his father Abraham, "My father!" And he said, "Here am I, my son." He said, "Behold, the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?"
Abraham said, "God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So they went both of them together (Genesis 22:7-8).
What a smart kid! It aches one's heart to read of his forthcoming demise. What is more, he obeyed without putting up any struggle. Isaac was a pre-figure of the obedient Jesus!
What a man of deep faith! Abraham had not known how strong his faith was. This test provided an opportunity for him to know and to demonstrate how deep his faith could be. All of us need tests to know ourselves better.

My God and my Lord, my faith is unknown. But there is one thing I am sure. You will give us enough grace to go through any tests. I rely on You. Amen.

Was Hagar's return necessary?

Sarai was barren and could not bear a child to inherit Abram's estate. She proposed to give Hagai her maid to Abram as a wife to bear him an inheritor. After Hagai had been conceived, she did not respect her mistress.
And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress (Genesis 16:4).
Sarai complained to Abram who took an action incomprehensible to us Chinese. He did not defend his gene and allowed Sarai to do whatever she pleased. Sarai treated Hagai harshly and she fled (Genesis 16:6). After receiving a promise from God, Hagai returned to Sarai and submitted to her. It was necessary for Hagai to return because she was a slave. She must return to her mistress. That was the custom of the day.
The angel of the LORD said to her, "Return to your mistress, and submit to her."
The angel of the LORD also said to her, "I will so greatly multiply your descendants that they cannot be numbered for multitude." (Genesis 16:9-10)
Abram was eighty-six when Ishmael was born to him (Genesis 16:16).
Fast forward fourteen years. Isaac was born to Abraham when he was one hundred (Genesis 21:5). Then Sarah told Abraham to drive Hagai and Ishmael away.
But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac.
So she said to Abraham, "Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac." (Genesis 21:9-10)
Genesis does not tell us how old Isaac was. Probably he was still a baby. Then, what was wrong for an elder brother of fourteen years senior to play with a baby younger brother? Did Ishmael pose any threat to Isaac? The stated reason of Sarah was not very convincing. Ishmael should not be heir with Isaac. Did it warrant such a drastic action? What was the position of Abraham?
And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son (Genesis 21:11).
Genesis is ambiguous here. What did "the thing" which was displeasing to Abraham refer to? That Ishmael played with Isaac? Or that Sarah told him to drive Hagai and Ishmael away? Who did "the son" refer to? Ishmael or Isaac? Read on.
But God said to Abraham, "Be not displeased because of the lad and because of your slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your descendants be named." (Genesis 21:12)
Here, Genesis uses "the lad" to refer to Ishmael. Therefore, "the son" refers to Isaac. Furthermore, God has never intended Ishmael to be the son of Abraham. Ishmael was only the fruit of Sarah's design, not God's. God wants the chosen descendants to come from Sarah, not Hagai. The epistle to Galatians makes use of the contrast between Sarah and Hagai, a free woman and a slave to illustrates two covenants --- a covenant of promise and a covenant of law (Galatians 4:24). But it is a bit puzzling for the Galatians not to have mentioned Sarah by name! Enough digression! God made it clear to Abraham His intention to choose Isaac. God also told Abraham to follow Sarah's instruction to drive away Hagai and Ishmael. As for Ishmael, God would treat him generously because he was also the offspring of Abraham.
And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring (Genesis 21:13).
God kept His promise. When Hagai and Ishmael was desperate, God intervened and saved them.
And God was with the lad, and he grew up; he lived in the wilderness, and became an expert with the bow (Genesis 21:20).
God was and is with the Arabians.
Genesis 21 finishes with another etymology story of Beersheba. Abraham and Abimelech swore at that place.
Therefore that place was called Beer-sheba; because there both of them swore an oath (Genesis 21:31). 

עַל-כֵּן קָרָא לַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא--בְּאֵר שָׁבַע כִּי שָׁם נִשְׁבְּעוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם

Dear Lord, You call us to freedom from the bondage of sins. In freedom we walk. I pray for my mother. May she be redeemed from alcoholism. Amen.