God Reveals Himself in Our Trials and Sufferings

It is sometimes a great mystery in how God reveals Himself to us, especially in our suffering and trials.  This was seen in today's 1st reading for Mass today: Genesis 22:1-19.  It is in this passage Abraham was tested by God.  Abraham was asked to sacrifice his only son.  The passage seems strange and leads to even deeper questions.  Does the Lord, our God desire human sacrifice?  A sacrifice that has found itself throughout many cultures and religions?  Yet, when we we read the story of Abraham and Isaac in the light of Christ, we actually see God revealing Himself to us.  God is revealing the story of Christ, the story of our Salvation to us!



Take the following from Genesis 22:1-19

1.  Abraham is called to Sacrifice His ONLY SON (verse 2)
2. WHOM HE LOVES (v. 2)
3. As and OFFERING (v.2)
4. In the Land of Moriah (v. 2) also known as the hills of Salem, 2 Chronicles 3:1)
5. Abraham riding in on a donkey (v. 3)
6. Isaac carries the wood of the sacrifice (v. 6)
7. In Hebrew Tradition - Isaac, a young adult able to carry the wood for the sacrifice up the mountain offers himself freely to his Father
8. After the Abraham is stopped and a ram is provided, Abraham says "On this mount of the Lord [the Lamb] SHALL BE provided" (Ji-reh) (v. 8,14)

Now let's see in the light of Jesus Christ!

What God did in the midst of Abraham's trial and suffering was reveal Himself and His plan to Abraham.  For God the Father, would send his Only Son (1), whom he loved (2), to lay his life down as an offering for the whole world (3).  Christ would ride a donkey into the land of Moriah, into Jerusalem (Ji-reh Salem) (4,5).  It was there Christ would carry the wood of the Cross, offering himself freely (6,7).  Christ has become the sacrificial Lamb provided on the mount of Calvary, in which Abraham prophesied. 

This revealing of God in suffering hasn't stopped, but continues today. It is in our own suffering and trials that the Lord continues to His love for us.  Maybe we just need to look closer at Christ on the Cross and see how He is uniting us closer to Himself!  What a beautiful mystery it is!