“She Laughed”

“We have met the enemy and he is us.” --Walter Kelly satirizing Commodore Perry’s 1813 dispatch, “We have met the enemy and he is ours.”

What is the creature’s skill or force?
The sprightly man, or warlike horse?
The piercing wit, the active limb?
All are too mean delights for him.

But saints are lovely in His sight,
He views His children with delight;
He sees their hope, He knows their fear,
And looks and loves His image there.
from Psalm 146 Isaac Watts, 1719

 Luke 10:22-24. “All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”  Then turning to the disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see what you see!  For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” 

John 14: 7.  “Since now you know me, you know my Father also.  Here on you know Him and have seen Him.”

Psalms 15 –or—  Psalms 100, A Psalm of David

 1.  MAKE A joyful noise to Yahweh, all the lands! 
 2.  Serve Yahweh with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! 
 3.  Know that Yahweh is the Elohim! It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
 4.  Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him, bless his name! 
 5.  For Yahweh is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. 

Genesis 18: 1.  Yahweh appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day.  2.  He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men stood in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the earth,  3.  and said, “Adonai, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant.  4.  Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree,  5.  while I fetch a morsel of 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.” 

   6.  And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.”  7.  And Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it.  8.  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. 

    9.  They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.”  10.  Yahweh said, “I will surely return to you in the spring, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him.  11.  Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.  12.  So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I have grown old, and my husband is old, shall I have pleasure?”  13.  Yahweh said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’  14.  Is anything too hard for Yahweh? At the appointed time I will return to you, in the spring, and Sarah shall have a son.” 

   15.  But Sarah denied, saying, “I did not laugh”; for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.” 

 

The Message

     We want to be ministers of the Good News and fulfill Yahweh’s will in our personal world.  Yet when we really get serious about our callings, we often find ourselves discouraged by the guilt our own self-defeating attitudes and unloving behaviors generate.  Although it’s impossible to disappoint our heavenly Father, we disappoint ourselves as a matter of routine, and project that disappointment outward.  We may blame the devil for it, or each other, but our own worst enemy, as the proverb goes, is most often ourselves.

     The story of Sarah’s initial unbelief in the oracle of Yahweh gives us hope that even our own doubt may serve in fulfilling such promises to us, but in unexpected ways.  It’s my hope that this message will encourage you who, like me, are serious about your service, yet beset by doubt, lack of strength or feelings of unworthiness.

 

She Laughs

     The sun’s very hot, making Abraham’s lot an unbearable plot.  It’s siesta – Abraham’s snoozing outside the tent in the shade of a date palm.  Three sojourners approach – malachim – men as angels – one is Yahweh.  Abraham awakes with torpor, and to his surprise  - what meets his eyes? Three visitors in disguise - and in the most miserable hour of the day!  Nevertheless, with the gusto of true oriental hospitality, the wandering Aramean (Deuteronomy 26:5) greets them in the customary manner and bids them stay and pass the day in conversation.  He offers them a seat, fetches water for their feet, promises a bite to eat.

     {whisper} “Sarah, Sarah, SARAH!”  He whispers her name through his teeth as he runs into the tent.  “Sarah - See! - You-know-who’s here!  Will you fix us some cheesesteaks?”  (This was before Moses prohibited cheesesteaks.)  Dutifully, Sarah complies with a flurry, thankful no one’s in much of a hurry.

     Now Yahweh asks Abraham, the Father of Many Nations about Sarah, the Princess - “Abraham!  Where is she?”  “She’s in the tent,” Abraham replies.  “When I come back here next time, Sarah will have her son.”  Yahweh knows that Sarah, though still inside the tent, is hanging on every word.  Yahweh plants a seed of hope in her mind as she eavesdrops. 

   Sarah’s barren in an age when bearing children means everything.  Even the passing reference to her yet open wound causes a tide of self- loathing to burst forth, spilling water from her eyes like rain from thunder.  For a reason she doesn’t reckon, she’s been denied the pride of becoming a mother.  And now, despite Yahweh’s pronouncement in regards to her future fate, she knows it’s just too late. 

   In the pause after His word, Sarah expects her quiet sobbing to be heard as she brushes away the flood.  “Will I have a child when I am old and weak?”  she cackles.  The sound of her voice is so pathetic that, though she’s sad, she’s old enough to find humor in it all.  She laughs a little to hide her pain, as some do.  Yahweh has really good ears.  He overhears her complaint.  But Yahweh speaks only indirectly to Sarah, knowing she’s listening inside the tent.  “Abraham.  Why did she laugh?  She knows who I AM.  Is anything too difficult for me?  I decree that when I return, she will bear a son, you wait and see.”  Friends, is anything too difficult?

     Sarah hears, of course.  Humility aside, she defends her pride without repentance: “I did not laugh,” she says as she leaves the scorch of the tent.  Now Lord and Lady are face to face.  Their eyes meet; something strange begins.  “Yes you did laugh,” he says to her directly.  “Yes I did,” she doesn’t say, but only thinks.

   Sarah remains quiet, wanting more encouragement, more promise, more word, but Yahweh only smiles then winks.  Breaking their gaze, she feels a little stunned and amazed at what has taken place in these few moments past.  Abraham’s god has spoken to her – and now her mind has changed.  There’s hope.  She wants it to last.  Satisfied, she returns to her tent.  “After all, is anything too hard for Yahweh?” she muses.  Then she laughs again.

 

The Maundy Thursday

     Many years ago, a church planned a living tableau of DaVinci’s masterpiece, “The Last Supper.”  A table like DaVinci’s was set up on the platform in the sanctuary.  The pastor assigned men of the church to play the parts of the various disciples.  The character playing Jesus was to serve “the Last Supper” to the congregation after the performance.    

     Since this Jesus had no speaking part, his “actor” wasn’t required to attend rehearsals.  So the rest of the “disciples” were very curious who would be Jesus, and the pastor refused to tell.  He would say over and over again, “Never mind, fellows! Jesus is coming!  Wait and see!  Jesus is coming!”  In mockery of the pastor, “Jesus is coming” became the church slogan that Lenten season.   Everyone wondered who in the congregation would play Jesus.  In fact, the pastor’s secret became such an enigma that some thought, “Is it possible he knows something we don’t?  Is Jesus really coming?”  The secret actually brought some members to their knees.

     The church was full on the evening of Maundy Thursday.  After the crowd settled down and the cast of disciples took their respective places at DaVinci’s table up on the platform, Jesus came in and took his place in the middle.  Of course, it wasn’t the real Jesus, but a man who looked and acted so much like Jesus that I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who thought he might be the real McCoy. 

   And nobody recognized him as a businessman or a realtor or a pump jockey – his face was only familiar from the many pictures of Jesus we’d all seen here and there.  He might’ve just been Jesus for all we knew.  And he never said one word the entire evening nor stepped out of character.  And these managers, students, salesmen and mechanics, who were cast in what was to be but a performance, were so touched by the reality of this Jesus’ demeanor, appearance and perceived spirituality, that several wept openly at the table through the performance.  How could we be so deceived by an impostor?  Or was this Yahweh in one of his guises, putting in a public appearance as he did for Abraham and Sarah?  Did we see HIM face to face?

     I was a disciple at the table that night.  Truly, when this Jesus addressed me with his gaze, I looked into His face.  Funny.  I felt like Sarah.  Like there was hope in this man.  And my heart recalled his promise as never before: “Son,

John 14: 7.  Since now you know me, you know my Father also.  Here on in, you know Him and have seen Him.”

Looking into the eyes of this longhaired, bearded, plain-looking man gave the image of Jesus joyful new meaning.  I felt new anticipation and expectation.  I laugh about it now, even as I admit my folly.  After all, wasn’t this man just a shoe salesman or a Taco Bell clerk or a carpenter’s helper?  But I declare, in spite of it (or maybe because of it), “Friends and Fellows, Jesus is coming!  Just wait and see!  He’s coming to you!”  In fact, you’ve probably already beheld his and his father’s face in the face of another someplace!  Yes or no?

 

Transformation

     So we know Sarah did bear her only son, as recorded in Genesis chapter 21.  The fulfillment of Yahweh’s promise was a greater persuader than even her experience of seeing Yahweh in person.  But it might surprise you to know that she named her boy after the manifestation of her doubt – Isaac means “laughter.”  “Elohim has brought laughter for me,” she now joyfully cries.   “Everyone who hears [my son’s name] will laugh with me.  Everyone!”  It’s as though someone planned that every time she spoke his name, she would be reminded of her doubt; but every time she looked at Isaac’s face, she would remember the face of Yahweh and his promise fulfilled!

     You see, the Father of Promise dares us to believe that even great barriers to the fulfillment of our potential in the Yahweh – like Sarah’s laughing unbelief, barrenness, unfruitfulness, doubt – even our spiritual laziness and apathy – might be redeemed.  Our doubts become catalysts for fulfillment.  We can’t take two steps forward in faith until we take one step back in doubt!  Our infirmities and insecurities are thus transformed into mighty armaments of power; the meek and the weak and the broken and the childless and the foolish and the ignorant and the handicapped inherit the earth, just as the descendants of a barren, used up old woman increased so as to bless all the nations of the earth (Genesis 22:17). 

   If we can but invest what little we have in such a grand enterprise as Heaven – even a giggle or snicker of hope is something – then we can surely echo the cry of the Sarah and so many others, “He has made me glad.  I shall rejoice for he has made me glad” (Psalms 100:2)!

 

The Great Divorce

     There’s a little book of amusing stories by C.  S. Lewis entitled The Great Divorce.   One of the stories tells of a busload of ghosts who earn a vacation out of Hell into Heaven with an angel as a tour guide.   Although the angel advises these dark tourists that they can stay in Heaven (if they want) and never return to Hell, only a very few are interested in staying.  You see, in Heaven, ghosts can’t feast on the resentment, hatred, bitterness and mediocrity they so relish in the gray, smoky regions below.  The field grass is too sharp for the feet of ghosts; the light too bright; the air too clean.

     But one “dark and oily” ghost is so impressed by the site of the celestial city up yonder that he decides to stay.  This ghost has this red lizard riding on his shoulder, twitching its tail, whispering, biting the ghost’s greasy ear, salivating.  The lizard brought the man to hell in the first place – it’s the serpent of lust – a parasitic pet that so enriched the ghost’s life when he was in flesh and blood, but eventually led him to his current dwelling-place. 

   The lizard whispers something sweet into the ghost’s ear that makes him change his mind.  “I thought I wanted to stay, but ... Well, thanks for your hospitality,” he tells the angel.  “But it’s no good.  I told this little chap,” (that is, the lizard), “that he’d have to be quiet if he came - but he won’t stop.  I’ll just have to go home.”   The angel offers help: “Would you like me to make it quiet?”  “Of course I would,” replies the ghost quite pensively.  “Then I’ll kill it!” the angel threatens as he reaches forward for the lizard.  “Look out! You’re burning me!” the ghost cries and retreats.  But the righteous angel presses on. 

   After four or five pages of verbal gymnastics, the ghost finally gives in.  He cries out in bitter anguish as, with great effort, the angel tears the parasite off his shoulder.  The red lizard bites and writhes and foams and swears, but ends up broken-backed on heaven’s high ground. 

     Then – a remarkable transformation takes place.  The oily, dark ghost begins to solidify!  He develops the solid shoulders, legs and hands of the man he once was, only much stronger and better.  Soon the neck and head materialize.  This new man is no longer a black shadow, but has become just a little lower than the angel: nearly as magnificent! 

   Immediately, we witness another transformation!  In its struggle with death, that red lizard lust begins to grow larger and larger.  Its hinder parts develop roundness and firmness.  Its tail becomes a magnificent hank of hair, it’s body fills out and expands tremendously.  In a very short time the metamorphosis is complete.  The vile red viper has become a huge, strong, beautiful white stallion. 

   The new man who escaped hell’s bus now looks like a great knight in shining armor.  He acknowledges the angel of Yahweh, mounts his powerful new stallion, waves farewell to the ghosts on the bus, then gallops off into Beulah toward the city of promise – there, where the sun never sets.  He cries as he rides off:  

“Come up!  Come up!  Share my splendor
till all natures that were your enemies become backs for you to ride.
For the [hideous] strengths that once opposed you
shall be obedient fire in your blood and heavenly thunder in your voice.
Come up!  Come up!”

Backs To Ride 

     Did you pay attention to the knight’s cry?  “...until all natures that were your enemies become backs for you to ride.”  Sarah’s laughter of doubt and unbelief has been recalled over and over throughout the ages of religious history - whenever the name Isaac is been spoken.  The promise that her laughter denied came true magnificently.  And we, the descendants of Sarah, are as uncountable as the sands of the sea, even the stars of the sky. 

   Be encouraged, then, good fellows, as you bring forth children through your service.  Yahweh is the god of the weak - and our Master Jesus is the fulfillment of his promise.  Look into Jesus’ face and believe that “the strengths that once opposed you shall be obedient fire in your blood and heavenly thunder in your voice.” 

   And we can believe; for we’ve seen him and, like Sarah, hear him boast, “Is anything too hard for Me?”