Second Sunday of Lent: What Do We Give Our Children Over To?

This story we hear of Abraham today is known in Judaism as the Akedah, meaning ‘binding’, referring to the ‘binding of Isaac’. It’s offends our modern sensibilities: making us think of God as cruel, like a cat playing with a mouse. How could God command a parent to sacrifice their child? But that’s not the point of The Binding of Isaac.

The point of the story is instead, about trusting in and desiring what God wants, then manifesting that trust and desire by being obedient to it. To be clear, God didn’t want to sacrifice Isaac; He wanted Abraham’s heart in its entirety. It's as though God made a point to say, “Abraham, the life that I am guiding you toward and the people and things that I’ve entrusted to you are beautiful. Treasure them. But know that they have no real value or purpose if I am not everything to you. Abraham, show me that you understand this. Give me Isaac, your only one, whom you love“.

As I was praying about this, I asked: What do we give our children over to? I'm not suggesting for a moment that we’d ever cause harm to our children. Because, while I have some sense of how much our parents love their children, it’s undoubtedly, beyond that. But perhaps it's fair to say, that sometimes that love can be distorted in such a way, that we can make cult objects of our children, as though our entire lives and every choice are centered around them. When that happens, I believe, it tends to make for unhealthy family life and furthermore, distorts the child's self-understanding.

So back to the question: What do we give our children over to? What I observe is that parents pour a tremendous amount of energy into ensuring that their children can compete with their peers—in sports and in education. What I observe is that parents want their children to be happy and to be successful, so at roughly ten minutes after the child is born into this world, the plan and its myriad of structures are put into action. And often I see how structured their lives are—perhaps over-structured—with one activity followed by another, and another.

What do we give our children over to? Considering that most every child over the age of seven has a smartphone, it's a good question. If we simply buy the phone, take it out of the box and put it in their hands with no controls or regular monitoring, the things they have access to and at some point are likely going to encounter, can be every bit as jarring as the elements of our Scripture reading.

What do we give our children over to? I see many parents struggling to keep up and running in certain fear, that if they don't keep up their child may not be happy or successful. So often, at least it seems, what guides parents in making the choices is what they see all the other parents doing and what society declares is necessary for happiness and success. It’s difficult for parents, perhaps especially in our time and place.

What do we give our children over to? I believe parents can plan and plan, and run and run to keep up with it all, but it’s worth considering that what we give our children over to is largely what we give ourselves over to. From the youngest of ages, they observe and learn from what they witness in their parents, in us: their values and what gives meaning to life. As God gained Abraham’s radical trust: Do our children observe in us that trust in God? As Abraham was radically obedient to God: Do our children see us as obedient to God? Therein lies at least part of what we give our children over to.

From the earliest centuries, Christians have seen a correlation between The Binding of Isaac and the Passion of Jesus. Both involve the sacrifice of a son, a beloved son. As Isaac ascended Mt. Moriah, carrying the wood over which he was to be laid as a sacrifice, so Jesus walked up the hill called Golgotha, carrying the wood of the cross on which he was to be sacrificed. As the eventual sacrifice on Moriah was a ram, saving the young man, Isaac, so the sacrifice of the Lamb of God would save mankind. As Abraham trusted in God, that something good would come from offering his son as an oblation, so God trusts that something good will come from the oblation that was/is His Son.

While our first instinct to today’s readings is to recoil from the horror, we come to realize that these readings ultimately convey God’s intense love for us: He loves so much that it hurts. I love you this much….will you trust me….will you trust in the beautiful path on which I want to guide you? Today’s readings tell us: “He who did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not also give us everything else along with him?”

But God also speaks to us of Jesus in these readings, saying: “(He) is my beloved Son. Listen to him”. Whether we are parents or not, let us consider: Where do you struggle to trust in God’s love and His plan? Pray about it and evaluate with humility. Ask for strength, for grace to trust. To the extent you can and do, believe that good will come from it—for our children, and for all.