Sermon: The Salvation of the Side Character

                I love the stories in Genesis. They’re:
campfire tales,
family lore,
the sort of stories that get:
passed down, picked up, sliced and diced and told in different ways, depending on the situation.
They are stories with:
rugged edges, dangling endings,
stories replete with repetition and swollen with word play.

                Think of it:
Adam comes from the Adamah
—Earthing from the Earth.
Out of Ish, comes Ishah
—Wo-Man out of Man.
Jacob Jabeks at the Jabok
—Jacob wrestles at Wreslin’ River.

                And so too this tale of Hagar and Ishmael—Cast out, anguished, intervention, wilderness—this cycle repeated twice…
all of it a repetition of chapter 16, where Hagar tries to escape with young Ishmael…
and all, in a curious inversion—a telling of the Exodus story
—God hears as he will hear,
God gathers and tests his people in the wilderness as Moses’ generation will as well.
First born children threatened,
slaves finding freedom
—Egyptians first, the Hebrews next in Exodus…
these stories!

                Today’s story is a sort of understory, a B-plot
—instead of main characters,
we get to consider the Salvation of the Side Character.

Let us pray.

 

                The thrust of Genesis is a series of threats to the Promises God makes to Abraham:
-God promises land, he immediately leaves the land.
-God promises children, Sara is nearly married off to two different rulers,
promises are met with laughter,
getting desperate descendants are sought by other means…
Hagar and Ishmael themselves become threats to the promise
—and yet, these side characters, these folks who could be taken as plot points
—they are people!
Humans that God cares for too!
Even the Side Characters are saved!

               

                The story begins with a party celebrating that Isaac has lived through the dangers of infancy
—he’ll be Abraham’s heir, not Ishmael.

                And then we run into one of those play on words that I talked about
—Ishmael Tzacks Itzack
—he Isaacs Isaac
—he mocks him…
or abuses him…
or perhaps even “plays Isaac”
—pretends to be the chosen heir.
And this will not stand
—Sarah insists that her husband throw her step-son and his mother out…

                And this evil thing,
this thing of anguish, is done.
Abraham sees that is it evil (another word play—rah and ra’).
And God lets it happen!

                And Poor Hagar and Ishamel are kicked out
—cast off,
send to wander in the wilderness
—not but some water and bread to their name.

                A party meant to celebrate
that an infant will not be cast off
—left to die in the desert,
instead leads to the eldest
and his mother
cast out to die.

 

 

                Jealousy, cruelty, choosing not to see evil, or see the humanity in someone that you have power over.
Being abused, thrown away, angry that God doesn’t act
—some things never change.

 

                Dehydrated,
Hagar casts her kid into the bushes,
at least she won’t see this evil thing,
the mocking sight of her child’s last breath.
But like the Hebrew Slaves in Egypt
—Hagar cries out at this awful thing that can not stand,
and her weeping moves God,
the wailing of the dehydrated Ishmael is heard,
and God intervenes.
“Do not be afraid!”
Pick up the boy, see,
in the midst of the evil of the moment, see!
See there is water to drink
—this child of yours,
forced to grow up to quickly—he’ll keep growing,
just as God will make a great nation of our the main characters
—God’s love is boundless
—the Side Characters too
—you too, have a future,
you too deserve the dignity of a nation.
Mercy for all!

                Out of this desert, find drink, grow;
be formed and re-formed by the wilderness.
Be well!

 

                Desperation, turning away at the unimaginable,
an unveiling of hope, a future on the other side.
God hearing the pleadings of the desperate,
God making a way out of no way.
These too are true today
—just as much as our beloved ancient campfire stories.

 

                Have you ever felt like your life is the B plot?
That you exited stage left,
and the play is going on without you?

                Have you been the inconvenient other?
The disinherited…
have you ever felt abandoned?

                Have you ever wondered why the world looks away from some evil done,
or why some children are forced to grow up much too quickly?

 

                Hagar’s story. Ishmael’s story.
It’s your story, it’s a promise.
Mocking will be transformed into laughter.
God does see the evil and abuse,
understands our anguish and pain
—and will not leave us as outcasts,
but instead hears us and rushes
and joins us and draws us to himself,
transforming the wilderness into oasis.
We too have a future,
we too, we most of all,
have a reason to hope!
Even the Side Characters are saved! Amen.