In today’s first reading we are told about Abraham, his wife Sarah and the conflict they had regarding Ishmael, the child that Abraham had from his slave girl Hagar.
Essentially the Bible is not a history book but a book of Theology. Catholic Bible scholars say the largely historical part began with God’s call to Abraham. But Genesis and other Old Testament books were written by rabbis who were known to be often male chauvinistic. Scholars say most of the Old Testament books were written during the time of exile. When the writers wanted to bring the intellectual Jews back to their country from Babylon.
Catholic Bible scholars say they gave a sort of a spin to the stories. Even in today’s reading we see Abraham portrayed as a sincere and caring person while Sarah was disobedient or selfish and demanded that the slave girl Hagar and her son Ishmael be sent out. So Hagar and Ishmael went away with some provisions given to them by Abraham. At one stage they ran out of provisions and Hagar left the child Ishmael to die. But the Genesis writer says God provided their needs and from Ishmael came the new religion of Islam.
We need to be aware because of this one act of selfishness, for the past 2000 years there has been tensions or war between Christian and Islamic forces. Now it is worse than ever before with the terror group ISIS, letting loose their suicide bombers even on churches to kill or injure hundreds of Christians, as they did in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday April 21 in 2019.
In today’s Gospel proclamation we are told that how the Lord Jesus met two savage demoniacs who said to Him,“What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?” Besides showing the mighty power of Jesus it is also significant that both the Jews and Islamic devotees do not eat pork and the Lord chases the demons into pigs which fall from the hill and perish.
Prayer:Abba Father, may we remember that one selfish act could have consequences for generations. Deliver me from slavery to my self. Amen
