At first the use of part of the Abraham and Sarah story from the Hebrew Scriptures, and Paul’s use of that same story in the New Testament seem unrelated to the Gospel – Jesus saying that if you want to follow him you must take up your cross.
Why did Jesus have to bear a cross himself? Because he chose an authentic life. God offered Abraham and Sarah a blessing - life beyond themselves, a family.
Abraham is a collective figure, he comes to represent the Jewish people, the “children of Abraham.” We may think of the children of Abraham being those who received a blessing, a deep calling to live a life turned towards the living God. We can see that with this authentic life came a cross – opposition, oppression, suffering.
We can avoid the cross by living smaller lives, dreaming smaller dreams. Lady Gaga, in her soaring, passionate Sound of Music tribute at the Oscars reminded us that the dream we should pursue will, “need all the love we can give, every day of our life, for as long as we live.”
Choose the greatest life you can, the biggest dream you can – this is following Christ and all this will mean for you.
In so choosing, know you will meet great opposition and suffering – a cross will come with the dream and the life.
Beyond the choice is a life lived forever turned towards God and all whom God has made – this is the meaning of eternal life.
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