This week we are looking at two passages Genesis 12: 1-5 and Matthew 5: 13-16 and see what these two different texts can tell us about our call and mission as the church.  We’ve looked at the world behind the text of each passage, today we’ll look at the world of the text of Genesis, tomorrow Matthew, and then on Friday, we’ll look at what they both can mean to our lives today.

Abram (or soon to be Abraham, the Lord has not yet changed his name) is one of the icons of faith in all the Bible. Today is one of the examples why.  We see the Lord come to him and say this – go from your country and all your family to the land that I will show you.  This sounds difficult for us in our context, but trust me when I say this, that is nothing something that people did in that day.  You didn’t leave your family.  Even if you were a nomad and roamed from place to place, you roamed with your family (look at what happens with later generations of Abraham’s decedents, they roamed together).

In other words, God calls Abram to leave everything. Everything that he owned, everything he would have inherited, everything that provided life for him and go, where exactly?  Not sure.  Didn’t even tell him.  Just go.  Those friends, that is faith.  That is why he is our example – he trusted God with everything.

Also, notice what God says, He will bless all the nations of the earth through Abraham.  That is what happens because it is through his decedents that we have scripture, we have the covenants, and we have Jesus.  All the world is blessed because of Abraham’s faith.  He was called by God not just for his own benefit but for the benefit of the world.

That’s a huge point that we are going to come back to Friday.

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