Links for today’s readings:

Read: Genesis 21 Listen: (3:59), Read: John 20 Listen: (4:17)

Scripture Focus: Genesis 21.1-7

1 Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. 2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. 3 Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him. 4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. 5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
6 Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” 7 And she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

Reflection: God-given Laughter

By John Tillman

The son of the promise was named for laughter.

Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter,” with layered meaning. One layer was the laughter of disbelief and another was the laughter of joy.

At different times, Sarah and Abraham both laughed at God’s promise of a son in their old age. Sarah called herself “worn out” and Abraham, “old.” (Genesis 18.12-15) After no children came to fulfill the promise, Sarah tried to “build a family” through Hagar. (Genesis 16.1) Abraham laughed and fell on his face, then told God he’d settle for the blessing resting on Ishmael. (Genesis 17.17-18)

The second layer of laughter is joy. Despite their doubts and failures, the promised son was born. Sarah recognized that others would laugh with her. Abraham was well-known and the news would shock and surprise listeners. The laughter of joy would spread to the community.

When God’s promises come true, laughter is a beautiful response of joy. Sarah, Abraham, and their community would go from the laughter of disbelief to the laughter of joy.

Are you “worn out” from waiting for something from God? Have you fallen on your face and laughed in disbelief? If what you are waiting for is from God, don’t give up. Hold on. Don’t grasp at human solutions. The laughter of disbelief will one day give way to the laughter of joy.

This doesn’t mean a life without waiting, suffering, failures, and misteps. Like Abraham and Sarah, we will fall on our faces and put misplaced faith in quick fixes. In a seemingly hopeless situation, being reminded of God’s promises can send us facedown into the floor in laughter. It’s okay to let the laughter of disbelief bubble up but don’t let it lead to cynicism or settling for less than God promised.

We will have plenty of dark days. But laughter isn’t just for comedy clubs. It’s for hospitals. We need laughter on dream vacations, but need it more than ever in nightmarish catastrophes. Laughter in the darkness helps lead us to the light.

For Sarah and Abraham, Isaac was the “son of the promise.” As much joy as he brought, he was just a man, and a flawed one. For us, Jesus is a better “son of the promise.” The joy he brings is eternal and, in Jesus, all of the Father’s promises are “Yes.” (2 Corinthians 1.20)

Because of Jesus, we can say with Sarah, “God has brought me laughter.”

Divine Hours Prayer: The Refrain for the Morning Lessons

This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes. — Psalm 118.23

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Read more: The Ram and the Cornerstone

Isaac on the stone and Jesus carrying his cross speak to us about our willingness to lay down our lives and desires for the benefit of others.

Read more: Mercy Seat and Manger

Jesus stays the sword of judgment and knife of sacrifice, providing himself as the lamb. Jesus threshes life out of death.