Sermons

Sermon for July 12, 2026 - Genesis 20

Pray

A long, long, time ago in a galaxy just down main street. I was the youth director at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, just across from the Anchor bar. As a part of my duties, I was responsible for the children’s messages during worship. I wore an over the ear microphone just like this one. One Sunday I was rushing around probably looking for some sort of prop to use, when the wire got caught on a door knob. The mic pack went flying from my pocket and the wire was ripped to shreds. I tossed the broken microphone in the trashcan next to my desk, grabbed a spare and went on with worship. I told no one what had happened.

A few days later the church sexton or maintenance guy, John, walked up to me and asked, “Hey do know what happened with the microphone?” I am probably 21 at this point, I have been in this position for at least two years. I know John. I like John. He is the one who empties the trash, my trash, the one with the microphone. So naturally in that moment I said, “What do you mean?” He held up the frayed microphone. So, I said, “I don’t have a clue.” John just kind of shrugged his shoulders and walked away. I was embarrassed and probably worried about repercussions and so I lied. Until this moment I never publicly admitted what had occurred. Sorry.

Have you ever had a moment like this?

This is how I imagine Abraham in this morning’s reading. Who is this beautiful woman with me? Uh… she’s, my sister! Oops… far more consequential than pretending to be clueless about a broken microphone. However, this misguided action is nothing new for Abraham. This is not the first- or last-time fear and doubt are in the driver’s seat in his story.

As a brief reminder Abraham’s story starts back in the 12^th chapter of Genesis when his name was still Abram. God promises this “I will make of you a great nation and I will bless and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse, and in you all the families of the Earth will be blessed.” What we see for the rest of Abraham’s narrative and for the rest of Genesis is this promise and blessing playing out. Abraham does something foolish to interfere with the promise and God intervenes because God keeps God’s promises.

For example, immediately after this promise Abraham and his wife Sarah, still Sari at this point, travel to Egypt because of a famine. Abram turns to Sari and before they even arrive says, “hey let’s pretend you’re my sister, because you’re really beautiful and I don’t want to die.”  So they meet Pharaoh who takes Sari as his wife, until God sends plagues and Pharaoh says, “AHHH take her back!”

Time passes and God makes a Covenant with Abraham. “Your descendants shall number more than the stars!” God gets even more specific now saying, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. ¹⁶ I will bless her and also give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall give rise to nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.”  Abraham is skeptical saying to God ummm, I am 100 and Sarah’s 90 is this possible? God says, “yes, next season.” After waiting for so many years. After trying to take matters into their own hands with Hagar in a painful problematic story we can’t give full justice to today. After so many travels they now have a real timeline. A Son, next season. Which makes what happens next all the more stunning.

Today’s story, Abraham intimidated by a mighty king and so he pulls out a lie they have used before. This is my sister. Now folks, this is not Abraham just being a terrible spouse. This is Abraham jeopardizing the promise with God that is meant to bless the whole world. Abraham is putting himself and desire to save his own hide before Sarah, before his family, before the whole world and putting his own plans before God’s. However, once again God intervenes this time through a dream. Time and time again Abraham’s flaws are abundantly clear.

 

Have you ever had a moment or moments like that? Not where you called a spouse a sibling, not where you lied about a microphone, but a time when your actions didn’t match up to your own ideals? A moment when shame, fear, guilt took over. An occasion where a lie escaped your lips before you even realized what you were saying?   

This is why I find Abraham’s character more relatable when he gets caught in a lie or makes a bone headed error. Regardless if there was ever a historical Abraham or not, the truth contained within scripture is not diminished. The truth that faith is not simply always being certain, correct, or perfect in thought, word, and deed but is filled with ups and downs. The truth that God chooses again and again to work through folks who are imperfect, sinners and Saints.

Abraham and Sarah Struggle. God is steadfast. People waver. God’s loving promise remains.

Abraham and Sarah’s story is an invitation to reflect not simply on how we are caught up in patterns or cycles of sin, brokenness, and moments when we fall short, but how there is another pattern present and pervasive in our lives. A rhythm of love, grace, and mercy from God that moves through scripture and our lives.

God made a promise to bless the world through Abraham and his family but the family would struggle to trust God and flee to Egypt. God would seek to share blessing in a new way when through Moses the Creator gives the Law as a new guide. However, the people would still build false idols and neglect faithful practice. So then God sends Prophets so that in the words of the OG Jeremiah, God would establish a new covenant one with the law written on their hearts. Yet, time and time again the people doubt, and act in unjust unloving ways. However, God still does not abandon or walk away instead God walks the Earth in Christ. So that through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus we might be confident no failure, no sin, no question, no lie, not even about a microphone might separate us from the love of God. Fulfillment of that very promise made to Abraham that all the world might be blessed. Even you and me. Thanks be to God.