When, as a student, I made myself do my homework in the evening instead of watching television, it felt like a sacrifice. The willingness to sacrifice is critical to our spiritual health. Abraham was willing to sacrifice his child to God. But God, though he wanted this father of faith to trust him so blindly as to be willing to make the sacrifice, did not want the sacrifice itself. This story would be told by Hebrews in later centuries to explain why they, alone among the nations of Canaan, did not practice child sacrifice.
Christians can say something further.
The God who forbids our making child sacrifice to him, has himself made child sacrifice for us. The enormity of the cross represents both a fact of history and a mystery Christians have yet to fathom the depths of. All material on this website is protected by copyright held by Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church, Houston, Texas. All rights reserved. A single copy of any document may be printed out for personal reading provided the specific copyright notice for that document is maintained.