Journey Back to Eden.pdf - St Mark Coptic Orthodox Church Chicago

A TIME TO VISIT ABRAHAM 41“Here I Am”NOVEMBER 16, SUNDAYAfter the Kodes, I was summoned again to the cell of AbunaElia. I was able to walk there myself this time, as I knew my way.My stool was already set up, and there was a little table arrangedwith more tea. Abuna Elia remembered how much sugar I takefrom my last visit. How gracious! He must be in his seventies. Ihad not expected him to be so careful about such details.We returned to the story of Abraham and the unconditionalsubmission of his will to God’s when he replied “Here I am” toGod’s call (Genesis 22:1).Abuna Elia said that the expression, “Here I am,” is indicativeof Abraham’s complete openness and willingness to do as God requests.This willingness, this openness, is itself the foundation ofthe Covenant that God made with Israel and, indeed, the eternalCovenant that God made through Abraham with all peoples. Godis asking us for an openness which is resonant with the openness ofAbraham so that we can echo his words with greater and greaterdegrees of sincerity and intensity by also saying, “Here I am.”The Mount of MoriahIn both the 12th and the 22d chapters of Genesis, God is showingAbraham a land: the land of Moriah. Abuna Elia reminded me thatMoriah is identified in the Book of Chronicles as the very hilltopof Mount Zion, the place which will later become Jerusalem andthe site of the future temple. It is upon Mount Zion, upon the hilltopof Moriah, in Solomon’s Temple, that all of the sacrifices of athousand years of temple life will take place. And Jesus’ sacrifice onthe Cross will likewise take place there. So it is, of course, a hillockof great sacrificial significance.Perhaps it was a sacred place even before Abraham discovered it.Perhaps Melchizedek, already well known to Abraham for hispriestly services, was offering sacrifices there. We are told thatMelchizedek was the priest-king of Salem, and that Salem is to beidentified with Jerusalem. Perhaps that is why Abraham recognizedit when God showed him the mount on the horizon to which he was