Heavenly Father, send your Holy Spirit to open our ears to hear your preached Word. Comfort us by the promise that you have made us heirs of your kingdom. By the death and resurrection of Jesus, make us your heirs. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Unfortunately scams are becoming more frequent. A common scam at the moment is called an “inheritance scam.” The website Scamwatch tells the following story, based on true events: [1]
Leo received a letter which claimed to be from a lawyer in Portugal. The letter seemed professional with a fancy letterhead and used legal jargon. The letter informed Leo that a distant relative with the same last name had died leaving him a share of a large inheritance worth millions of Euros. The lawyer represented the estate of the late relative. Hoping he had come across a once in a lifetime opportunity, Leo contacted the lawyer to find out more. The lawyer explained that in order to get the ball rolling, Leo would need to pay a few fees and taxes. Leo paid the fees, but then more payments were requested. They seemed to come one after another but each time he was assured he was closer and closer to receiving his share of millions of Euros. Every time he paid one tax, the lawyer would discover that some bank policy or quirk of local laws required another fee to be paid. After spending over $30,000 AUD, it became clear the requests for money and the excuses for not yet receiving his share of the inheritance were not going to end. Leo lost all his savings trying to gain an inheritance which never existed.
Because of such scams, we are increasingly mindful of promises that seem too good to be true. If you’re getting something for nothing, then it’s probably a scam or fraud. If someone promises you a massive gift or inheritance out of the blue, you‘re right to be suspicious.
In our Bible reading we hear that Sarah was promised an inheritance out of blue. Three guests materialize out of nowhere. And they promise that Sarah will give birth to a son, who would become the heir to Abraham’s household and fortune. And as with all good scams, this is something Sarah (and all women of her era) desperately wants and longs for. Except this promise seems too good to be true. It appears utterly unbelievable. We’re told that Sarah laughs when she hears the promise. Scripture doesn’t tell us exactly what type of laughter it was. How do you think she laughed? I think it was one of those “Fffswtz!” laughs, an under-the-breath chuckle, “Yeah, right!” The text underscores the impossibility of the promise of a son three times: (1) ‘Abraham and Sarah were already very old.’ (2) ‘Sarah was too old to have a baby.’ (3) Sarah says: “I’m worn out, and my husband is old.” (Genesis 18:11,12). Do you get the point?! Having a son at their age is not possible, unbelievable, a scam. We need to remember that Sarah is not alone in her laughter, Abraham does the same thing in the previous chapter: ‘Abraham fell with his face to the ground. He laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man who is 100 years old? Will Sarah have a child at the age of 90?”’ (Genesis 17:17). This promise from God seems too good to be true.
Like Sarah and Abraham, God promises you an amazing inheritance. Martin Luther in his Catechism (a short question and answer booklet) mentions a few times the things that God promises you: (1) forgiveness of sins, (2) salvation, (3) eternal life. God promises that you are an heir to his fortune. You might look at these promises and, like Sarah, go “Fffswtz!” chuckle under your breath, and say “Yeah, right!” At our Bible course for young people last Tuesday (aka “Confirmation class”), we talked about what sin is. Sin is a broken relationship. You might think, “How can God forgive and fix my broken relationships?” Sin is being stained and unclean. Maybe someone has sinned against you and you feel stained and dirty? (Survivors of sexual abuse often, rightly, feel this way). “How can God possibly make me clean?!” you might ask. Sin is going your own way, straying from the path instead of following God’s lead. “I’m so lost, so far down the wrong track, that it’s impossible.” Or you might look at the promise of eternal life. “Fffswtz! Yeah, right! No one knows what happens after death. Nice joke.”
God’s promise often sounds unbelievable, because it requires nothing from us (other than to believe him). It sounds too good to be true. The only way it could happen is if an almighty being did all the work. And this is exactly what happens. In Sarah and Abraham’s case, God does it — he gives them a son! We hear: ‘The LORD was gracious to Sarah, just as he had said he would be. He did for Sarah what he had promised to do.’ (Genesis 21:1). God does what he says, and says what he does. This is the difference between a scam, something that sounds too good to be true; and the real deal, something that is true — the difference is the person giving the promise. When the person giving the promise does what they say, then it’s the real deal. We might say that person is “faithful” or “trustworthy.”
Through Jesus, God promises that you are an heir to an immense fortune. Not millions of Euros like the scam earlier. Not anything material. But something far greater. You are the heir to forgiveness of sins, salvation, and eternal life. God says, “I promise you forgiveness of sins. I promise you salvation. I promise you eternal life.” And again, just as he followed through on his promise with Abraham and Sarah, God follows through with his promise to you. God sends Jesus. God does all the work through Jesus. Jesus suffered on the cross. Jesus died and was buried. Then God raised Jesus from the dead. He gave Jesus a new human body that will last for eternity. So God seals and verifies his promise to you through Jesus’ death and resurrection. He goes first to show you that the promise is real. Nothing is too hard for the LORD. This is not a scam, but a free gift from God that’s been confirmed in his action through Jesus. God is faithful and trustworthy. As the psalm says: ‘His faithfulness continues through all generations.’ (Psalm 100:5).
So how do you receive this amazing inheritance? Simply listen to the promise, believe it, and it’s yours. Both Abraham and Sarah heard the promise of an heir, but at first thought it was unbelievable. Over the next two Sundays we’re going to follow Abraham and Sarah on their journey of faith and trust. After they hear the promise, they go through various trials as they learn to trust and believe God. Likewise, when you hear God’s promise of forgiveness and eternal life, your life becomes a journey of learning to trust God at his Word.
But there’s something else about promises: a promise that you believe to be true changes your life now. Promises are not just something that you receive in the future; promises affect the here and now. Let me give you an illustration. Imagine that you’re a teenager, and your parents promise you to go on a fun beach holiday in the December school holidays. If you believe this promise, it’s going to affect what you do, and how you act, between now and then. You might research a nice hotel or campsite, and book it. You might skimp a bit between now and then to save up some spending money. You might go and buy some new swimmers, or help fix the leak in the caravan. The reality of God’s promise affects you and your life now.
So how does God’s promise of forgiveness and eternal life affect the now?
(1) Forgiveness. Perhaps one way is, as we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.” We have the promise of forgiveness, so this means that we are to live a life of forgiveness toward others here and now. Yet forgiving others is hard! Forgiveness isn’t for the weak, but for the strong. We have to learn to say, “No, I’m not going to let this thing (whatever it is) affect our relationship anymore. I forgive you.” Is there someone in your life you need to learn to forgive? A child? A parent? A spouse? A friend or neighbour? Yourself? God?
(2) Suffering. Another way we live the promise now, is that we suffer. This sounds a bit strange, so let me explain. St Paul says: ‘As [God’s] children, we will receive all that he has for us. We are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. But we must share in his sufferings if we want to share in his glory.’ (Romans 8:17). If we want to share Christ’s inheritance and glory (forgiveness, salvation, eternal life) then we must also share in the suffering of the Christ’s cross. The Christian life is not like winning the lottery: it doesn’t mean being materially rich, being free from sickness, avoiding strife, living without conflict. We all in some way share the suffering of Christ. At times, as we journey through these trials, as we suffer, we might question the promise: “Does God really love me? Am I truly forgiven? Do I have eternal life?” Yet, as St Paul concludes in his next verse: ‘What we are suffering now is nothing compared with the glory that will be shown in us.’ (Romans 8:18).
Like Sarah and Abraham, may you hear God’s promise that sounds too good to be true: your sins are forgiven, you have salvation, you have inherited eternal life! May you believe God, Promise Giver, for he is faithful and trustworthy. May you live in his promise now, today. Forgive as you are forgiven. Bear your cross and suffering, for nothing compares with the glory that awaits you. Amen.
[1] https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/get-help/real-life-stories/inheritance-scam-leo-gives-away-his-life-savings-trying-to-gain-an-inheritance
