Today’s reading from the book of Genesis tells us that Sarah lived until she was 127 years old. It’s kind of neat that the scriptures do not say Sarah died when she was 127 years old, but rather that she lived until then. Life is to be lived until the very end and even then life doesn’t stop with death. There is no such thing as death for our soul. We simply step into a different kind of existence, just like we did when we were born.
It is also admirable that Abraham took care of his son before he died by making arrangements with his servant to find a wife for Isaac, from his own kindred. It takes a very loving person to think of what will happen to others after they die and it is such a gift to those we leave behind if we do so. Many people have trouble even talking about their approaching death, let alone say what they would like to happen when they are gone. We should learn from Abraham’s example and consider making a will. If we can’t do that soon, we could at least write down on a piece of paper what we would like to be done for those we love if we should pass unexpectedly. Because of Abraham’s thoughtfulness, Isaac found a beautiful wife named Rebekah. The scriptures today say that Isaac loved her and because of her he was comforted after his mother’s death.
Abraham told his servant that if the woman he chose would not follow him back to Canaan though, he would be set free from the oath he made to bring Isaac a wife back from his own people. It is a good thing Rebekah agreed to come to Canaan and become Isaac’s wife though. Many generations of people were the result of her decision. We never really know how seemingly small decisions in our lives end up affecting other people, sometimes generations of people in good ways and in bad ways too.
Rebekah’s decision to follow Abraham’s servant back to Canaan to start a new life with Isaac was very similar to how Matthew answered Jesus’ call to “Follow me”. The scriptures say “he got up and followed him”. Did he really just get up and walk away from everything he ever knew on the spur of the moment just because Jesus asked him to? Well yes, that is exactly what the scriptures say he did. Do you think you could do the same thing if he asked you to get up and follow him? That had to be a major, life changing moment in Matthew’s life and to think of the faith and trust he had, to step out of his comfort zone and follow his heart and follow Jesus.
Jesus surely respected Matthew’s change of heart, when he sat down to dinner in a house full of other tax collectors and sinners. The Pharisees as usual, grilled his disciples about why Jesus was eating with tax collectors and sinners, but Christ heard them talking and answered them that “those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” Matthew had just been one of them not very long ago, but now he had a brand new heart and a brand new life as Christ’s very own apostle. How much more beautiful than this, can Jesus’ heart be? His love healed a sinner and made him one of Jesus’ closest friends on earth and an apostle that he trusted with the mission to share the good news of salvation with the world when he was gone.
The Lord said “I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners”. Jesus sure didn’t pick the holiest, most religious people of his time to be his apostles and that is still true in many ways with his modern day disciples as well. Jesus is the physician who heals us and it is ok that we are not not perfect every moment of our lives. He didn’t expect perfection in people but he did expect love. We too, should not expect perfection in others. They do not need to be perfect in order for us to love them. And that is a pretty good thing for us to think about in our relations with other people today.
