Lee Harmon's Blog, page 84
August 28, 2012
Acts 23:2-3, Paul Prophesies the Death of Ananias
At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!"
//Paul, before the Sanhedrin court in Jerusalem, drew the ire of the high priest Ananias by claiming to be doing the will of God. So Ananias gave him a whack across the chops, and Paul responded that God would strike Ananias down. Paul was right.
Ananias developed a reputation for greed, violence and coercion with the Romans. This association with the Romans did not enamor him to Jewish nationalists, the Zealots, when war broke out with Rome. According to Jewish historian Josephus, the Zealots burned Ananias’ house and he was forced to flee to Herod’s palace. He was trapped while hiding in an aqueduct there on the palace grounds and killed.
Impressive forecast! But lest we give Paul too much credit, it must be remembered that these words in the book of Acts were written twenty or more years after Ananias died.
//Paul, before the Sanhedrin court in Jerusalem, drew the ire of the high priest Ananias by claiming to be doing the will of God. So Ananias gave him a whack across the chops, and Paul responded that God would strike Ananias down. Paul was right.
Ananias developed a reputation for greed, violence and coercion with the Romans. This association with the Romans did not enamor him to Jewish nationalists, the Zealots, when war broke out with Rome. According to Jewish historian Josephus, the Zealots burned Ananias’ house and he was forced to flee to Herod’s palace. He was trapped while hiding in an aqueduct there on the palace grounds and killed.
Impressive forecast! But lest we give Paul too much credit, it must be remembered that these words in the book of Acts were written twenty or more years after Ananias died.
August 27, 2012
2 Corinthians 7:8, The Lost Epistles of Paul
Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it.
//Paul (or others writing in the name of Paul) contributed more than half of the books in our New Testament. It’s striking how many of our Christian beliefs we’ve founded on the writings of one man—even a man as influential as Paul of Tarsus.
Yet scripture gives evidence of its own incompleteness. Paul wrote more letters that we haven’t yet uncovered, and may never find. We know of at least four missing letters from Paul, as referenced in the following verses:
I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people –1 Corinthians 5:9. Whatever this letter says, it’s evidence that 1 Corinthians wasn’t the first written to Corinth.
For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you. –2 Corinthians 2:4. This is thought to be the same letter as referenced in today’s verse from verse 7:8, dubbed the “Letter of tears.”
[T]he mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. –Ephesians 3:3. Whatever earlier writing Paul is referring to, it appears to have gone missing.
After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea. –Colossians 4:16 Paul appears to be asking Colosse to share their letter with Laodicea, and to get a copy from Laodicea that Paul had written to them. We have found no such Laodicean letter.
//Paul (or others writing in the name of Paul) contributed more than half of the books in our New Testament. It’s striking how many of our Christian beliefs we’ve founded on the writings of one man—even a man as influential as Paul of Tarsus.
Yet scripture gives evidence of its own incompleteness. Paul wrote more letters that we haven’t yet uncovered, and may never find. We know of at least four missing letters from Paul, as referenced in the following verses:
I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people –1 Corinthians 5:9. Whatever this letter says, it’s evidence that 1 Corinthians wasn’t the first written to Corinth.
For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you. –2 Corinthians 2:4. This is thought to be the same letter as referenced in today’s verse from verse 7:8, dubbed the “Letter of tears.”
[T]he mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. –Ephesians 3:3. Whatever earlier writing Paul is referring to, it appears to have gone missing.
After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea. –Colossians 4:16 Paul appears to be asking Colosse to share their letter with Laodicea, and to get a copy from Laodicea that Paul had written to them. We have found no such Laodicean letter.
August 26, 2012
Book review: Velvet Elvis
by Rob Bell
★★★★
Harper One appears to be doing a reprint of Rob Bell’s works, and sent me a nice little stack of books. So I’m beginning with Bell’s Cinderella work, Velvet Elvis, published back in 2005. I had actually never read it before. Had heard it talked about, but never turned the cover. It turns out to be a good book, but I really didn’t enjoy it as much as I did Bell’s latest, Love Wins. I’ll review that one shortly.
Velvet Elvis is written in a style exactly like I expect the young mega-church pastor to preach: friendly and colloquial, somewhat meandering, common-sensical. I don’t quite get the “Velvet Elvis” part, so let’s ignore the title and just say his is common-sense Christianity. It’s not terribly controversial (it’s actually more conservative than I expected), and it’s not theologically probing, but it’s clear Bell can think for himself … or rather, he can unthink some of the stray ideas that have led many Christians away from simply living a Christian life. I absolutely love this observation early in the book about what happens when you try to follow Jesus:
Over time when you purposefully try to live the way of Jesus, you start noticing something deeper going on. You begin realizing the reason this is the best way to live is that it is rooted in profound truths about how the world is. You find yourself living more and more in tune with ultimate reality. You are more and more in sync with how the universe is at its deepest levels.
What is Bell talking about? He’s talking about what it means to be a disciple of a first-century Rabbi who sees potential in each of us, and calls us to live like him. He’s talking about what happens when you quit pushing your religion on your neighbors and dwell like Christians among them. He’s talking about what happens when you view God’s dream for mankind as one of him coming down to make his home with us, rather than us peering into the heavens with a forlorn hope of rapturous escape. He’s talking about compassion, goodness, simplicity, all the things that can make this world a better place for all of us.
★★★★
Harper One appears to be doing a reprint of Rob Bell’s works, and sent me a nice little stack of books. So I’m beginning with Bell’s Cinderella work, Velvet Elvis, published back in 2005. I had actually never read it before. Had heard it talked about, but never turned the cover. It turns out to be a good book, but I really didn’t enjoy it as much as I did Bell’s latest, Love Wins. I’ll review that one shortly.
Velvet Elvis is written in a style exactly like I expect the young mega-church pastor to preach: friendly and colloquial, somewhat meandering, common-sensical. I don’t quite get the “Velvet Elvis” part, so let’s ignore the title and just say his is common-sense Christianity. It’s not terribly controversial (it’s actually more conservative than I expected), and it’s not theologically probing, but it’s clear Bell can think for himself … or rather, he can unthink some of the stray ideas that have led many Christians away from simply living a Christian life. I absolutely love this observation early in the book about what happens when you try to follow Jesus:
Over time when you purposefully try to live the way of Jesus, you start noticing something deeper going on. You begin realizing the reason this is the best way to live is that it is rooted in profound truths about how the world is. You find yourself living more and more in tune with ultimate reality. You are more and more in sync with how the universe is at its deepest levels.
What is Bell talking about? He’s talking about what it means to be a disciple of a first-century Rabbi who sees potential in each of us, and calls us to live like him. He’s talking about what happens when you quit pushing your religion on your neighbors and dwell like Christians among them. He’s talking about what happens when you view God’s dream for mankind as one of him coming down to make his home with us, rather than us peering into the heavens with a forlorn hope of rapturous escape. He’s talking about compassion, goodness, simplicity, all the things that can make this world a better place for all of us.
August 23, 2012
Joshua 6:16-17 Rahab the Harlot, part II of II
The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the people, "Shout! For the LORD has given you the city! The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent.
//Joshua and his armies roll across the Jordan River, preparing to conquer the land of Canaan, and the first obstacle in their way is a fortress-town named Jericho. Recall from yesterday’s post that Jericho’s famous harlot, Rahab, is no small force to be reckoned with. Her beauty is beyond compare; her will is unbendable; her name likens her to the dragon ruling over the primordial chaos before God brought order to the universe. She is no outcast in Jericho; rather, she epitomizes the city. She is its very essence. And she waits for Joshua. Waits to be rescued … or perhaps to swallow him up and spew him forth like the mythical beast she’s named after.
Jericho’s walls are high, an impenetrable circle, A Freudian image if ever I’ve heard one. Round and round goes Joshua with his armies, seven days, and seven times on the seventh day, until finally the time comes to act. Israel breaks down the walls and plunges into the Promised Land. Rahab is rescued.
Tradition holds that after the conquest, Joshua and Rahab were married.
[image error]
//Joshua and his armies roll across the Jordan River, preparing to conquer the land of Canaan, and the first obstacle in their way is a fortress-town named Jericho. Recall from yesterday’s post that Jericho’s famous harlot, Rahab, is no small force to be reckoned with. Her beauty is beyond compare; her will is unbendable; her name likens her to the dragon ruling over the primordial chaos before God brought order to the universe. She is no outcast in Jericho; rather, she epitomizes the city. She is its very essence. And she waits for Joshua. Waits to be rescued … or perhaps to swallow him up and spew him forth like the mythical beast she’s named after.
Jericho’s walls are high, an impenetrable circle, A Freudian image if ever I’ve heard one. Round and round goes Joshua with his armies, seven days, and seven times on the seventh day, until finally the time comes to act. Israel breaks down the walls and plunges into the Promised Land. Rahab is rescued.
Tradition holds that after the conquest, Joshua and Rahab were married.
[image error]
August 22, 2012
Joshua 2:1, Rahab the Harlot, part I of II
Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. "Go, look over the land," he said, "especially Jericho." So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.
//Could Rahab be the most famous prostitute in the Bible? Let’s be clear about one thing: Rahab is no back-alley whore. She dwells in a high tower atop the fortifications of the city and has access to a private roof. When the men of the city come to her asking about Joshua’s spies, she admits to harboring Israelites and points out the direction they left. There is no distrust by the men, no insistence upon searching her home. She is treated with respect, more like a queen than a peasant.
Secretly, as we know, Rahab hid the Israelite spies on the rooftop until she could lower them down to safety outside the walls. Rahab knows that their mighty military leader, Joshua, will be coming for battle soon, and she asks to be spared. The spies tell her to hang a scarlet cord in the window to identify her home.
What was Rahab like? Some legends claim she was the most beautiful woman in the world. Her very name, Rahab (which means “proud, arrogant,”) evokes images of bewildering, untamed chaos. Recall that Rahab is also the name of the beast God destroys to overcome the primordial chaos in the beginning of the world:
The pillars of the heavens quake, aghast at his rebuke. By his power he churned up the sea; by his wisdom he cut Rahab to pieces. By his breath the skies became fair; his hand pierced the gliding serpent. –Job 26:11-13
Awake, awake! Clothe yourself with strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in days gone by, as in generations of old. Was it not you who cut Rahab to pieces, who pierced that monster through? Was it not you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made a road in the depths of the sea so that the redeemed might cross over? –Isaiah 51:9-10
Into the lair of Rahab came Joshua. Awake, awake! Clothe yourself with strength, Joshua! Tomorrow, the rest of the story.
//Could Rahab be the most famous prostitute in the Bible? Let’s be clear about one thing: Rahab is no back-alley whore. She dwells in a high tower atop the fortifications of the city and has access to a private roof. When the men of the city come to her asking about Joshua’s spies, she admits to harboring Israelites and points out the direction they left. There is no distrust by the men, no insistence upon searching her home. She is treated with respect, more like a queen than a peasant.
Secretly, as we know, Rahab hid the Israelite spies on the rooftop until she could lower them down to safety outside the walls. Rahab knows that their mighty military leader, Joshua, will be coming for battle soon, and she asks to be spared. The spies tell her to hang a scarlet cord in the window to identify her home.
What was Rahab like? Some legends claim she was the most beautiful woman in the world. Her very name, Rahab (which means “proud, arrogant,”) evokes images of bewildering, untamed chaos. Recall that Rahab is also the name of the beast God destroys to overcome the primordial chaos in the beginning of the world:
The pillars of the heavens quake, aghast at his rebuke. By his power he churned up the sea; by his wisdom he cut Rahab to pieces. By his breath the skies became fair; his hand pierced the gliding serpent. –Job 26:11-13
Awake, awake! Clothe yourself with strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in days gone by, as in generations of old. Was it not you who cut Rahab to pieces, who pierced that monster through? Was it not you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made a road in the depths of the sea so that the redeemed might cross over? –Isaiah 51:9-10
Into the lair of Rahab came Joshua. Awake, awake! Clothe yourself with strength, Joshua! Tomorrow, the rest of the story.
August 21, 2012
Book review: Speaking Christian
by Marcus J. Borg
★★★★★
What is meant by our Christian language? How do we understand words like “redemption”? Borg reflects on the difference in meaning between liberal and conservative Christian thinking, even though the language is identical. Borg is quite liberal, and he refuses to turn the meaning of words that are special and meaningful to him over to a Christianity that he feels has strayed from the original, radical, this-worldly message of the first Christians.
Early Christianity was not focused on heaven or hell. An emphasis on the afterlife has turned Christianity away from its roots, and consequently, many of the concepts of the Bible have been modernized. A lot of the meanings of words we use as Christians differ so severely from person to person that it renders some of us speechless. We simply don’t know how to say what we mean. At least in America, when liberal Christians speak of faith, resurrection, even God, the conservative interpretation is so popular that we often can’t be understood.
The problem words are numerous. Saved. Born again. Mercy. Sin. Belief. (Borg suggests that a proper synonym for "believing" is “beloving.”) I've struggled mightily with this problem on various online forums, to the point where it's tempting to simply give up on "speaking Christian." This makes Borg’s book especially timely for me. So serious is the problem that some have concluded that Christian language is beyond redemption and needs to be replaced by language that actually communicates what we want to communicate. But Borg encourages us to hang in there. If we avoid the language of our faith because of uncertainty about what it means, we grant a monopoly on it to those who are most certain about its meaning. That would be unfortunate, for the language is extraordinarily rich, wise, and transformative. Moreover, if we neglect or reject biblical and Christian language because of its common current-day meanings, a serious question arises: Can we be Christian without using the language of Christianity?
Borg says no. To abandon the language of Christianity would mean leaving behind something that has been profoundly nourishing. Religions are like language. Ceasing to speak French would mean no longer being French. Being Christian means "speaking Christian."
★★★★★
What is meant by our Christian language? How do we understand words like “redemption”? Borg reflects on the difference in meaning between liberal and conservative Christian thinking, even though the language is identical. Borg is quite liberal, and he refuses to turn the meaning of words that are special and meaningful to him over to a Christianity that he feels has strayed from the original, radical, this-worldly message of the first Christians.
Early Christianity was not focused on heaven or hell. An emphasis on the afterlife has turned Christianity away from its roots, and consequently, many of the concepts of the Bible have been modernized. A lot of the meanings of words we use as Christians differ so severely from person to person that it renders some of us speechless. We simply don’t know how to say what we mean. At least in America, when liberal Christians speak of faith, resurrection, even God, the conservative interpretation is so popular that we often can’t be understood.
The problem words are numerous. Saved. Born again. Mercy. Sin. Belief. (Borg suggests that a proper synonym for "believing" is “beloving.”) I've struggled mightily with this problem on various online forums, to the point where it's tempting to simply give up on "speaking Christian." This makes Borg’s book especially timely for me. So serious is the problem that some have concluded that Christian language is beyond redemption and needs to be replaced by language that actually communicates what we want to communicate. But Borg encourages us to hang in there. If we avoid the language of our faith because of uncertainty about what it means, we grant a monopoly on it to those who are most certain about its meaning. That would be unfortunate, for the language is extraordinarily rich, wise, and transformative. Moreover, if we neglect or reject biblical and Christian language because of its common current-day meanings, a serious question arises: Can we be Christian without using the language of Christianity?
Borg says no. To abandon the language of Christianity would mean leaving behind something that has been profoundly nourishing. Religions are like language. Ceasing to speak French would mean no longer being French. Being Christian means "speaking Christian."
August 20, 2012
Matthew 16:26, Do We Have a Soul?
For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
//Help! Science has stolen my soul, and I can't get it back!
For at least a couple hundred years before Christ, many Jews believed in an afterlife. They understood there would be a physical resurrection, and they would live again in the flesh, on the earth. It may have been around the time of Christ that the Greek concept of a soul made inroads into branches of Judaism, and lodged firmly in the branch we know today as Christianity.
But if I have a soul, can it really be me? My feelings, my mental skills, my memories reside within a piece of meat housed in my skull. Likewise, so is everything I've learned to say and do and enjoy, everything that makes me "me." My love for music, my competitive spirit, my unappreciated wry sense of humor, my weakness for cute noses. That’s what’s me.
So maybe I do have a soul, a living parasite housed somewhere within my body. Maybe this soul has some sort of otherworldly link to God, perhaps God pulls the strings on this parasite, and perhaps it can even somehow stir the electrical impulses that fire between the neurons of my brain to make me think and act differently. Maybe it lives on after I die, and maybe it then goes to heaven or hell. The question I struggle with is, Why do I care about it? Or, more to the point, why would I care any differently about my parasite than yours? I hope they all go to heaven, and I hope they dance happily there while the personalities they leave behind fade into oblivion.
Comments welcome.
//Help! Science has stolen my soul, and I can't get it back!
For at least a couple hundred years before Christ, many Jews believed in an afterlife. They understood there would be a physical resurrection, and they would live again in the flesh, on the earth. It may have been around the time of Christ that the Greek concept of a soul made inroads into branches of Judaism, and lodged firmly in the branch we know today as Christianity.
But if I have a soul, can it really be me? My feelings, my mental skills, my memories reside within a piece of meat housed in my skull. Likewise, so is everything I've learned to say and do and enjoy, everything that makes me "me." My love for music, my competitive spirit, my unappreciated wry sense of humor, my weakness for cute noses. That’s what’s me.
So maybe I do have a soul, a living parasite housed somewhere within my body. Maybe this soul has some sort of otherworldly link to God, perhaps God pulls the strings on this parasite, and perhaps it can even somehow stir the electrical impulses that fire between the neurons of my brain to make me think and act differently. Maybe it lives on after I die, and maybe it then goes to heaven or hell. The question I struggle with is, Why do I care about it? Or, more to the point, why would I care any differently about my parasite than yours? I hope they all go to heaven, and I hope they dance happily there while the personalities they leave behind fade into oblivion.
Comments welcome.
August 19, 2012
Revelation 1:9, Who Wrote the Book of Revelation?
I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
//Many readers of my book conclude that I believe John the Apostle wrote the book of Revelation, and that this John was also John of Gischala from Josephus’s writings.
No. I should set the record straight. I do not believe this, nor should you. In fact, I’m horrible at believing stuff. Which works out just fine for this line of work, because in writing as a Bible scholar, it’s important for me to be able to suspend any beliefs I do have, and report as objectively as possible.
What I believe is that I have highlighted and presented a reasonable answer to the question of Revelation’s authorship. Nothing more.
So who do I think wrote the book? Well, I’m a numbers guy, and as for John of Gischala’s chances, it’s mostly a matter of measuring the possibility of coincidence, given the clues. After this study, I’d guess there’s a 50% chance John of Gischala wrote or dictated it. I’d guess there’s a 40% chance John the Apostle did. Perhaps there’s a 40% chance neither wrote it. I’d estimate a 25% chance it was written as or about John the Apostle, or perhaps hoped that authorship by this John would be assumed, though not truly written by him. I’d give it a similar 25% chance that it was in many ways inspired by the real-life experiences of John of Gischala, though not written by him. Put them all together, and you get a reasonable chance that authorship has been determined, and a decent chance the two Johns are the same.
Tomorrow, I will surely change my mind slightly. Such is the nature of ongoing scholarship.
//Many readers of my book conclude that I believe John the Apostle wrote the book of Revelation, and that this John was also John of Gischala from Josephus’s writings.
No. I should set the record straight. I do not believe this, nor should you. In fact, I’m horrible at believing stuff. Which works out just fine for this line of work, because in writing as a Bible scholar, it’s important for me to be able to suspend any beliefs I do have, and report as objectively as possible.
What I believe is that I have highlighted and presented a reasonable answer to the question of Revelation’s authorship. Nothing more.
So who do I think wrote the book? Well, I’m a numbers guy, and as for John of Gischala’s chances, it’s mostly a matter of measuring the possibility of coincidence, given the clues. After this study, I’d guess there’s a 50% chance John of Gischala wrote or dictated it. I’d guess there’s a 40% chance John the Apostle did. Perhaps there’s a 40% chance neither wrote it. I’d estimate a 25% chance it was written as or about John the Apostle, or perhaps hoped that authorship by this John would be assumed, though not truly written by him. I’d give it a similar 25% chance that it was in many ways inspired by the real-life experiences of John of Gischala, though not written by him. Put them all together, and you get a reasonable chance that authorship has been determined, and a decent chance the two Johns are the same.
Tomorrow, I will surely change my mind slightly. Such is the nature of ongoing scholarship.
August 18, 2012
Book Review: The Bible Experience
by Zondervan
★★★★★
I don’t really review audio-only books, but I should make an exception to tell you about The Bible Experience, just in case you’ve never heard of it. This is a reading of Today’s New International Version of the Bible. If you’ve got a road trip planned, this should be your companion.
It employs a cast of a couple hundred actors in the star-studded cast—Samuel Jackson, Angela Bassett, and Cuba Gooding Jr. to name a few—and sound effects that bring ancient times alive. This is just a reading of the Bible, nothing more, yet the written Word is somehow elevated into an absolutely stunning audio experience. No book of any genre that I’ve listened to compares to this, and certainly no audio Bible version compares. This is the one you want.
Pick up the Gospel of John, lie down in a meadow, and put on your ear buds for a couple hours. Or tune in to Revelation and listen to the angels sing. If you’re looking for meaningful Christmas presents, then after you buy my books, buy this! :)
★★★★★
I don’t really review audio-only books, but I should make an exception to tell you about The Bible Experience, just in case you’ve never heard of it. This is a reading of Today’s New International Version of the Bible. If you’ve got a road trip planned, this should be your companion.
It employs a cast of a couple hundred actors in the star-studded cast—Samuel Jackson, Angela Bassett, and Cuba Gooding Jr. to name a few—and sound effects that bring ancient times alive. This is just a reading of the Bible, nothing more, yet the written Word is somehow elevated into an absolutely stunning audio experience. No book of any genre that I’ve listened to compares to this, and certainly no audio Bible version compares. This is the one you want.
Pick up the Gospel of John, lie down in a meadow, and put on your ear buds for a couple hours. Or tune in to Revelation and listen to the angels sing. If you’re looking for meaningful Christmas presents, then after you buy my books, buy this! :)
August 17, 2012
Genesis 18:1-2, Abraham's Kindness
The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
//In today's verse, Abraham, newly-circumcised, sees three men and rushes to provide hospitality. It is said that the third day after circumcision is the most painful, and this was the third day. Despite his groin pain, he jumps up and runs to them, begging them to let him serve them.
According to Jewish tradition, service is simply in Abraham's nature. He cannot help but show kindness. Kabbalah tradition tells us that Abraham was so motivated by desire to provide hospitality that on this day he sent a servant out into the desert hoping to find some weary passers-by whom he could aid. Finding no one, he dejectedly returned to his tent, when the three strangers appeared. He immediately and joyfully rushed to greet them.
In pain from circumcision, he nevertheless "runs to the herd and selects a tender calf" and has a feast prepared. Abraham's reward? A child born to Sarah, his wife, and the fulfillment of God's promise of an uncountable nation.
//In today's verse, Abraham, newly-circumcised, sees three men and rushes to provide hospitality. It is said that the third day after circumcision is the most painful, and this was the third day. Despite his groin pain, he jumps up and runs to them, begging them to let him serve them.
According to Jewish tradition, service is simply in Abraham's nature. He cannot help but show kindness. Kabbalah tradition tells us that Abraham was so motivated by desire to provide hospitality that on this day he sent a servant out into the desert hoping to find some weary passers-by whom he could aid. Finding no one, he dejectedly returned to his tent, when the three strangers appeared. He immediately and joyfully rushed to greet them.
In pain from circumcision, he nevertheless "runs to the herd and selects a tender calf" and has a feast prepared. Abraham's reward? A child born to Sarah, his wife, and the fulfillment of God's promise of an uncountable nation.
