missionally minded

i was reading this morning about abraham - how he was going to sacrifice his son, how his wife died and he purchased a tomb for her burial, and how he sent his servant to bring back a wife for isaac from his father's house.

and the thing that stuck with me the most this time was that after his wife died, he went to the city gate to walk through the steps of buying of a tomb. i guess in that day it was normal to go through the ping pong tournament of "i'd like to buy your property", "no no you take it", "no i want to pay you for it", "no really i insist just take it", "what do i owe you for it?", "i don't want you to pay me fifty bucks even though that's what it's worth", "ok here is fifty bucks. thank you and good day".

seriously? that was how it was done? i'm all the more grateful for craigslist.

yes. apparently that was how it was done. and abraham was willing to take the time and do it the way it was done even though his heart must have been grieving during the entire barter. it must have been one of the hardest times in his life!.. but he still acted appropriately, did what was right.

we know he was far away from his family - he is called a sojourner in the land where he lived. which is why his servant had to take a journey in order to find a wife for his son among abraham's father's house. abraham was far from home.

he lived among people who were not israelites. they were not God's chosen people. in other words - they did not have God.

why it sure sounds a lot like abraham was a missionary, doesn't it? a godly man, far from home, living in the land of people who do not have God. and in his dealings with them, he is appropriate and fair. he doesn't take advantage of any generosity, but rather does what is right and good. even in their eyes.

i wonder if any of them thought, "who is this man? he seems different. he is clearly under duress. i mean he's buying a tomb for goodness' sake. and for his wife?.. why isn't he just taking the property? why does he insist on doing this the right way? what is it that is so different in him that causes him to act so... hmm.. i guess he would call it 'godly'. but who is this God that could enable this? who is this God that can carry him through pain to still act in an upright and fair way among us whom he has no kin. we are but strangers to him. why would he care for us? is his God like this, too? could his God care for us as well? i want to know more about his God."

we are all living in a mission field and every circumstance can produce occasion to act honorable for the sake of bringing attention and honor to God. every dealing with others can result in a seed being planted or watered or cultivated. life is a splattering of such opportunities. i guess the question is, will we obey? or will we soil God's reputation simply by being associated with us?

may we act honorable and justly and giving all due credit to our God! and may others notice a changed life in us enough to desire it for themselves.