THE UNIQUE BANQUET As Abraham entered into a covenant with God, he have actually entered into a deeper friendship, cherished by God, who calls him His friend. In His talk with Israel, He says, “But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the descendants of Abraham My friend” (Isaiah 41:8). A title to be used by ‘Jehoshaphat’ in his talk to God, seeking His help for the people (2 Chronicles 20:7); and proclaimed by the apostle James, describing Abraham as being “called the friend of God” (James 2:23). 1- By the terebinth trees of Mamre 1-2. 2- The hospitable Abraham 3-5. 3- Preparation of the banquet 6-8. 4- Sarah’s enjoyment of fruition 9-15. 5- A debate with the Lord 16-33. 1- BY THE TEREBINTH TREES OF MAMRE “Then the Lord appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him: And when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground” (Gen. 18:1-2). That historical encounter came to represent a true spiritual one, that every soul following the example of Abraham the Patriarch, would enjoy; and enter into a true loving friendship with God; would sit at the door of its tent by the terebinth trees of Mamre; would receive in it the Lord of heaven and His angels, to become a temple for God, proclaiming in it the kingdom of heavens. In order to have the Lord in us, let us get out to the door of the tent, and sit there by the terebinth trees of Mamre, in the heat of the day, beneath the shade of the trees. What is getting out of the tent, but the setting forth of the soul out of the lusts of the flesh, so that the bad lust would not entrap the soul inside it, to be confused by the worldly worries; but to set forth freely, to let man live spiritually and not carnally; to submit the tent to his soul, instead of submitting his soul to the weight of the tent. It is not enough to get out to the door of the tent, but we should also sit by the terebinth trees, namely by the cross, in the heat of the day, to contemplate in the wounds of the Lord, lifted on the cross in the sixth hour. The word ‘Mamre’ means ‘vision’ or ‘insight.’ So, by getting out, by the Holy Spirit, from the weight of the wickedness of our tent, and by our sitting by the holy terebinth trees, saying: “I sat down in His shade with great delight, And His fruit was sweet to my taste” (Song of Solomon 2: 3).; to enjoy Mamre, namely, the vision of God, and the enlightenment of the inner insight. Fr. Caesarius of Arles comments on that encounter of God with Abraham by the terebinth trees of Mamre, saying: [In what location is it possible to set a banquet for the Lord? Have Abraham’s vision and insight been enlightened (as Mamre means vision or insight), and his heart was pure to behold God. In such location, and with such heart, it is possible to set a banquet for the Lord1.] Some Jewish interpreters believe that this encounter took place after three days of the circumcision; and that the Lord came to heal Abraham of his wound. If this is 1 Ser. 83:5. 4 true, the circumcision, a symbol of baptism, which we attain by the name of Holy Trinity, is the way to enter into the divine friendship; through which God yearns to be received by us in our tent, that is sanctified by His Holy Spirit, to find in us His joyful banquet, and hear our voice: “Let my Beloved come to His garden and eat its pleasant fruit” (Song of Solomon 4:16); to enter joyfully into our hearts, and say: “I have come to My garden, My sister, My spouse; I have gathered My myrrh with My spice; I have eaten My honeycomb with My honey; I have drunk My wine with My milk. Eat, O friends! Drink, yes, drink deeply, O beloved ones! “ (Song of Solomon 5:1). Thus, our tent becomes a center of comfort for the Lord, He finds pleasure in mankind. St. Macarius the Great says: [The heart is the palace of Christ; In it the King gets in to find comfort, accompanied by the angels, and the spirits of saints; there He dwells, walk, and establish His kingdom1.] Our tent would be transformed into a Paradise, with which the divine Groom is pleased. And as St. Gregory of Nyssa says: [This is for whom the bride has set her banquet. As for the table, it is a planted Paradise, living trees – ourselves - and the fruits that we offer are our souls... The food prepared is our salvation, and the fruits are our free will, that presents to God our souls, as though fruits gathered from the branch2.] Let us stand with Abraham by the door of the tent, to host the Lord in our tent that is His palace and His Paradise, to offer Him, by our free will (our life sanctified in Him), the food that pleases Him! Abraham, by hosting the Lord and His two angels, drew the attention of the saintly men of God. St. Paul the apostle says: “By so doing, some have unwittingly entertained angels” (Hebrew 13:2). The Fathers have abundantly spoken of the act of ‘entertaining strangers,’ as a way of entertaining the Lord in His creation. St. Ambrose says: [The Lord Christ is probably coming in the person of the stranger or the poor, having said: “I was in prison and you came to Me: I was naked and you clothed Me” (Matthew 25:3)3.] St. Jerome says: [The true temple for Christ is the believer’s soul. So let us adorn it. Let us offer Him clothes, and gifts. Let us welcome Christ in him! What would be the use of walls adorned with jewels, if Christ in the poor, is in danger of death because of hunger?4] 2- THE HOSPITABLE ABRAHAM That encounter revealed the generous nature of Abraham, who offered his heart before his food; received others in it before opening his tent to them. That was obvious when he, the old man, “Ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground; and said, ‘My Lord, If I now found favor in your sight, do not pass on by your servant. Please let a little water be brought and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to your servant.’ And they said, ‘Do as you have said’” (Gen. 18:2-5). He thought they were traveling people. So he spoke to them with love and a spirit of giving and humility, offering to wash their feet, and describing the food, he is going to offer them, as just a morsel of bread, a simple sign of love that cannot be refused. He started by washing the feet, and as Origen says: [He knew that it is 1 Hom 15. 2 Comm. on Cant. Ser. 10. 3 Duties of the Clergy 2:21 (107). 4 Ep. 58:7. 5 impossible for the secrets of the Lord to be fulfilled unless we, at least, wash the feet1.] St. Ambrose says: [It is good to have humility; as when I wash away the uncleanness of others, I am washing away my own uncleanness2.] It is as though, the beginning of hospitality is the washing, not of feet, but of uncleanness, by forgiving the wrong that others committed against us. By that, as we wash out their uncleanness, we are washing our own. 3- PREPARATION OF THE BANQUET “So Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah and said, ‘Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes.’ And Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and hastened to prepare it” (Gen. 18:6-7). In that banquet, it is to be noted: (1) When Abraham saw the men, he “ran,” despite his old age. Yet as far as doing the good deed, he ran like a kid in joy. And once the men accepted his invitation, he “hastened” to Sarah, to let her partake of that good deed. Having given the calf to his servant, the latter “hastened” to prepare it. Thus Abraham, his wife, and his servants, did not only partake of the good deed, but also hastened to do it, as though not to lose that chance. Origen says: [Abraham, his wife and servants, all hasten; There is no room for laziness in the house of the wise3.] And St. John Chrysostom says: [Abraham trained his servants well... Let us likewise think of and care for the salvation of those who serve us, to be good, and practice the divine works4.] Let our houses be like that of Abraham, who, together with his wife and servants used to work for the Lord, with an alert spirit and a fiery heart, that knows no laziness. If Abraham represents the human soul that sets forth out of the tent, to sit by the cross, to receive all with love, Sarah, on her part, represents the body, sanctified in the Lord, who offers cakes that rejoices God’s heart. By that Sarah partook of the process of hospitality; so the body partook, with the soul, of the life of union with God, and walking by His Holy Spirit. As for the servants, they refer to the energies and capacities of men that offer sacrifices of love to God, as did the servant of Abraham! (2) Abraham asked his wife to knead three measures of fine meal. He would not offer old bread to his guests, but the best he has, done by his elderly wife, and in abundance. The three measures probably refer to “faith, hope, and love,” the three items, kneaded by the Church, to offer to the Lord, through the life of her children, fine bread that pleases the Lord. This is what the Church offers continuously, especially as these things are kneaded with the water of the Holy Spirit. By the Holy Spirit, as the heart is filled with faith, the soul sets forth toward her heavenly Groom. By hope it over-rides any obstacle and becomes filled with joy. Then, by love, it enters into where the throne of God is (Love Itself). This is our undivided spiritual dough, by which we come into the bosom of God, as an offer of love to Him. The “cake” is a kind of highly esteemed bread, baked on heated coal (1 Kings 19:6). If Sarah (the Church), offers our life, a dough of three measures (faith, hope, and love), this dough is not fit to be eaten, and would not give pleasure to the Lord, 1 In Gen. hom 4:2. 2 Duties of the Clergy 1:1 (14). 3 In Gen. hom 4:1. 4 In Acts hom. 45. 6 except through the heated coal or tones, namely, our fellowship with the Lord in His passion, to be transformed in Him into “cakes.” Passions are bitter and severe, yet with the Lord they are transformed into glories, or into an offer of precious bread to God. (3) As he set the food before his guests, “He stood by them under the tree as they ate” (Gen. 18:8). Abraham, his wife, and servants, did not only hasten to prepare and offer the best they have to entertain their guests, but Abraham, the old man, stood by them as they ate. Although he had servants, slaves and maids, yet he, himself, lovingly stood to serve them! Let us stand with Abraham under the tree of the cross, to serve others with humility and joy. We would in them serve the Lord. 4- SARAH’S ENJOYMENT OF FRUITION In love, Abraham and Sarah offered the best they have to the Lord. And in love, the Lord accepted from man the gift, that is, as expressed by the wise Solomon, actually His. And as God could never be indebted to anyone, He gave love for love. He asked Abraham: “‘Where is Sarah your wife?’ And he said, ‘Here in the tent.’ And He said, ‘I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son’” (Gen. 18:9-10). They hosted the Lord, who, in return, grants this old, well advanced in age couple, a son (Gen. 18:11); as though setting life from death, and children for Abraham from stones; He grants them “Isaac,” meaning ‘laugh’. It is indeed ‘laugh,’ when it is said of the aged barren Sarah, that she became a mother. What is really greater, is it that, through Isaac, the Savior Messiah would come carrying the flesh as Abraham’s son, when in truth He is his God, for all nations to be blessed? It is an exalted and an incomprehensible divine work! That was the fruit that was enjoyed by Abraham and Sarah through their faith, working in love. Abraham was at the door of the tent, while Sarah was in the tent, behind Abraham (Gen. 18:10). Abraham represented the soul, set forth in the freedom of the Holy Spirit, outside the tent, namely above all pressures of the body; while Sarah, referring to the body that has to be behind the soul, and not before it, so that the body would submit to the soul, and not the other way round. When the body submits to the soul, sanctified in the Lord, the two unite together to beget “Isaac,” meaning ‘laugh’ or ‘joy,’ so that man, in his wholeness, would rejoice, carrying in himself the fruit of the Spirit. The divine inspiration goes on to say: “Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age” (Gen. 18:11). Although Abraham did not live as long as his early Fathers did, this is the first time that somebody is said to be “old and advanced in age.” Origen says that they were “old,” namely, filled with wisdom; and “advanced in age,” namely, they did not lose a single day of their life without spiritual fruit; their days were like a day with no night, all light, counted for them with no loss. Origen says: [The sinner is not advanced in age, as he is not “forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forward to those things which are ahead” (Philippians 3:13); but is always “looking back” (Luke 9:62); so “He is not for the kingdom of God.” Thus if we extend to those things which are ahead, and seek perfection, we would be “advanced in age1.”] Abraham and Sarah carried the old age of wisdom and advanced age in grace 1 In Jos. hom 16:1. 7 and not in fragility that leads to death. They enjoyed this grace, and got that description, because they entertained the Word of God and His two angels; so their life turned into heaven, and became worthy of getting the promise to have Isaac, the symbol of Christ; and counted as old and prudent in the Lord. “Sarah laughed within herself, saying, ‘After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my Lord being old also?’ And the Lord said to Abraham, ‘did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.’ But Sarah denied it, saying, ‘I did not laugh,’ for she was afraid. And He said, ‘No, but you did laugh’ ”(Gen. 18:12-15). St. Clement of Alexandria believes that Sarah laughed, not because she did not believe in the promise, but out of shyness for the whole situation: to be called mother at that old age1. St. Augustine2 believes that she laughed out of joy, although not in complete faith. Abraham laughed and fell on his face before the Lord (Gen. 17:17), while Sarah laughed inside herself (Gen. 18:13); So they begot Isaac, meaning ‘laugh;’ so that they would remember the work of God with them, every time they call his name, and would glorify God who granted them a grace beyond nature. 5- A DEBATE WITH GOD As Abraham, met God’s love by love, God talked with him as a friend, saying: “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing; since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?” (Gen. 18:17-18) God, with His love for man, does not wish to hide His secrets from him. The prophet David says that God’s secret is for those who fear Him. And Amos says: “Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7). As God sets Abraham as a great nation, and lets him enjoy the coming of the Lord Christ as his descendant, so that all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him. He talks to him frankly and with an open heart, to teach his children the fellowship with God. God proclaimed the transgressions of Sodom and Gomorrah, saying: “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not I will know” (Gen. 18: 20-21) The hideousness of man was revealed in the extent of man’s evil. The sins were so manifest, asking for chastening their doers. And the earth - the voiceless creation - is no longer standing that corruption, so it is moaning to God, seeking His judgment against man, as did Abel’s blood who cried out to God from the ground because of his brother’s evil crime (Gen. 4:10). It is also like the detained wages of the harvesters, crying out against the injustice of their employers (James 5:4). Sodom and Gomorrah were two cities close to the Dead Sea, where Lot dwelt. Sodom means ‘Burning up,’ while Gomorrah means ‘flood3.’ So these two cities became symbols of sin that lead the soul, as though to get burnt in fire or drowned in flood. 1 Strom. 6:7. 2 City of God 16:31. 3 New Westminster Dic. p. 339. 8 As to the expression “I will go down now and see,” this should not be literally understood; as God is Omnipresent, but it is an expression that fits our humanity to reveal God’s justice. He does not hasten to punish, but it is as though He waits to go down and see by Himself what man did... He is preoccupied with all humanity. God came down to us to see our sins. And as Origen says: [In order to carry it, as He takes the form of a servant (Philippians 2:7)1.] He comes down to us to carry our heavy and bitter burdens, and to pay back the debts on our behalf, and to lift us up with Him, as He did on the Mount of Transfiguration (Mark 9: 2). Following that conversation, the two angels departed to Sodom and Gomorrah, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. Lovingly, he came near and said: “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city...?” (Gen. 18:23-24) He did not speak with God about himself or his wife, concerning God’s promise to grant them a child, but all his feelings were absorbed in what was going to happen to those prone to doom. So he tried to intercede on their behalf! It is a living portrait of mature love of man toward his brothers, asking for them more than he does for himself, even if they are wicked and deserve death. And as St. John Chrysostom says: [Abraham truly looked as if he was asking for the righteous, although he was in fact asking for all. The souls of saints are very tender and loving, for the sake of their own salvation, as well as of others2.] If God entered into a dialogue with His friend Abraham, yet Abraham committed himself to the spirit of humility in his talking with the Lord, and as St. Augustine said: [When Abraham tried to intercede for the sake of Sodom and Gomorrah with no avail, he finally said: “I am dust and ashes”! How great is the humility of the great saints!3] St. John Chrysostom says: [Let us be humble, to be lifted up; as vain glory would get man down; the same way Pharaoh did when he said: “I do not know the Lord” (Exodus 5:2), to become less than flies, frogs, and locusts; then to drown together with his army and chariots in the sea. On the contrary, when Abraham said: “I am dust and ashes,” he defeated Barbarians; and when he fell in Pharaoh’s hands, he returned to his land with more riches and glories than he originally had. By keeping that virtue, he grew to more exalted status4.] St. Ambrose says: [When Job sat in the midst of ashes God restored all his losses to him (Job 2:8; 42:10)5.] 1 In Gen. hom 4:5. 2 In Rom hom 29. 3 On Ps. 147. 4 In Matt hom 65:6. 5 Conc. Repent. 2:1 (4).
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