The gospel according to Abraham:

Genesis 18:1-15 ESV

And the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth and said, "O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on— since you have come to your servant." So they said, "Do as you have said." And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, "Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes." And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly. Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree while they ate. They said to him, "Where is Sarah your wife?" And he said, "She is in the tent." The Lord said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son." And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, "After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?" The Lord said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, "Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?" Is anything too hard for the Lord ? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son." But Sarah denied it, saying, "I did not laugh," for she was afraid. He said, "No, but you did laugh."

Genesis 21:1-7 ESV

The Lord  visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did to Sarah as he had promised. And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him. Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac.  And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. And Sarah said, "God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me." And she said, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age."

Rev. Dwight Yoo

Hospitality was a big deal in these times and places. Abraham was resting in the middle of the day, much like the way some cultures have a siesta. And during the siesta, he is visited by three strangers. They were two angels and the Lord, but Abraham did not know it. We should, however, consider the greater hospitality of God. God welcomed Abraham in... a pagan and sinner. He went out of His way to come for sinners.

The laugh of doubt

God had already told Abraham that Sarah was going to bear a child. But for some reason, Abraham had not told his wife. So this announcement was not for Abraham. God came to announce this to Sara who was eavesdropping nearby. God wanted to meet Sara. She was not only barren, but by this time Sara had hit menopause. And some bible commentators think that Sara and Abraham had stopped having sex. Not only was bearing children a distant possibility but the couple may have stopped having any sexual relationships.

The idea behind this is one that says the situation is hopeless. There is nothing that can be done. But the unspoken assumption is that God is not powerful enough. It makes God seem weaker than he is. God becomes smaller in our eyes.

Not only that, but our lives shrink. We limit ourselves by looking at the situations based on what we can do. We do not attempt things that require more than we are capable of. We do not attempt things because we do not have faith.

Laugh of faith

A year later, Sara has a son. A ninety year old woman nursing her son. That is such a strange picture. An impossibility of impossibilities. Sara is still laughing, but it is because life is full of more possibilities than one can imagine. It is a laughter of awe and joy.

But we need to balance this idea. Not all of our circumstances will end in miraculous events. There is nothing that God cannot do, but there are things that God will not do. Some of our prayers for healing or intervention will not be answered as we hope.

The ultimate basis of our laughter

Another woman was told she would have a child. But this was no old woman, but rather a virgin. Yet another impossibility. But this son, would do infinitely more for us. He would save us. His death and resurrection would tell us that we have a hope and miracle that we can laugh about regardless the circumstances.

The cross secures our ultimate hope. The world seems so hopeless and full of such impossible situations. Work seems pointless. Family disappoints and hurts us. But the cross tells us that this is not the end. God is up to far more than we can see. Jesus defeated death. Who could have foreseen this? God's out to redeem all things. All of creation.

Luke 6:21 ESV

"Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh."