God’s Condescension in Holy Scripture

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In September 2019, Pope Francis re-emphasized the importance for Catholics to pray and study the Bible. Sacred Scripture has always been central to Catholicism, and it's important to remember that it's the documentation of salvation history and a reminder of how God condescended to act in our history, especially when things weren't going well.

The Bible is a wonderful reminder that God is with us, even today, in all our trials, joys and sorrows. Our Lord Himself was present when the woman caught in sin was ready to be stoned. He, with His Mother, was celebrating the wedding of two young Hebrews at the wedding feast at Cana. He wept when Lazarus died.

Abraham, in the Old Testament, had just about everything the world had to offer: servants to do his bidding, sheep to feed his people and a beautiful and faithful wife in Sarah. He did not, however, have a son to carry on his name and his lineage.

In the 15th chapter of Genesis, Abraham is clearly saddened, since he and Sarah struggled with infertility for most of their lives.

But the Bible says: "The word of the Lord came to Abram by a vision, saying: Fear not, Abram, I am thy protector, and thy reward exceeding great." Abraham, known as Abram at the time, complained, "Lord God, what wilt thou give me? I shall go without children."

God reassured him that a child would issue from him directly — that he wouldn't have to pass his inheritance off to a servant when he died. God replied to him: "Look up to Heaven and number the stars if thou canst. ... So shall thy seed be."

Sarah tried to remedy things her way by allowing Abraham to impregnate her servant Hagar, but that was not God's solution. God would work great miracles through her and Abraham and in a short time, Sarah — as an old woman — would become pregnant. Isaac would be their son.

This is merely one instance when the eternal and all-powerful God who doesn't really need any of us, intervenes in human affairs to reassure that He is here for us and loved each of us before any of us came into existence.

Watch the Church Militant panel discuss more on Scripture and its importance in The Download—Scriptural Confusion.

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