Hagar and the God Who Sees (Go Forth, Yourself) | Carolyn Klassen | Mozaek: Origin

The center of the story. The middle of the chiasm of “The Patriarch of Abraham” is Hagar. The story of God’s chosen people starts with Abram, Isaac and Jacob to create the nation of the Israelites. With Hagar’s story in the middle, the Torah is saying that God’s whole purpose of this story of the chosen people is to say God comes for those that struggle, are marginalized—those that aren’t considered important.

The plan to create a chosen people to deliver the Good News is, and always has been, intended to choose us all.

God, who called the earth into being and called Abram to be the father of Israel, also called the single mom/slave to be an incredibly important part of the plan.

Hagar was thoughtlessly and needlessly was exploited to became pregnant because of Sarai’s lack of faith and impatience had the pain of this tragedy composted to create a nation of God.

A servant of the household who wasn’t even addressed by name by those she served, gave God a name in conversation with God.


Video Carolyn was referencing:    • I Am What Others Say Or Think About Me | C...  


Discussion Questions:

1. Do you have people in your life that you would categorize in the “all bad” columns? Can you explore the idea of seeing them as ““hurtful people who may have done some good at some point"? What would it look like to see everyone in your life as a mixture of struggle and strength? What is it like to know the ones who have hurt you the most are beloved children of God?

2. When was a time you felt truly “seen” in ways that really mattered? Who really saw you and what difference did it make? What is is like to think that God was using that person to have you feel known and understood?

3. Think back to the last couple of days—who did you work to truly “see” and what did it cost you?

4. Think back to the last couple of days—when did you miss moments to really see people?

5. What practices or Bible passages have you found helpful in your work to grow yourself as a person who sees like Jesus does?