Genesis 16-17

(February 1, 2014)
The covenant of circumcision is one that I never really considered much before.  There is always a symbolic nature for the acts that we perform as part of the covenants we make with Deity.  When we are baptized, we are symbolically buried and raised up as a new disciple of Christ.  When we take the Sacrament, we symbolically accept Christ within ourselves and make Him a part of us.  Knowing this, however, I had never put the same thought towards circumcision.

But it seems that circumcision has something of a similar nature to teach us.  The fact that it is a cutting away of a portion of the genitals seems significant, as is the fact that we are called upon to be circumcised of heart.  If we say that the genitals can be a more general representation of our sexual appetite, then the covenant of circumcision is a way for Abraham to show his obedience by sacrificing or cutting off a portion of that appetite.  The appetite is not eliminated entirely, but neither is it left in its full, natural state.  A portion of it is sacrificed to the Lord.

By the same token, we are called upon to circumcise our hearts.  We each have appetites and passions (including, but clearly not limited to sexual appetites) that are perfectly natural, but also which we need to be prepared to sacrifice to the Lord.  We are to cut away however much of those appetites which the Lord requires of us – holding back nothing – in order to receive our part in the covenant of the Lord.