Law v. Grace. The Laughable Side Wins.

From the Book of Galatians, chapter the fourth:

 ²¹ Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? ²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. ²³ But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. ²⁴ Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. ²⁵ Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. ²⁶ But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. ²⁷ For it is written, “Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear; break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than those of the one who has a husband.” ²⁸ Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. ²⁹ But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. ³⁰ But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” ³¹ So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman. (Gal 4:21-31) 

This is a stark contrast between law and grace, or rather salvation by the law and salvation by grace. It is not saying the law is bad and grace is good (both are good.) It is saying that when viewed in regards to their ability to save, one is sensible yet  impotent and the other is ridiculous yet invincible.

Let's breakdown all the contrasts explicit or implied, literal or allegorical, found in this passage.

The sublimely interesting row is the penultimate. The approach to our problem (an heir for Abraham representing the means of salvation for the world) can be rational (Sarah will never bear a child, how could she? Let's use Hagar--it just makes sense) or laughable (decades removed from fertility, Sarah will bear a child!) Sarah herself found the concept side-splitting. Indeed, it is probably no coincidence that the name Isaac means "to laugh."

For us, we cannot escape our rational selves who whisper: you can save yourself by works or, negatively, but just as "rational," your sins are too great. To us the free gift of salvation for which we contribute nothing is as laughable as a 90 year old getting preggers.

At the same time we know, theologically, we all are 90 year old pregnant women, or we are the walking dead.