Article June 6, 1931 Issue

"Cast out this bondwoman and her son"

PAULINE JEFFERY

The story of Hagar and her son, Ishmael, as related in the Bible, has been read and pondered by many with varying degrees of sympathy, and possibly resentment at the seeming injustice done them at the hands of Abraham and his wife, Sarah. Having borne no heir to Abraham, Sarah gave Hagar, her handmaid, to Abraham as a secondary wife, as was not uncommon in those days; and Hagar, which is said to mean stranger, bore Abraham a son, whom they called Ishmael. During his youth Ishmael was treated as the son and heir of Abraham by Abraham and Sarah.

When Ishmael was a young lad of about fourteen years of age, to Abraham and Sarah in their old age was born a son, Isaac, who was the real heir. The young Ishmael began to be jealous and envious of Isaac and conducted himself so offensively as to result in Sarah's decision to expel both him and his mother irrevocably from the family and from the heritage. Her dictum, "Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son," has seemed a "hard saying" to many.

Scripture is given us for admonition and example, and through Christian Science this allegory is explained. Hagar, the bondwoman, typifies material sense, and Sarah, the freewoman, typifies spiritual sense. Material sense cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven; spiritual sense alone is heir to the kingdom. Material sense cannot share with spiritual sense. They cannot occupy the same place together.

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