Dear family,
It is that time of the year when we put up Christmas Trees, we hang lights all over the outside of our houses, and we invite our friends and family into our homes for get together around warm fires. It is a time to slow down and just breathe deep the emotions of the Advent Season. It is a time of love and laughter as we spend time in fellowship. And it is a time to reflect on the true purpose of this season.
Is it about a fat man in a red coat? No. Is it about a baby, born in a manger, to two parents with no reputation and no real status? Yes. Is it about gifts lying under a tree? No. Is it about sharing our lives, our stories, and our love with others? Yes. This season is more than what American consumerism has made it to be. It is more than the nice songs and beautiful lights. It is more, so much more.
But the irony is, is this: the more is actually about becoming less. Let me write that again. In order to fully grasp and embrace the Advent Season and the full measure of promise it brings, we must become less. Less about ourselves. Less about buying stuff. Less about fighting over trivial issues. Less about storing up treasures for ourselves. And less about focusing in on our own existence. Instead, it is more about giving to others, surrendering to Christ, loving others more than we love ourselves, reconciling with those we have differences with, and it involves living, honestly and zealously, in the light of God. Letting Him be our guide. It is about becoming more like Jesus and less like Jerry.
When that becomes our story, becoming more like Jesus, than this Advent Season becomes something entirely different than what we have experienced in the past. We learn to wait with anxiety with the emergence of the Coming King. We learn to make sure those in our midst fully grasp the beauty, the mystery, and the awe factor of this season. And we learn that consumer Christianity is not at all what God intended when He sent His Son to become God with us: Immanuel.
I dont want anyone to think that buying stuff for others is wrong. It's not. But when that becomes the totality of Christmas, we miss the point. When it becomes more about singing certain songs instead of worshipping the Author of music, we miss the point. And when it becomes more about serving ourselves, instead of helping those Jesus considered the "least of these," we have missed the point. We stand on this side of Advent, the side where we have, at least ideally, embraced the promised hope, joy, peace, and love.
But for so many, who stand on the other side, those whom Jesus invited to the table, those whom Jesus got in trouble with for associating with, for them, this season is just another reminder how lonely they are, how unfortunate they are. But it doesn't have to be that way. We can buck the trend and make this season about the Kingdom of God, and we can help those suffering in poverty realize the treasure in heaven that waits for them. We can help the sister or brother chained to addiction find the freedom in the love of Christ. And we can help the confused and lost find their way through the power of the Holy Spirit. These are the gifts we should take to those hurting this season. These are the gifts that promise a life so full, so abundant, so rich that no money or material possession can even come close.
This is our charge. The people are out there. Let's help them feel the joy of Jesus. Let's help them experience the hope in Jesus. Let's create a space for them to be overwhelmed with the peace of Jesus. Lets tear down every wall that stands in their way of knowing the love of Jesus. And let's simply stop at nothing to make sure that everyone and anyone comes to know Jesus. The true Jesus. The real Jesus. The peacemaking, earthshaking, troublemaking, revolutionary Jesus. Im game. Are you? Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
What happens next?
Dear family,
I think its time for a sit down, town hall, reconciliation meeting. I wonder how we can honor God when i know there is strife, animosity, anger, and disappointment with one another, inside the church? We can't. More disturbing, folks, is that God will stop bringing us new people, if we do not find ways to heal what ails us. But in order for that to happen, something else has to happen first. We have to leave our pride at the door.
But i think, all too often, we want to win. We want to make sure the other person knows that they upset or even hurt us, and we won't budge or give in, because the other person deserves to know how wrong they were. Our behavior mirrors more that of Laban and Jacob, who have no qualms about deceiving each other, so that they can get what they want. They willingly dishonor the relationship, so that they can get what they deem is theirs.
In Laban's case, Jacob is free labor and a blessing that increases Laban's wealth. In the case of Jacob, he outwits Laban and gets the stronger, healthier, and most profitable livestock. They were so mad at each other that they seemed to scheme, over and over again, new ways to get over on the other. Reconciliation, when one's heart is as dark and deceptive as Laban's and Jacob's, is impossible. Reconciliation is not about making one person feel less than. It is about restoring and healing and unity.
We, as a church community, need this healing, now. We must be willing and able to do anything and everything to restore the health and unity and vision of our church community. We must, like we will witness from Esau, be willing to throw aside our grief and run to our sister or brother and embrace them, as a long lost prodigal. Reconciliation is about love, a higher love, a Godly love, and when we live in that love, we want nothing more than a restore fellowship. It is time, sisters and brothers, it is time.
It is time to put aside our differences, our hurts, our angers, and be open and honest with one another, so that the CHURCH can become what God created her to be. It is time to quit playing games of power control and gossiping and be vulnerable and upfront, so that the church can move the mountains God called her to move. It is time to stop the immature, passive-aggressive behavior that has permeating our congregation, so that we can have real relationships, Godly relationships, Christ like relationships. When that happens, God will work miracles through us and for us. But it takes people to have the faith in God to heal them and the trust in their sisters and brothers, even those that might have hurt them, so that true healing can come.
But it is also takes maturity and accountability. We have to be tied to one another and listen to one another, but we also have to vocalize our differences, instead of storing them deep down, where they can't be heard. More than that, when we bury our differences, instead of airing them out, so God's love and healing can invade us, the pain begins to sour us and poison us. It is time, folks, to let the poison out and find the new dawn God has in mind for us.
We dont want to be like Laban and Jacob, who continue to find new ways to deceive and outdue one another. Instead, if we are to be healthy and truly Godly, we must resemble Esau, who threw down the ugly past and ran to his brother, his long lost brother. We must look more like the prodigal's father, who rejoices that the relationship is viable again. And we must live more Christ like, who calls us to forgive our enemies, love our neighbors, and pray for those that persecute us. In these actions, God is made alive, and the world is transformed. Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
I think its time for a sit down, town hall, reconciliation meeting. I wonder how we can honor God when i know there is strife, animosity, anger, and disappointment with one another, inside the church? We can't. More disturbing, folks, is that God will stop bringing us new people, if we do not find ways to heal what ails us. But in order for that to happen, something else has to happen first. We have to leave our pride at the door.
But i think, all too often, we want to win. We want to make sure the other person knows that they upset or even hurt us, and we won't budge or give in, because the other person deserves to know how wrong they were. Our behavior mirrors more that of Laban and Jacob, who have no qualms about deceiving each other, so that they can get what they want. They willingly dishonor the relationship, so that they can get what they deem is theirs.
In Laban's case, Jacob is free labor and a blessing that increases Laban's wealth. In the case of Jacob, he outwits Laban and gets the stronger, healthier, and most profitable livestock. They were so mad at each other that they seemed to scheme, over and over again, new ways to get over on the other. Reconciliation, when one's heart is as dark and deceptive as Laban's and Jacob's, is impossible. Reconciliation is not about making one person feel less than. It is about restoring and healing and unity.
We, as a church community, need this healing, now. We must be willing and able to do anything and everything to restore the health and unity and vision of our church community. We must, like we will witness from Esau, be willing to throw aside our grief and run to our sister or brother and embrace them, as a long lost prodigal. Reconciliation is about love, a higher love, a Godly love, and when we live in that love, we want nothing more than a restore fellowship. It is time, sisters and brothers, it is time.
It is time to put aside our differences, our hurts, our angers, and be open and honest with one another, so that the CHURCH can become what God created her to be. It is time to quit playing games of power control and gossiping and be vulnerable and upfront, so that the church can move the mountains God called her to move. It is time to stop the immature, passive-aggressive behavior that has permeating our congregation, so that we can have real relationships, Godly relationships, Christ like relationships. When that happens, God will work miracles through us and for us. But it takes people to have the faith in God to heal them and the trust in their sisters and brothers, even those that might have hurt them, so that true healing can come.
But it is also takes maturity and accountability. We have to be tied to one another and listen to one another, but we also have to vocalize our differences, instead of storing them deep down, where they can't be heard. More than that, when we bury our differences, instead of airing them out, so God's love and healing can invade us, the pain begins to sour us and poison us. It is time, folks, to let the poison out and find the new dawn God has in mind for us.
We dont want to be like Laban and Jacob, who continue to find new ways to deceive and outdue one another. Instead, if we are to be healthy and truly Godly, we must resemble Esau, who threw down the ugly past and ran to his brother, his long lost brother. We must look more like the prodigal's father, who rejoices that the relationship is viable again. And we must live more Christ like, who calls us to forgive our enemies, love our neighbors, and pray for those that persecute us. In these actions, God is made alive, and the world is transformed. Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Journeys can be tough
Dear family,
All of you, or most of you anyway, know that i am a movie buff. I love movies. I use movies to help tell God's story and the Gospel. I love that movies are picture books to our journeys, and we can, more time than we realize, find that we have much in common with the characters. I sense that is what makes a movie successful. How does the audience relate to the characters? If the audience doesn't, than there is a chance the movie will flop, but if the characters and the story relate to life, than it makes us feel better.
I add this paragraph only because i want to, once again, return us to Middle Earth and Tolkein's novel, "Lord of the Rings." In the story, which is really seven books thrown into one amazing trilogy, Frodo has been given the task of destroying the "Ring of Power." This ring, which is a metaphor for sin, controls and destroys whoever wears it. Frodo realizes this, but it is still his call to carry this ring for the entire journey from the Shire to the gates of evil itself in Mordor. But it is his task, his calling, his duty, and he makes the journey, with all the highs and lows that come with any journey. And along the way i sense, if Frodo were real, he would acknowledge that this journey was God given. So in essence, this trek, this expedition becomes a pilgrimmage.
As any journey becomes a pilgrimmage when God ordains it.
What does Frodo have to do with Genesis 28? Everything. In our text, Jacob is on a journey. He is running from his poor choices. But he is also going after a wife, with the intentions, eventually, of returning and claiming his inheritance. So he sets off for a distant land. He is going to go from Hebron, just south of Jerusalem, to north of Syria. And he is going alone. No bodyguards. No servants. Nothing. He is alone.
But is he really alone? His first night who visits? God. And why? Because God has a promise to reiterate to Jacob. Jacob's descendants will be as numerous as the dusts of the earth, and on top of that, God was going to walk with Jacob for the rest of his days. When God makes that promise to Jacob, Jacob's journey goes from being an expedition to a far away land, to a pilgrimmage ordained and guided by God. Will Jacob face difficulties? Yes. Ask Laban about how he takes advantage of Jacob. Ask Jacob about a wrestling match. And ask them all about how Jacob will have to return, to his brother, who still is angry about Jacob's deception. It isn't an easy journey waiting for Jacob, but it is his task, his calling. And as Jacob continues to go, where God leads, God provides and bears fruit.
So it is with our journey folks. We are on our own spiritual pilgrimmage. We don't know where we are going. We dont know how was are going to get there. We dont even know what waits for us when we do get there. Jacob knew all those answers, so in essence, our faith journey, our pilgrimmage needs more faith. And here is the beautiful thing about faith, the more you have, the more you trust in our God, the more you go, blindly, where He leads, the more He shows Himself to you/us.
Our church is facing an unknown future. We have a lot of questions about budget, direction, leadership, and many more unknowns, but if we simply go to our God, in prayer, in seeking, in knocking, He will grant us the desires of our hearts. If we need resources, God will provide if we ask Him. He did so for Jacob. If we need more leaders, God will bring them up, if we ask. And if we need direction, God will illumine our path, but we must trust Him in lighting the way. We have to let go of what we want, and we must surrender to God's will.
When that happens, our journey becomes a spiritual pilgrimmage that leads us into our own promised land. Lets go. Saddle up. The journey is long, but God is waiting. Amen..
Shalom,
jerry
All of you, or most of you anyway, know that i am a movie buff. I love movies. I use movies to help tell God's story and the Gospel. I love that movies are picture books to our journeys, and we can, more time than we realize, find that we have much in common with the characters. I sense that is what makes a movie successful. How does the audience relate to the characters? If the audience doesn't, than there is a chance the movie will flop, but if the characters and the story relate to life, than it makes us feel better.
I add this paragraph only because i want to, once again, return us to Middle Earth and Tolkein's novel, "Lord of the Rings." In the story, which is really seven books thrown into one amazing trilogy, Frodo has been given the task of destroying the "Ring of Power." This ring, which is a metaphor for sin, controls and destroys whoever wears it. Frodo realizes this, but it is still his call to carry this ring for the entire journey from the Shire to the gates of evil itself in Mordor. But it is his task, his calling, his duty, and he makes the journey, with all the highs and lows that come with any journey. And along the way i sense, if Frodo were real, he would acknowledge that this journey was God given. So in essence, this trek, this expedition becomes a pilgrimmage.
As any journey becomes a pilgrimmage when God ordains it.
What does Frodo have to do with Genesis 28? Everything. In our text, Jacob is on a journey. He is running from his poor choices. But he is also going after a wife, with the intentions, eventually, of returning and claiming his inheritance. So he sets off for a distant land. He is going to go from Hebron, just south of Jerusalem, to north of Syria. And he is going alone. No bodyguards. No servants. Nothing. He is alone.
But is he really alone? His first night who visits? God. And why? Because God has a promise to reiterate to Jacob. Jacob's descendants will be as numerous as the dusts of the earth, and on top of that, God was going to walk with Jacob for the rest of his days. When God makes that promise to Jacob, Jacob's journey goes from being an expedition to a far away land, to a pilgrimmage ordained and guided by God. Will Jacob face difficulties? Yes. Ask Laban about how he takes advantage of Jacob. Ask Jacob about a wrestling match. And ask them all about how Jacob will have to return, to his brother, who still is angry about Jacob's deception. It isn't an easy journey waiting for Jacob, but it is his task, his calling. And as Jacob continues to go, where God leads, God provides and bears fruit.
So it is with our journey folks. We are on our own spiritual pilgrimmage. We don't know where we are going. We dont know how was are going to get there. We dont even know what waits for us when we do get there. Jacob knew all those answers, so in essence, our faith journey, our pilgrimmage needs more faith. And here is the beautiful thing about faith, the more you have, the more you trust in our God, the more you go, blindly, where He leads, the more He shows Himself to you/us.
Our church is facing an unknown future. We have a lot of questions about budget, direction, leadership, and many more unknowns, but if we simply go to our God, in prayer, in seeking, in knocking, He will grant us the desires of our hearts. If we need resources, God will provide if we ask Him. He did so for Jacob. If we need more leaders, God will bring them up, if we ask. And if we need direction, God will illumine our path, but we must trust Him in lighting the way. We have to let go of what we want, and we must surrender to God's will.
When that happens, our journey becomes a spiritual pilgrimmage that leads us into our own promised land. Lets go. Saddle up. The journey is long, but God is waiting. Amen..
Shalom,
jerry
Friday, November 6, 2009
Sad day
Dear Family,
I write this after another tragic event in our common story as a nation. Yesterday, for whatever reason, Nidal Malik Hasan walked into a staging area for soldier about to be deployed, and he began to shoot and kill his fellow soldiers. Thirteen children of grieving parents are left to ask the most obvious question, why? Why did their children have to die? How did this happen on an army base? And what do we do now? That child, that son or daughter, was our future, our heir, our own promise, and now the acts of one angry person stole that chapter from those grieving parents.
Whenever an event like this happens, it humbles me. It stops me in my tracks as we hear story after story of who this man is, and how there were signs that he might not be the most stable person around. And it makes us question why didn't someone do something, sooner. I dont know. I dont know. I wish i had a better answer, any answer, as to why a soldier, who enlisted to serve, was on his way to Iraq or Afghanistan, would do something so sinister, so evil as to open fire on unarmed and unexpecting soldiers. These men and women thought the war was overseas; they never expected it to be brought to them. And that's what Hasan did. He brought a war and war casualities to the homes of our sons and daughters in the military. His actions cause us all to grieve.
And here i sit, in my comfortable chair, in my warm office, overlooking the forest that has already succombed to the still of winter, and i can only imagine what those families are going through. I can't imagine. I can't know. And it isn't just the families of the victims, but what about the family of the shooter? He has parents. An aunt that was interviewed. And i am sure he has cousins and other family members that are left with a lot of questions as well. What do we do? How do we respond? How do we go on? Again, i dont know. I dont know. Does anyone?
As i sit and reflect on the horrors of yesterday, i have another nagging thought. What's going to happen to all the beautiful Muslim sisters and brothers who will, once again, be under the microscope because of the actions of one person? For those serving the military, will the doubts of their fellow service people cause them to look over their shoulders? For the Muslims, who go about life condemning violent acts like Hasan, will they be heard over the zealous rants of the few? Or will we, once again, see terrorist behind every Mosque attendee, behind every veiled face, or behind every Arabic sounding name? I hope not.
I hope that peace is still our rallying cry. I hope that our president does his job and condemns this evil act, offers support, love, prayers, and whatever is needed to help the families who trusted his military with their sons and daughters to cope, and i hope he reminds us that this was the solo act of one person, not the ideology of a religion or group of persons. Hasan acted alone. Period. Our president must stand up, offer condolences, promise justice, grant anger, empower healing, and help our enlisted sisters and brothers, whether Muslim, Jew, Christian, Athiest, or Pagan to know they are valued, as safe as they can be, and that their stories, no matter what happens to them, will never be silenced. If our president is to be the leader he promises to be, now is the time for him to stand up and show us what kind of leader he is. For him to drop the ball, now when we need some answers, shows lack of respect and ability to lead a country in desperate need of hope.
We may never know why Hasan did what he did, even if he is able to tell us. But we can rally around the families of those who lost a loved one yesterday or has lost a loved one in any violent act or any manner that robbed a parent of a child or a child of a parent, we can rally around them. Pray for them. Love them. Support them. Be Jesus to them. And above all be the church God created us to be. We may never stop senseless acts of violence, ever. But we can change how we respond. Now is the time for peace and justice not revenge and hate. Will you, the church, stand with me and love all people, pray for peace, fight for justice, and stand, with our crosses showing, for victims everywhere. I need you with me, so we can, with God's help, usher in His Kingdom. Our world needs it now more than ever. Amen.
Salaam Meleikum, Shalom, Peace,
jerry
I write this after another tragic event in our common story as a nation. Yesterday, for whatever reason, Nidal Malik Hasan walked into a staging area for soldier about to be deployed, and he began to shoot and kill his fellow soldiers. Thirteen children of grieving parents are left to ask the most obvious question, why? Why did their children have to die? How did this happen on an army base? And what do we do now? That child, that son or daughter, was our future, our heir, our own promise, and now the acts of one angry person stole that chapter from those grieving parents.
Whenever an event like this happens, it humbles me. It stops me in my tracks as we hear story after story of who this man is, and how there were signs that he might not be the most stable person around. And it makes us question why didn't someone do something, sooner. I dont know. I dont know. I wish i had a better answer, any answer, as to why a soldier, who enlisted to serve, was on his way to Iraq or Afghanistan, would do something so sinister, so evil as to open fire on unarmed and unexpecting soldiers. These men and women thought the war was overseas; they never expected it to be brought to them. And that's what Hasan did. He brought a war and war casualities to the homes of our sons and daughters in the military. His actions cause us all to grieve.
And here i sit, in my comfortable chair, in my warm office, overlooking the forest that has already succombed to the still of winter, and i can only imagine what those families are going through. I can't imagine. I can't know. And it isn't just the families of the victims, but what about the family of the shooter? He has parents. An aunt that was interviewed. And i am sure he has cousins and other family members that are left with a lot of questions as well. What do we do? How do we respond? How do we go on? Again, i dont know. I dont know. Does anyone?
As i sit and reflect on the horrors of yesterday, i have another nagging thought. What's going to happen to all the beautiful Muslim sisters and brothers who will, once again, be under the microscope because of the actions of one person? For those serving the military, will the doubts of their fellow service people cause them to look over their shoulders? For the Muslims, who go about life condemning violent acts like Hasan, will they be heard over the zealous rants of the few? Or will we, once again, see terrorist behind every Mosque attendee, behind every veiled face, or behind every Arabic sounding name? I hope not.
I hope that peace is still our rallying cry. I hope that our president does his job and condemns this evil act, offers support, love, prayers, and whatever is needed to help the families who trusted his military with their sons and daughters to cope, and i hope he reminds us that this was the solo act of one person, not the ideology of a religion or group of persons. Hasan acted alone. Period. Our president must stand up, offer condolences, promise justice, grant anger, empower healing, and help our enlisted sisters and brothers, whether Muslim, Jew, Christian, Athiest, or Pagan to know they are valued, as safe as they can be, and that their stories, no matter what happens to them, will never be silenced. If our president is to be the leader he promises to be, now is the time for him to stand up and show us what kind of leader he is. For him to drop the ball, now when we need some answers, shows lack of respect and ability to lead a country in desperate need of hope.
We may never know why Hasan did what he did, even if he is able to tell us. But we can rally around the families of those who lost a loved one yesterday or has lost a loved one in any violent act or any manner that robbed a parent of a child or a child of a parent, we can rally around them. Pray for them. Love them. Support them. Be Jesus to them. And above all be the church God created us to be. We may never stop senseless acts of violence, ever. But we can change how we respond. Now is the time for peace and justice not revenge and hate. Will you, the church, stand with me and love all people, pray for peace, fight for justice, and stand, with our crosses showing, for victims everywhere. I need you with me, so we can, with God's help, usher in His Kingdom. Our world needs it now more than ever. Amen.
Salaam Meleikum, Shalom, Peace,
jerry
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Family Fighting
Dear Family,
We can do some evil things to each other, cant we? When we think that we have something to gain, or we sense someone has something we want, and we want it badly enough, we will do just about anything to get it. Right? I sense that even the most faithful persons, in light of wanting something, bad enough, can do the most vile things imaginable.
We can become like Jacob. God called Jacob to be, literally, the name of Israel. And yet, this man who would be an iconic figure in the Jewish story, showed himself to be incredibly human. How? He conned his brother out of the very important blessing from their father, Isaac.
Why is this significant? Because the blessing was the ultimate gift a father gave his son. A blessings meant that that son would lead the family, and the rest of the family would answer to that son. A blessing meant that that son would be in charge of the faith direction of the family. That blessing meant the future of the household, and it gave the son, who received it, the open door to pave new grounds for the family. And even though Isaac wanted to give the blessing to his oldest son, Esau, Jacob conned them both.
And yet this man becomes a figure in the story of Israel that goes beyond this tiny infraction.
We could talk about how Jacob's actions were less than noble, and we could talk about how God seems absent during this incredibly sinister act. Chapter 27 doesn't talk about how the brothers end up. Do they reconcile? Does Esau hunt Jacob his whole life, holding onto the angst? Chapter 27 only deals with the act of betrayal that one brother does to the other, and how the entire family seems to be involved.
Isaac prefers Esau, but Rebekah prefers Jacob. Both parents lament that Esau married a Hittite woman. This family has issues. But what family doesn't?
Perhaps thats what we should focus on. Not that we all, at least in our idealized dreams, have perfect "Leave it to Beaver" families. But quite the contrary. We are human. We have human emotions. We have human frailities. And as part of being human, we do mean things to each other. I believe, in most cases, that those times when we are mean aren't intentional. Jacob was perhaps a little evil, but God promised Rebekah that her youngest son would be the blessed one. She was only ensuring the blessing fall on the right son.
Esau's anger was natural. He had lost out on what was a future. A chance to be great. Which of us wouldn't have been angry? Isaac, well he was just a blind old father who wanted to make sure his family was taken care of. Jacob, whose name means, "deceiver," really was the one who seemed to act out of sorts. But then again, maybe he felt he was the one to care for the family, and being a few minutes younger shouldn't have limited his leadership. Who knows? But all i do know is that when we invest so much into each other's lives, as families do, we can hurt each other.
In fact, i sense we can do more damage to one another than if we have nothing in common. The pain is deeper, because it is a family member who caused it. The ability to reconcile can become more difficult, because the cut is so fresh and painful. And when family is involved it can cause lifetime fissions that never heal. So what can we learn from Jacob, Esau, Rebekah, and Isaac?
That family's hurt each other. What else? I dont know. Why dont you offer some insight as to what this chapter says to you. How do we continue our journey when a family member has hurt us, deeply? How do we forgive? Can we forgive? What are your thoughts? Feelings? Ideas?
Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
We can do some evil things to each other, cant we? When we think that we have something to gain, or we sense someone has something we want, and we want it badly enough, we will do just about anything to get it. Right? I sense that even the most faithful persons, in light of wanting something, bad enough, can do the most vile things imaginable.
We can become like Jacob. God called Jacob to be, literally, the name of Israel. And yet, this man who would be an iconic figure in the Jewish story, showed himself to be incredibly human. How? He conned his brother out of the very important blessing from their father, Isaac.
Why is this significant? Because the blessing was the ultimate gift a father gave his son. A blessings meant that that son would lead the family, and the rest of the family would answer to that son. A blessing meant that that son would be in charge of the faith direction of the family. That blessing meant the future of the household, and it gave the son, who received it, the open door to pave new grounds for the family. And even though Isaac wanted to give the blessing to his oldest son, Esau, Jacob conned them both.
And yet this man becomes a figure in the story of Israel that goes beyond this tiny infraction.
We could talk about how Jacob's actions were less than noble, and we could talk about how God seems absent during this incredibly sinister act. Chapter 27 doesn't talk about how the brothers end up. Do they reconcile? Does Esau hunt Jacob his whole life, holding onto the angst? Chapter 27 only deals with the act of betrayal that one brother does to the other, and how the entire family seems to be involved.
Isaac prefers Esau, but Rebekah prefers Jacob. Both parents lament that Esau married a Hittite woman. This family has issues. But what family doesn't?
Perhaps thats what we should focus on. Not that we all, at least in our idealized dreams, have perfect "Leave it to Beaver" families. But quite the contrary. We are human. We have human emotions. We have human frailities. And as part of being human, we do mean things to each other. I believe, in most cases, that those times when we are mean aren't intentional. Jacob was perhaps a little evil, but God promised Rebekah that her youngest son would be the blessed one. She was only ensuring the blessing fall on the right son.
Esau's anger was natural. He had lost out on what was a future. A chance to be great. Which of us wouldn't have been angry? Isaac, well he was just a blind old father who wanted to make sure his family was taken care of. Jacob, whose name means, "deceiver," really was the one who seemed to act out of sorts. But then again, maybe he felt he was the one to care for the family, and being a few minutes younger shouldn't have limited his leadership. Who knows? But all i do know is that when we invest so much into each other's lives, as families do, we can hurt each other.
In fact, i sense we can do more damage to one another than if we have nothing in common. The pain is deeper, because it is a family member who caused it. The ability to reconcile can become more difficult, because the cut is so fresh and painful. And when family is involved it can cause lifetime fissions that never heal. So what can we learn from Jacob, Esau, Rebekah, and Isaac?
That family's hurt each other. What else? I dont know. Why dont you offer some insight as to what this chapter says to you. How do we continue our journey when a family member has hurt us, deeply? How do we forgive? Can we forgive? What are your thoughts? Feelings? Ideas?
Amen.
Shalom,
jerry