Sermon for Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
Lectionary 18A Pr 13
Grace Lutheran Church
Lakeland, Florida
July 26, 2020
Gen 32:22-31
Psalm 17:1-7, 15
Romans 9:1-5
Matt 14:13-21
Grace to you and peace from God and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. For our reflection today we’ll spend time with the story of Jacob. A portion of Jacob’s story is our Old Testament reading and to most fully understand it, we need to attend to its “pre-quel” and its “sequel.”
The prequel, the backstory, is the story of Jacob and his older brother, Esau. As a result of Jacob’s trickery and assisted by their mother, Jacob acquired the birthright and blessing to which Esau was actually entitled as the firstborn son. And when Esau learned of this, Jacob was forced to flee his brother’s anger. He went to the land of his Grandfather Abraham, back to Haran where he lived with his mother’s brother, Uncle Laban.
And it was love at first sight when he saw Rachel, Laban’s younger daughter, and Jacob promised to work for seven years to earn her hand in marriage. But, Uncle Laban tricked him and brought him Leah instead on the wedding day. And Jacob then had to work seven more years to receive Rachel. Jacob was successful as he worked and both of them increased their wealth, but their relationship was often very strained because of their mutual deceptions.
In one final scheme that seemed to outdo all the others, Jacob and his wives and children and servants left with all his animals, flocks, and possessions. To return to his homeland. To return to the land where Esau was. His brother who had sworn to kill him because of his trickery. A trip of about 400 miles. They are almost there and Jacob sends messengers on ahead. They come back with word that Esau is close by and has 400 men with him.
Jacob is between a rock and a hard spot – he surely cannot go back to Laban – and it seems that certain disaster at Esau’s hand is before him. Jacob, always one to have a plan, decided to send an envoy on ahead bearing abundant gifts for Esau in hopes of winning him over. Then he sent his wives and children and servants and maids across the Jabbok River so that he, Jacob was alone – by himself – alone with his thoughts and worries and wonderings. Alone for the night. I don’t suppose that sleep came very easily that night.
Have you had nights like that? Nights where you felt between a rock and a hard spot. Nights where it seemed there was no way out, where you felt that you were at the mercy of others. Despair may have been the only blanket you felt.
And in our First Reading today we learn about the peculiar occurrence of that night. The Scriptures tell us that a man came and wrestled with Jacob through that dark night until daybreak – neither of them prevailed. We know of course that “man” was God in some human form. Please note this – it was GOD who initiated the struggle. Now, a side note – we may wonder – how is that GOD couldn’t prevail over Jacob. The best way that I can understand this – God didn’t come to Jacob in his full glory – he came as a human. So, there were two men wrestling and struggling with each other through the night.
And then daybreak approaches and an important series of things happens seemingly rather quickly. God struck Jacob’s hip such that his hip was dislocated. Jacob had such a firm hold on the man that he cannot break free. God says, “Let me go because the day is breaking.” Being free before daybreak was important – no one sees the face of God and lives. But, at risk of his life, Jacob persists, “I won’t let you go unless you bless me.” Think of this, Jacob who received the blessing that properly belonged to his brother Esau through deception. Jacob now persists – seeking a blessing from God – one that he could not gain for himself through trickery – only by persevering in this struggle with God. God changed Jacob’s name to Israel – one who struggles or strives with God and then God blessed him. Jacob received a true and honest blessing – perhaps for the first time in his life.
Way back in the prequel of this story, as Jacob was leaving his homeland to go to the land of his grandparents, God came to him in a dream and said, “Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back home; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
In keeping this promise, God blessed Jacob. And still even though the dawn broke, God has not left Jacob, now known as Israel. God is in it with him for the long haul. This Jacob, rich, affluent, influential, cunning, shrewd, deceptive – and at the same time a lonely desperate person who hung on to God for dear life.
And so, it is for us. God is in it for the long haul with us.
God chose us and claimed us in our baptisms – when we were marked with the cross of Christ forever! He promises us that he will go with us wherever we go and will not leave us until he has accomplished what he has promised us. The life of a Christian is often a series of highs and lows. Of being blessed and of walking with a limp. Yet, in all of it, God is with us for the long haul.
And now for the sequel. As Jacob limped off, Esau rushed toward him with his 400 men. He came to Jacob and embraced him and the two of them wept. Can you feel this moment? Esau was astounded at the gifts that Jacob had sent ahead and told his brother, I have enough. Keep what you have sent. Jacob persists and he says this, “Seeing you is like seeing the face of God. You have received me with such favor, please accept my gift because God has dealt graciously with me.” And his brother Esau in full reconciliation, said, “Let us journey on our way together.”
And so, it is for us. We have broken relationships. We aspire to our own personal desires and preferences. We think that we can gain ground through planning and scheming and human means. Yet, God enters into the midst of this with words of promise – I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. With words of blessing and in the midst of struggles, God enters into our difficulties and does not let go of us.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
