[Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Proper 13A

[Joe Parrish]

Forwarded:



-----Original Message-----
From: Judy <judy_boli at ecunet.org>
To: propertalk.topic <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org>
Sent: Sat, Aug 2, 2014 8:58 pm
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Proper 13A



Dear Friends,
 
This Sunday’s sermon is entitled “In God We Trust!” and deals with the OldTestament lesson (Genesis 32:22-31). Here it is:
 
            Thismorning I’d like us to think through our Old Testament reading about Jacob’wrestling.  To understand theimplications for our lives today, we really need to go back to the beginning ofthe Jacob story, actually as close to a Biblical soap-opera as we get.  Let’s bring us up to date in our story.  As you recall, Abraham and Sarah gave birthto Isaac (the child of promise) in their extreme old age.  Then we followed the story as Isaac and hiswife Rebekah had twin sons, Esau (the oldest) and Jacob (the youngest).  Remember how Isaac favored Esau because hewas an outdoorsman, while Rebekah preferred Jacob because he was ahome-body.  Do you recall how Rebekahhelped Jacob trick both his slightly older twin, Esau, and also his agedfather, Isaac, into giving him the firstborn rights and blessing?  At that point, to avoid the murderous rage ofhis twin brother Esau, Jacob decided to travel to the distant home of his uncleLaban and move in for a while.  While there, he married Laban’s daughters-Leah and Rachel, had many children, and grew rich off his uncle, mostly bytrickery.  Since Laban and his sons weregetting angrier by the day as they watched Jacob get richer while they grewpoorer, Jacob decided to return to his home and take over his stolen role asfirst-born.   He and his family took offwhen Laban was gone for three days shearing sheep.  Little did Jacob know that Rachel tookadvantage of her father’s absence by stealing his household idols.  When Laban got back from shearing the sheep,he immediately found that Jacob had taken off in his absence, along with hisdaughters, grandchildren, and all the sheep and goats that Jacob had claimed ashis own.  Also missing were Laban’shousehold idols.  It took him three daysto catch up with Jacob’s caravan.  Whenhe accused Jacob of stealing the idols, Jacob very self-righteously declaredhimself and his entire entourage innocent. Jacob told Laban he could search anywhere he chose; and if he foundanyone with the idols, that person would be killed.  Rachel now had a problem, because she had theidols.  She put them in her saddle bags,then sat on them.  When her father cameto search her, Rachel maintained that she couldn’t stand up to be searched- itwouldn’t be proper because she was having her menstrual period.  Laban let her be, so he left without everfinding his idols, and Rachel’s life was spared.  Next, Jacob sent messengers ahead to tellEsau he was coming, but the messengers returned saying that Esau was headedtheir way with 400 men!  Jacob figuredhe’d better cut his losses, so he sent half his servants and belongings oneway, half another way, and the women and children on just ahead of him to crossthe river up ahead.  What a mess he hadmade of his life!  His uncle hatedhim!  His twin brother was out to get himwith 400 men!  Jacob decided to staybehind for the night before crossing the river, and he lay down to sleep.
            That’s the background for today’s episode.  Suddenly Jacob found himself wrestling withsomeone whom he thought was another man. The prophet Hosea (12:4) said it was an angel.  Later, Jacob said he thought it was God.  Whoever it was Jacob wrestled withphysically, do you know with whom he was mentally wrestling?  Himself. He had lived his life, getting everything he wanted by lying, cheating,deceiving, stealing, trickery.  He had tomake a decision.  Was he coming back tocontinue in his old evil ways, or was he going to be God’s person, trust God,and let God’s family name continue in power? He chose God’s way.  To symbolizethe new Jacob, his name was changed to “Israel,”a name that has many meanings- one of which is “God Is in Charge.”  His meeting with Esau was joyous and all waswell.
That’s thestory.  Now, what’s in it for us?  Trust God and don’t hedge your bets!  Dr. Tony Evans reminds us in our thought forthe week, “Your circumstances are never the last word as long as God is on thescene.”  So do your part and then TRUSTGOD!  Don’t be like Rachel and hedge yourbets.  She kept the household idols“just-in-case.”  What do you keep inreserve if God’s response isn’t quick enough for you?  Do you carry a rabbit’s foot?  Tell me, why in the world would you think arabbit’s foot would bring you good luck? It surely didn’t bring the rabbit good luck, did it?  Do you call psychic hot lines or have someoneread your future in tea leaves?  Do youknow your sign?  Why?  Those stars don’t control your future!  You and God working as a team do!  Christians have nothing to do withastrology!  In other words, don’t be likeRachel.  Don’t hedge your bets withidols.
What else canwe learn from today’s lessons?  Don’t belike Jacob and use a sinful action to get what you need (or think youneed).  Don’t trick or sneak or lie ormanipulate or shoplift (i.e. steal).  Didyou hear the story of the wife who just suffered the loss of her husband?  He had a lot of positives, and she was reallygoing to miss him, but he had one over-riding negative- he was STINGY.  On his deathbed, the man made his wifepromise to bury him with all his money. After the funeral when the family went downstairs in the church for thedinner, her grown children asked if she had kept her promise.  “Of course!” she replied.  “I would never lie to a dying man!  I put all his money into my account and then threwa check into his casket.  Where he’sgoing- if he can cash it; he can have it!” Good for the wife, but don’t be sneaky!
Finally, do belike the new Jacob- i.e. “Israel”and never give up.  Do you remember howthe being who was wrestling with Jacob said to let him go?  Jacob/Israel replied, “I will not let you gountil you bless me!”  God is waiting tobless you.  Stick with it.  Never give up.  Claim your blessing. 
 
For anyone who is interested, this sermon and updatedAfrican-American wisdom statements are posted on our parish’s NEW WEB SITEunder “Sermons & Stuff”. The address is: http://www.stpaulsepisag.org .
 
Blessed preaching,
Judy Boli
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Saginaw, Michigan

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