[Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Proper 13A- "In God We Trust!"

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-------- Original message --------From: Judy <judy_boli at ecunet.org> Date: 8/5/17  5:42 PM  (GMT-05:00) To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org> Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Proper 13A- "In God We Trust!" 


Dear Friends,

 

This Sunday’s sermon is entitled “In God We Trust!” and
deals with the Gospel (Matthew 14: 13-21, 44-52).  Here it is: 

 

            This
morning I’d like us to think through our Old Testament reading about Jacob’s
wrestling.  To understand the
implications for our lives today, we really need to go back to the beginning of
the 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 birth
to Isaac (the child of promise) in their extreme old age.  Then we followed the story as Isaac and his
wife Rebekah had twin sons, Esau (the oldest) and Jacob (the youngest).  Remember how Isaac favored Esau because he
was an outdoorsman, while Rebekah preferred Jacob because he was a home-body.  Do you recall how Rebekah helped Jacob trick
both his slightly older twin, Esau, and also his aged father, Isaac, into
giving him the firstborn rights and blessing? 
At that point, to avoid the murderous rage of his twin brother Esau,
Jacob decided to travel to the distant home of his uncle Laban 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 by trickery.  Since Laban and his sons were getting angrier
by the day as they watched Jacob get richer while they grew poorer, Jacob
decided to return to his home and take over his stolen role as first-born.   He and his family took off when Laban was
gone for three days shearing sheep. 
Little did Jacob know that Rachel took advantage 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 his daughters, grandchildren, and all the
sheep and goats that Jacob had claimed as his own.  Also missing were Laban’s household
idols.  It took him three days to catch
up with Jacob’s caravan.  When he accused
Jacob of stealing the idols, Jacob very self-righteously declared himself and
his entire entourage innocent.  Jacob
told Laban he could search anywhere he chose; and if he found anyone with the
idols, that person would be killed. 
Rachel now had a problem, because she had the idols.  She put them in her saddle bags, then sat on
them.  When her father came to search
her, Rachel maintained that she couldn’t stand up to be searched- it wouldn’t
be proper because she was having her menstrual period.  Laban let her be, so he left without ever
finding his idols, and Rachel’s life was spared.  Next, Jacob sent messengers ahead to tell
Esau he was coming, but the messengers returned saying that Esau was headed
their way with 400 men!  Jacob figured
he’d better cut his losses, so he sent half his servants and belongings one
way, half another way, and the women and children on just ahead of him to cross
the river up ahead.  What a mess he had
made of his life!  His uncle hated
him!  His twin brother was out to get him
with 400 men!  Jacob decided to stay
behind 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 with
someone 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 with
physically, 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 to
make a decision.  Was he coming back to
continue 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 symbolize
the 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 was
well.

That’s
the story.  Now, what’s in it for
us?  Trust
God and don’t hedge your bets!  Dr.
Tony Evans reminds us in our thought for the week, “Your circumstances are
never the last word as long as God is on the scene.”  So do your part and then TRUST GOD!  Don’t be like Rachel and hedge your
bets.  She kept the household idols
“just-in-case.”  What do you keep in
reserve 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 a
rabbit’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 someone
read your future in tea leaves?  Do you
know your sign?  Why?  Those stars don’t control your future!  You and God working as a team do!  Christians have nothing to do with
astrology!  In other words, don’t be like
Rachel.  Don’t hedge your bets with
idols.

What
else can we learn from today’s lessons?  Don’t be like Jacob and use a sinful action
to get what you need (or think you need).  Don’t trick or sneak or lie or manipulate or
shoplift (i.e. steal).  Did you hear the
story of the wife who just suffered the loss of her husband?  He had a lot of positives, and she was really
going to miss him, but he had one over-riding negative- he was STINGY.  On his deathbed, the man made his wife
promise to bury him with all his money. 
After the funeral when the family went downstairs in the church for the
dinner, 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
threw a check into his casket.  Where
he’s going- if he can cash it; he can have it!” 
Good for the wife, but don’t be sneaky!

Finally,
do be like the new Jacob- i.e. “Israel”
and never give up.  Do you remember
how the being who was wrestling with Jacob said to let him go?  Jacob/Israel replied, “I will not let you go
until you bless me!”  God is waiting to
bless you.  Stick with it.  Never give up.  Claim your blessing. 

 

For anyone who is
interested, this sermon and updated African-American wisdom statements are
posted on our parish’s web site under “Sermons & Stuff”. The address is: http://www.stpaulsepisag.org .

 

Blessed preaching,

Judy Boli

St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Saginaw, Michigan





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