BRIAN C. YOUNT TRINITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 6 AUGUST 2017 GENESIS 32:22-33:4 LIMPING TO FAITH

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1 BRIAN C. YOUNT TRINITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 6 AUGUST 2017 GENESIS 32:22-33:4 LIMPING TO FAITH By selecting this passage from Genesis, I m throwing us into the middle of a longer story about Jacob, that s Isaac s son and Abraham s grandson; a story that has many twists and turns. In the way of background, Jacob is here, at the ford of the Jabbok, which is East of the Jordan River, because he s been engaged in a series of deceptions and schemes that forced him to flee from his brother Esau, and most recently, his uncle Laban. See, Jacob was born into an important but imperfect family. God chose this family, starting with Grandpa Abraham, to bless all the families of the earth. But, as you know, and can read about, this didn t mean Abraham and his descendants had it easy. Far from it. God s call upon their lives brought them into hardship, times of frustration, and extended periods of waiting. But those things can t be avoided when you are called to walk by faith. And that is exactly what Abraham and his descendants were called to do. Now, as people of faith that didn t mean they lived perfect lives; they messed up many times. For them, as for us, being people of faith meant total dependence on God. And no matter the age, this is a radical and difficult way to live. We also need to remember this: God s call to Abraham (you can read about this in Chapter 12) was saturated in blessings. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you (12:2-3). Eugene Peterson says, God s characteristic way is blessing. 1 The hard road of faith must be undertaken by remembering that the God who created and called you is a God who desires to bless. There are many things to know about God, but I find it very important that God s call to Abraham, a call that God knew would bring difficulties, was soaked in the words of blessing. But now, we need to get back to Jacob. You see, Jacob struggled with the whole faith and blessing thing. He liked blessings and was good at getting them. The trouble though was that Jacob wasn t patient, meaning he wanted blessings according to his watch. He was part of this eternally significant family that was blessed to be a blessing, but he found it difficult to trust the validity of God s promise. And when you start to doubt God s promises you hustle for your own blessings. And this is exactly what Jacob did. He deceived his aging father and threw away his relationship with his brother. All for a blessing that paled in comparison to what God had already promised to him. The result? Exile from the land promised to him and shattered relationships with family. 1 Eugene Peterson, As Kingfishers Catch Fire: A Conversation on the Ways of God Formed by the Words of God, (New York: WaterBook, 2017), 48. 1

2 Jacob spent years away from home. He fled from Esau s wrath and found safety with his uncle Laban, but over time, because old habits die hard, that relationship broke down, so Jacob made his way home, back to the land God had promised him from the beginning. When we read about Jacob s exploits we should pay attention to the quiet but steady faithfulness of God. Jacob s waywardness created a mess. His actions had serious repercussions, but they never compromised God s promises to Jacob. God never abandoned Jacob. And God proves that to Jacob by meeting him at his most desperate and lonely night. Life is full of those Jabbok River moments. Those are times we find ourselves alone, without plans or directions, and wondering if we ll have the faith to make it through. But God doesn t run from those moments. He meets us in those moments and will stay in the fight. Now, Jacob s lonely night, after crossing the Jabbok, is mysterious. It s hard for us to completely comprehend what happened. But, it s clear that Jacob, a man who generally avoided confrontations and pursued the quick blessing, was now engaged in struggle that would forever change him. Before, we always found Jacob wrestling with Isaac, Esau, and his uncle Laban, but here, Jacob learns the real struggle of his life is with God. And a wrestling match with God isn t easy. It s not for the faint-of-heart. When we wrestle with neighbors and family, as Jacob did, we can call upon our wit, craftiness, and the tricks we ve learned along the way. We can anticipate our escape route and work the angles, so we always emerge on top. That doesn t fair too well before the God who created the heavens and the earth. In his night-long wrestling match with God, Jacob, like of each us, has only one option cling to God. Genesis, as the opening book of our Bible, aims to instruct us about God and how God interacts with us. It begins to expose us to what it means to walk with God in faith. And in this book, we learn that the life of faith is not lived apart from wrestling matches. Starting reading and you ll soon notice that Abraham and his family are not sheltered away and kept from hardships. We read that they were called to leave what is known for what God will show them. Remember, God didn t come to Abraham with a glossy brochure highlighting all the amenities of Canaan. It was a calling to a new life the life of faith where one s existence, livelihood, and future was trusted to God. And Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob struggled with faith. For Jacob, we see his struggle in his repeated attempts to secure blessings on his own. So, on a lonely, dark, and exhausting night Jacob learns that God s blessings are found by clinging to God. And here s the thing, after those nights and long struggles, just like Jacob, we aren t the same people. You ll notice throughout the Bible, God is in the business of changing names: Abram to Abraham, Sarai to Sarah, Jacob to Israel, Gideon to Jerubbaal, Simon to Peter. These aren t casual changes; instead, they mark important transitions in these peoples lives. It is the transition from an old identity to an identity that is fundamentally shaped by what God has done in their lives. They are marked forever as God s people. And it s here that Jacob went from a man who pursued the casual blessing to a man who pursued mercy and reconciliation with the brother he wronged and feared. 2

3 That night couldn t have been easy for Jacob. And we know that because we too have endured our own wrestling matches with God. Those times don t seem fair. They feel as if they will never end. And we can t imagine how a blessing will occur. And that s where faith comes in. Jacob, born into the first family of faith, clings to the belief that his God will bless him. Jacob doesn t have it all together, far from it. But we can say this, even in his most difficult moment, after years of exile, he believes that God can bless him. And God does. Why? Because God s characteristic way is blessing. But, the blessing is unexpected and different from the blessings Jacob previously pursued and wanted. In God s blessing, Jacob receives a new name and a limp. To me, that s intriguing: a new name and new walk. The thing about names and the way we walk is that they are not private things. Your name is really for other people, and your walk, well, you can t hide the way you walk. People know you by name and take notice of the way you walk. This is important for us. It s important because we are disciples of Jesus Christ, who are called to walk as he walked. Paul tells us to walk in love as Christ loved us. As Christians, we receive our new name from him, and through discipleship and God s work, learn to walk as he walked. Before this night, Jacob was always running. Whether he was running away from Esau or his uncle Laban, Jacob was always in a hurry. But now, he limps. Remember, Genesis is instructing us about what it means to walk with God in faith. And here, we see Jacob learning that walking by faith isn t always pretty or easy or fast or glamorous. Sometimes it s a downright grind. It s hard to live by faith. And it s hard for many reasons. We continually see bad things happen to those we love; we experience long periods where prayers seem to go unanswered; and we might feel antiquated, passed-over, or forgotten. The truth is we get tired on the road of faith. Sometimes we slow down and can barely limp along. But, here s my favorite part of this passage: It s Esau who runs to meet his limping brother. He embraces him, falls on his neck, kisses him, and they weep. You know, there once was a prodigal son who was limping home, But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran put his arms around him and kissed him. Early on, right here in Genesis, God wants us to know that walking in faith sometimes means we are limping in faith. There are times when we believe we can t take another step. Right now, maybe you re exhausted and just hoping you can limp into tomorrow and the next day. But I want to remind you that God, just like Esau, is running to meet you, embrace you, and welcome you home. Jacob and Esau spent twenty years apart. Over those twenty years, Jacob had no way of knowing whether Esau still harbored his desire for revenge. Just like the prodigal son, Jacob didn t know exactly what awaited him at home. And like the prodigal, Jacob sought to appease his brother with gifts and words of flattery. But Esau meets him with grace and mercy. Grace and mercy always come as a surprise. Esau s running to meet Jacob was unpredictable, just as blessings amid a wrestling match are unpredictable. 3

4 I can t tell you how or when God will bless you in your limping moments. But I suspect it will come as a surprise. And I also suspect it will enable you to be a blessing to others. Remember, God called and blessed Abraham, so he and his descendants could be a blessing. Walking in faith sometimes means we re limping in faith, but through it all, as people of faith, we follow our God who literally died to bless us. We re blessed to be a blessing. Amen. 4

5 Bibliography Kugel, James. How to Read the Bible: A Guide to Scripture, Then and Now. New York: Free Press, McKeown, James. The Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary: Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Co., Peterson, Eugene. When Kingfishers Catch Fire: A Conversation on the Ways of God Formed by the Words of God. New York: WaterBook, The Eerdmans Companion to the Bible. General Editors: Gordon D. Fee & Robert L. Hubbard Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Co.,