LONGING FOR SPONTANEITY

The last week of Jesus' life is a revelation of how much He loved the Pharisees and wanted to see them change their hearts toward Him.  

Throughout His three years of ministry, He:

• tried to be kind to them,
• tried to reason with them,
• ate in their homes,
• answered their questions,
• prayed for them [even in the midst of the Palm Sunday parade]

But, when He came to the last week of His life, He went directly after them!  He exposed them and confronted the hardness of their hearts.  He revealed their pride and arrogance.  He addressed their exclusivity.  He named their sins and indicted their prejudices. 

All of this because He yearned for them to become soft toward God!  When we read or view this scene, we are seeing the passionate heart of a compassionate Lord!

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I often wonder how - in America - we can read these passages and NOT see the American Church as the modern-day Pharisees.  

When I was actively leading churches, the number of Free Methodists in the U.S. was around 100,000 members.  Fifteen years later, that number is down to around 68,000 members!  Yet the number of global Free Methodists in expanding exponentially!

Is it any wonder that George Barna reports: 

"More than three quarters of adults in attendance do not experience the presence of God during worship.  In fact, half of all churchgoers admit that they have not felt connected to God or in His presence at any time in the past year, in spite of regular attendance at church."  

We'll not take time here to repeat the tragic numbers of church closings in recent years!  

During my years in China, I noticed something that perplexed me.  [NOTE: 2012-2015 was a period where the church in China was experiencing a good measure of freedom to grow and expand!]  

With some regularity, representatives of the American Church were brought in to hold special meetings in Chinese churches to teach them how to do evangelism and how to grow their churches.  Chinese Christians would flock to these meetings to hear these American 'experts'!  

I challenged those that I knew well and tried to explain that the presence of the Americans could do nothing but harm the Chinese Church.  But my attempts were rebuffed repeatedly.  The Chinese were convinced that the Americans could help them.  

Still, I persisted!  "The American Church has been in decline for at least seven decades!  The number of churches being started [in America] is eclipsed by the number of churches being closed!  If anything, the American Church should be sitting at the feet of the Chinese to find out how to grow the Kingdom of God!"

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But lets be careful!  I am NOT saying that ALL churches are disconnected, ineffective and declining.  There ARE exceptions - thanks be to God!  That speaks to HOPE!  

However, the bigger picture is discouraging on many fronts!  Current church leadership appears to be as mismatched to the task of regenerating life in the Church as our government leaders are at unifying and restoring confidence in our country!  

Yet - as stated earlier - we don't see Jesus' admonitions to the Pharisees as being relevant to us!  We don't meaningfully reflect on what Barna is identifying!  We don't care about the decline of the American Church!  We watch as empty seats outnumber filled seats.  We endure worship that fails to engage us with songs we don't know and performers who we enjoy watching.  The bulletin and order of worship is identical week after week, while few can remember the last baptism or name the most recent convert!  

Again - thank God for the exceptions!  But where is the hope for renewal and a reversal of this half-century trend?  

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A personal word:

I remember the joy of worship experienced in several of the churches that I participated in leading.  

• The 'Praise & Worship' movement of the 1980's sparked new life and jubilant worship during our years at the Oakland Church [East Liverpool, OH].
• The contagious, joyful worship at Cornerstone Church [Akron, OH] ignited new life in a constantly growing body of believers!
• After a few years of foundation-laying, our worship at Free Methodist Community Church [New Middletown, OH] became gratifying as our people reported experiencing the presence of God regularly in worship!
• The worship of the International Church we met with in Changchun [PRC] regularly brought tears to my eyes and joy to my heart as we met weekly with believers from as many as ten to fifteen nations!

I long for vibrant worship!  Worship that draws people to the front of the sanctuary instead of driving them to the back seats!  Worship that ignites passion and engages spirits!  Worship that refreshes, restores, enthralls, raises expectations for Sunday mornings!  

Today, my most meaningful worship takes place in my car as I weep and laugh joyfully before the Lord while listening to Robin Mark's music.  However, though it meets my need for vertical worship, it leaves me void of horizontal worship.  I still long to experience that again!  

WE WANT TO SEE!!!!!!

Two men who live in a world of darkness.  Perhaps they sit together each day to beg.  They have bonded in their common need - blindness.  Do they comfort one another?  Do they share stories to pass the time?  Are they friends?  Do they pool their meager resources to end their day with a meal?  

They're fortunate to live in a warm climate where they have found a place that is reasonably safe to sleep and bathe occasionally.  No one looks at them.  They are invisible.  Passersby occasionally drop a few pennies into their cups.  No one is really generous with them.  Their presence along the heavily travelled road is a dirge.  People grow aggravated at their persistent calls for money.  

They produce feelings of guilt that plague the people.  Why can't they sit somewhere else?  Why don't the rulers do something about this pair?  

No one knows their stories.  Did they once see?  Why has their family abandoned them?  Their situation is hopeless!  No one really cares about them.  No one assigns any dignity to them.  Those who drop coins in their cup usually do so with disdain and not compassion.  Their constant crying out is annoying.  

But when you sit in a busy thoroughfare, you hear things.  These two blind men pick up tidbits of news and gossip throughout their day.  They are blind, but not deaf!  

What does one think about when you sit by the roadside day after day?  Ah, they think about miracles.  Perhaps today will be the day that someone will be gracious to them.  Perhaps today someone will be overtly generous with them.  Maybe this will be the day that they will be taken in and cared for.  Perhaps - but not likely.  It is the dream of hopelessness...

However, they have heard a name.  They've heard it repeatedly.  People speak of this name with excitement, amazement and wonder.  The name?  Jesus.  At first - when they heard His name - they were hopeful.  But then, they heard that He was from Nazareth.  The age-old saying lept to their minds:  "Can anything good come from Nazareth?"  At first, they were disheartened.  But the stories about Him persisted.  Every day they heard of things He had done and people He had healed.  

When you live in a hopeless world, a dream is all you have.  Perhaps some day He will pass by on this busy way?  They've envisioned it a thousand times.  A kind man who stops to talk with them.  A compassionate man who cares.  An exception to the crowds who pass them by over and over.  

But their dreams are always interrupted by the rudeness of those who mock them.   Rough and rude men spit on them and toy with them by dropping stones into their cups or kicking dust in their faces.  How does one continue to live when despair rules the day - every day?  Something as simple as a cup of cold water would be such a blessing!  But not today.  Not ever.

Then, one day the traffic seems heavier.  There's excitement in the air.  People jostle and talk expectantly.  Children are part of the crowd today!  The men hear tidbits as the crowd grows thick and loud.  The road from Jericho to Jerusalem is far busier today than any other day.  Perhaps their cups will be filled today?  

That's when it happened.  The two homeless companions heard the name 'Jesus'.  Hope arose!  They struggled to get to their feet, only to be pushed down by the jostling crowd.  The crowd noise was becoming very loud.  

Realizing that this Jesus was nearby they began to cry out His name!  "Jesus!  Lord, have mercy on us!  Son of David!"  Though treated badly and hushed by the crowd, they persisted with as much volume as they could muster.  "Jesus!  Lord, have mercy on us!  Son of David!  Help us!" 

They would NOT be hushed!  All the good things they had overheard for months unleashed an urgency that would not be contained!

HE HEARD THEM!  He immediately came to where they sat!  He took them aside - probably protected by His disciples who kept the crowd at bay.  He spoke!  "What is it that you want, brothers?"  

Without hesitation and in perfect unison they responded: "LORD, WE WANT TO SEE."  

Though they didn't see it - He smiled!  He put His arms around these two men in an embrace of genuine caring.  Then, He touched their eyes - AND IMMEDIATELY THEY COULD SEE!  

Can you imagine their joy?  Did they dance?  Did they hug Him?  Did they look at each other in wonder?  Did these two long-time friends embrace for the first time as they saw the face that had only existed in their imaginations?  Did the apostles get in on the joy?  

After a brief interlude of joy with Jesus and expressions of gratitude, the callings of the crowd necessitated Jesus moving on.  

The two men stood, realizing that their lives had been instantly changed!  They SAW Jesus and His disciples merging into the crowd and on toward Jerusalem.  With nothing holding them in Jericho - THEY FOLLOWED HIM!  

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Jesus,

The One who hears the cry of the desperate!  The One who can make a difference in any life that cries out of pain, loss or confusion.  

Thank You for hearing our cries of desperation!  Thank You for being attentive to our needs!  Thank You for responding with just what we need!

Your love and compassion makes us want to follow You!  

Amen.

NO ONE WANTS TO DIE - BUT WE MUST!

 I just read the following in Richard and Renee Stearns' book, HE WALKS AMONG US [p.224]:

We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.   Romans 6:4 

"One of the hard teachings of scripture is the notion that before we can become alive in Christ, our old self must first die.  Most of us would prefer to hang on to the old self and just add Christ, but that's not how it works.  Jesus asks us to give Him everything in our life that competes with Him for that number one position." 

Paul's letter to the Romans is a tough one that is a somewhat heavy exposition of the theology of our faith.  But it is essential to keep us grounded!  It's message is so much more than the "just come to Jesus" message you hear in many churches.  

The call of Jesus is always a call to come and die. We don't merely need to be fixed. We need to let the old person die, and be brought back to life, born again by water and Spirit. It is the powerful imagery of Baptism, dying to our old self (for the remission of sin), being buried with Christ, and rising a new Creation and receiving the Holy Spirit

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian and pastor who was hanged in a Nazi concentration camp said two things that need to resound through the American church today:

"The first call which every Christian experiences is the call to abandon the attachments of this world."

Jesus speaking to His disciples in Matthew 16:24,25 says,

"If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." 

 Bonhoeffer, perhaps with these verses in mind, said,

"When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die."

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Let's try to unpack this a bit. Obviously, if we preach a message that requires people to physically die, we will not have much of a church! The call of Christ seems to be more of a symbolic death. We acknowledge the lordship of Christ in our lives! We want His will to direct our lives as fully as is possible. That means my will must become subserviant to His will!

Paul seems to describe this in Galatians 2:20 [NIV]:

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

If we don't HEAR much about this in the church today, then that could explain the decline of the American church and the ineffectiveness at being salt and light to our culture.  

But we seem to want it all!  We want Jesus, but we also want the treasures of this world!  We also like control and highly value it in the directing of our lives.  We don't want to come and die!  We'd rather come and dine!  

Every one of us needs to evaluate: Have I died to self-will and self-direction?  Is Christ really the Lord of my life?  Have we really let Jesus take the wheel?  Could this be why we feel so weak and overwhelmed?  Is it possible that we've missed the main point of our faith?  Do we need to make that absolute surrender today?

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’  “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’    Matthew 7:21-23  [NASB]

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 Lord of the Church,

We also want You to be the Lord of our lives!  The only way for us to experience Your fullness and have the assurance that we long for is to willingly die to our self-will and fully embrace Your will for our lives.  

We desire to let You have Your way in our life!  We're willing to give up whatever we have been clinging to so that You can direct our lives according to Your will and desires.  We know this is the best course of action that we could take!  And we take it willingly today, Lord Jesus!

I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,

And it told Thy love to me;

But I long to rise in the arms of faith,

And be closer drawn to Thee.

Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,

To the cross where Thou hast died;

Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,

To Thy precious, bleeding side.

Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,

By the pow’r of grace divine;

Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,

And my will be lost in Thine.

Amen.

Fanny Crosby

TREASURE IN HEAVEN

 The statement "you will have treasure in heaven" comes from Matthew 19:21, where Jesus is pursued by a wealthy, young man who asks, "Teacher, what good deed can I do to assure myself eternal life?" [v.16]

[All quotes from The Voice Bible unless otherwise noted]

Most of us are familiar with the passage of this encounter with Jesus.  But can you forget what you already know about it for right now?  

Let's just zero in on the relevant dialogue between Jesus and this wealthy man:

Then a young man came up to Jesus.  'Teacher, what good deed can I do to assure myself eternal life?' [v.16]

Jesus: "If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give all your money to the poor; then you will have treasure in heaven. And then come, follow Me."  [v.21]

The essence of this teaching seems to be: have money here, or accrue "treasure in heaven".

I just read a story about a woman who brought her one-year-old son to a clinic in Maradi, Niger.  But, by the time she arrived, he was barely able to breathe and a nurse had difficulty finding a vein to insert an IV.  He'd been vomiting for days and was so severely dehydrated that when he cried, there were no tears.  

When asked why she delayed so long in bringing him in, she responded, "We lived too far away to walk with such a sick baby and until two days ago, I didn't have enough money to come by bus."  [Story and photo from Richard and Renee Stearns' book, HE WALKS AMONG US, pp.221-223]

Such poverty in the face of needing to help one's only child!  Does she love her child any less than other moms love their children?  No!  She was simply dealing with the realities of extreme poverty.  

When I was teaching in northeast China, my students all had the perception that I was wealthy - because I was an American!  My attempts to explain that I was not wealthy, fell on deaf ears.  UNTIL two of my students later visited us several years later.  As we took them to Washington, D.C. to sight-see, they were not excited about the hotel that we stayed in.  They obviously saw our modest home in Enon Valley - which was a brand new manufactured home that we were delighted in.  These two students finally realized that we were NOT wealthy.  When they had us drop them off, they requested we drop them at one of the finest hotels in Washington!  :-)

Wealth here, or treasure in Heaven?  

How many of us actually believe this teaching of Jesus?  "If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give all your money to the poor; then you will have treasure in heaven."

As those who, up until the last three years, have been considered some of the wealthiest people on earth, have we justified ways to keep a lot of our wealth while still believing that we're pleasing God and meeting His requirements?  

• we tithe
• we give offerings
• we give to different charitable groups
• we send Samaritan Christmas shoeboxes at Christmas 
• we drop off a few cans of food to the local foodbank

Then we go home to our 65" televisions, campers, air conditioned and heated homes, and worship in our newly built, luxurious sanctuaries that sit empty six days a week.  

Will there be a great reversal when we get to Heaven?  Will those of us who have had so much in this life be assigned to mediocre homes there while the woman - pictured above - will live in a "mansion"?

Debbie and I were deeply moved a week ago after attending a missions rally that featured four speakers from the Middle East.  The stories they told of sacrifice left us in awe.  When two of these men spoke at The Foundery Church [which I am currently leading] last Sunday, we were asked not to video-cast because of the sensitivity of their content.  In the promotional material, their last names are not even given!   We heard stories of people who are coming to Christ at the risk of losing their lives!  

On our way home, we wistfully said, "Let's sell everything we have and give it all to this need."  We had seen the need and it moved us!  

The words of Jesus convict us.  Our meager, monthly gift to Samaritan's Purse is not balancing well with our accumulation of possessions and wealth!  

You're right - and you know it - we haven't put up a 'For Sale' sign yet.  But we both reflect on the happiness and fulfillment we experienced when we sold or gave away just about everything we had and went to live in China for three years.

Don't be surprised if... 

TELEVISION: VALUES SHAPER

 Monday of this week I arrived home around 3:30 PM and wasn't feeling well.  I laid down on the bed, where Deb covered me with an afghan and I napped for nearly two hours.  Upon getting up, I went to my chair and just sat watching television for the rest of the evening.  I even had my supper on a snack tray.  

I went to Frndly and watched an episode of Gunsmoke.  

Doc welcomed a new, young doctor to Dodge and was delighted to talk 'shop' with this man.  The man's wife talked him into staying in Dodge and setting up his business.  Doc visited and wished them well.  But, of course, they got no business because of the deep trust everyone had in Doc.  

Eventually the young doctor's wife began spreading lies about Doc's drinking habits.  She coaxed people to turn to her husband.  Festus overheard her and told Doc about it.  Matt and Kitty also picked up on it and expressed concern to Doc.  But Doc was unmoved by the accusations and reports.  

Eventually, he confronted her about her lying and she denied it.  He insisted on taking her to see a couple of his patients so that she could see the poverty and conditions that most people lived in around Dodge.  He explained that his pay was often in eggs or occasionally a chicken.  Often, all he got was a promise that they'd pay him when they could.  

While out, they were called to a home where a farmer had injured his leg several days ago but had not sought treatment.  Gangrene had set in and Doc told him that he would have to amputate the leg.  Reluctantly, he agreed.  While Doc stepped away, she convinced the man that her husband could help him and save his leg.  

Doc saw what had happened and returned to town.  Meanwhile, she and her husband went to the farm again.  He also saw that the leg had to be amputated, but now it was even worse.  The farmer died.  

When it was over, I turned to Deb and commented on the positive values communicated in this episode!  Doc refused to respond in kind!  He confronted the woman over her lies and slander.  He yielded when she persuaded the farmer to let her husband operate on him instead.  The values he exhibited were wonderful and appropriate.

Later in the evening, after watching our favorite show, we flipped to a new show that we've been wanting to watch.  It's about a tracker that hunts for people that might be lost or disoriented.  The advertisements made it look good, and with my backpacking background - I thought we might enjoy it.  But, unfortunately, by the time the show was half over, we turned it off and I went to bed.  The values were discouraging and not something that we wanted to be influencing us.

I know!  These are the laments of an older man!  Shows from decades ago tended to teach wholesome - even Christian - values.  Shows like 'The Waltons', 'Little House on the Prairie', 'Bonanza', 'The Rifleman', 'Sue Thomas - FBEye', 'Doc', 'Touched by an Angel', 'Highway to Heaven' and so many more consistently reinforced values that strengthened the fabric of American culture!  We learned how to live right - just by watching TV.  

But these values are in a slim minority today!  Thank God for 'The Chosen', 'The Baxters', 'The Great American Family Channel' and you may think of a few more...

And the end result is that our culture - sadly - mirrors what we're viewing to a large extent!  

There's OBVIOUSLY a market for these old shows because they are available on many venues at almost all times of the day.  It seems to me that wise parents would sit and watch some of these old shows together and find creative ways to discuss them afterward.

A phrase that my kids should remember is: "LEARN TO DISCERN!"  

I said it to them over and over again during their growing-up years!  That was part of my role as their father!  Often, when we'd watch a movie together [or even an episode of 'The Cosby Show'], I would ask them questions about what we'd viewed.  Oh yes, this was always greeted with a groan!  But I wanted to know how they were processing what they viewed.  I didn't want them to just accept everything that they saw on TV!  I wanted them to learn to discern!  

I wanted them to form their values from a source far more significant than TELEVISION!!!!!!!

This is a parent's role!  They monitor and evaluate what their kids watch!  They question them about how they would react in similar situations.  They teach appropriate responses!  They also model appropriate values [this is far more important than our words]!  

Living in the 21st century has taught us that we can't trust the schools - AND CERTAINLY NOT OUR UNIVERSITIES - to inculcate Christian values in our young people and children!  And remember: church membership is now less than half of our population, so Sunday School [which is disappearing] isn't shaping our kids anymore!  

IT'S UP TO US, as parents and grandparents to form our kids and shape their consciences!  No one cares more about them than we do!  Be bold!  Be aggressive!  Take on the challenge!  Talk with your kids!  Learn how they're processing information.  Help them to embrace values that will allow them to contribute to the shaping of a better culture!

Last tip:  Take them to church and pray with them!

EVEN THE OSTRICH HAS A GIFT!

In Job 38-39, the Eternal God ends all of the conversations between Job and his 'friends' by humbling them all with a somewhat defiant declaration of all that He has done!  

Putting the larger issues of this remarkable book aside for a few moments, let's just look at God's comments in Job 39:13-18.  [All quotes are from The Voice Bible unless otherwise noted].

Commentary:  God now speaks to Job of the ostrich. Is Job as foolish as this stupid bird who leaves her eggs on the ground?

The ostrich flaps her wings,
and the ringing joy is heard.
But her wings and pinions are not like a stork’s. She cannot fly.
She is different from the other birds,
for she lays her eggs straight on the ground,
and she incubates them in the bare dust.
She forgets that a foot might crush them
or a wild animal trample them.
She is harsh to her young, as if they were not even hers.
She is unconcerned at the futility of her labor,
For God denied her a share of wisdom,
and in doling out understanding, He passed her by.
Oh and yet, look at her when the time comes to run—
she spreads her strange wings and
laughs at the horse who must be guided by his rider
although she is an absurd bird who can’t even fly.

Alright, I just did some quick research and discovered that an ostrich can indeed run faster than a horse!  They can run over 30 mph!  They can run faster than many birds can fly!  Other facts amazed me:

• they can be 8' tall
• the only animal with a longer neck is the giraffe
• it's the world's biggest bird
• it can weigh as much as two men
• they are the third fastest land animal

But, they're stupid!

Hey! Don't get upset with me!  God said it!  Just above, God admits that He "...denied her a share of wisdom and in doling out understanding He passed her by."  

Consequently, she can run like the wind!  She looks like a bird, but cannot fly!  She is a poor mother, recklessly laying her eggs in the open and failing to care for them:  "She is harsh to her young, as if they were not even hers."

This begs the question:  So, why did God bother to make the ostrich?

The only answer I can come up with is: BECAUSE GOD WANTED TO!  😊

By her speed, she glorifies God!  The girl can run!!!!!!

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Humans can be cruel!  At one time or another you've heard someone described as "not the sharpest tack in the box".  Maybe you've even been described with terms like this?  Everyone's gift is not intellect!  Duh.  

I'm guilty!  I've laughed at 'dumb-blonde' jokes.  We enjoy the humor associated with blondes, while knowing full well that the generalization is untrue!  

I remember a discussion when I was serving as a member on the school board of a Christian school many years ago.  We were debating if we should have a vote for a 'king' and 'queen' to be part of the senior's end-of-year event.  Some board members argued that it was nothing more than a popularity contest or beauty pageant.  

A fellow-member of the board [a woman I had high regard for] spoke up:

You know, we honor our youth who are good at sports.  We honor those who can give excellent speeches or sing beautifully.  We recognize those who get the highest grades!   These kids are just naturally good in these areas.  It's where their strengths are!  Why not allow those who happen to be good looking to be recognized?  It's their strength!  It's one of the ways that God blessed them!  

She convinced me!  

Being smart isn't everything!  It's great, of course, but it doesn't make a person a better human than others!  Smart people can be rude and aloof!  

God gives some the gift of intellect while doling out His other gifts and talents to the whole of humanity.  

Come on, you've noticed this!

You've gotten to know a physically unattractive person who you determined was one of the nicest people you've ever met!

You were assigned a seat beside a fat kid and discovered that he had a contagious sense of humor!

You know someone - perhaps even a family member - who doesn't get jokes and admits openly that he doesn't understand difficult things.  But, he's the life of the party; or, she adorns the church altar with gorgeous flower arrangements most Sundays!

Intellect is a wonderful thing!  But it's not for everybody!  We all excel in some way.  It just takes longer and a little more effort to discover it in some of us!  

Take the time!  Look for the nuggets!  God delights in this person for some reason!  Be determined to figure out what it is!!!!!!

______________________________

Creator of the ostrich,

Help me to look for the hidden gifts in Your people!  May I be determined NOT TO JUDGE critically, but to patiently get to know people well enough to see Your reflection in their lives!  I really need help with this, God!  

And thanks for making the ostrich!

Amen.

ESAU'S UNKNOWN HEALING

Esau and Jacob were the twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah.  

Rebekah was unable to have children for twenty years.  Finally, Isaac prayed for her and she conceived.  [Genesis 25:22-27  -  All quotes from The Voice Bible unless otherwise noted.]

But the children she carried struggled and fought with each other until, in great pain, she exclaimed, “What is going on? Why is this happening to me?” In frustration she inquired of the Eternal One why this civil war was occurring inside of her.

Eternal One (to Rebekah): Two nations are growing inside of your womb,
and the two peoples will be divided in the future.
One will be stronger than the other,
and the older will serve the younger.

When it was time for Rebekah to give birth, she saw that she was carrying twins. The first came out red—his entire body like a hairy blanket—so they named him Esau. His brother followed with his hand clutching Esau’s heel, so they named him Jacob. Isaac was 60 years old when Rebekah gave birth to the twins.

When the boys grew up, they could not have been more different.

As the boys grew and developed, Isaac developed a special love for Esau, while Rebekah grew especially close to Jacob.  

Eventually, Jacob baited Esau and got him to trade his birthright for a bowl of stew.  Later, when Isaac was growing old and wanted to pass his blessing on to his firstborn son, Esau, Jacob and Rebekah conspired for him to steal Esau's blessing through deceit.  [See Genesis 27]

Esau hated Jacob with a fury, because his brother now carried the blessing his father meant for him.

Esau (to himself): The days of mourning for my father are approaching. When he has died, I will kill my brother, Jacob.  [v.41]

Rebekah learned of Esau's plans and persuaded Isaac to send Jacob to her homeland to find a wife.

Jacob spent many years in Paddan-aram where he worked for his uncle Laban and married Leah and Rachel.  Through his two wives and their servants - Bilhah and Zilpah - Jacob gained twelve sons [who eventually became the twelve tribes of Israel].  

After many years, God instructed Jacob to return to his homeland.  After an encounter with his uncle Laban, he began the long journey with his family, servants, and large flocks and herds.  As he got close to Canaan he was told that Esau was coming to meet him with 400 men.  Jacob was terrified!  He separated his family in groups along with his flocks and herds.  He sent an abundance of flocks and herds ahead of him as gifts for Esau to appease his anger.

Then, after laying his plans and securing his family as best he could, Jacob wrestled with a messenger from God all night.  The end result of this encounter was that his name was changed to Israel!

Finally, when he encountered his brother, 

 "Esau ran to meet him.  He embraced Jacob, kissed his neck, and they both cried."  [33:4]

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Well, that's a surprise ending!  What happened to the anger that Esau had felt toward his conniving brother?  What happened to his plan to kill Jacob?  

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We don't have an answer to that question!  The Bible gives no explanation for the change that Esau apparently experienced!  Somehow, he had forgiven his brother, Jacob, and was able to genuinely welcome him back to their homeland.  After much persuading from Jacob, Esau did finally accept the VERY GENEROUS gifts that Jacob presented to him:

• 200 female goats
• 20 male goats
• 200 female sheep
• 20 rams
• 30 milk camels and their colts
• 40 cows and 10 bulls
• 20 female donkeys and 10 male donkeys

Although the presentation of these gifts may have impacted Esau, the narrative leaves us with the impression that somehow God had brought peace to Esau's heart long before this moment.

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Does time heal?

There's little doubt that time does allow us to adapt to unwelcome circumstances.  With the passing of time, we gain perspective and realize that we can move forward in spite of our anger, hurt, loss, pain!  

Esau wanted desperately to please his parents!  But when he married two Hittite women, he brought a lot of pain to Isaac and Rebekah [27:46].  This was part of Rebekah's reasoning for sending Jacob away to find a wife!  

Now Esau saw that his father, Isaac, had again blessed Jacob and sent him to Paddan-aram to find a wife there, instructing him not to marry any of the Canaanite women. He learned, too, that Jacob had gone there just as his father and mother both wanted. So, realizing his father did not like his Canaanite wives, Esau went to see Ishmael and took Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael (Abraham’s other son) and the sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife in addition to the two others.  [28:6-9]

Esau wanted to please his parents, but everything he did seemed to disappoint them.  He surely must have felt like a failure!  Yet somehow, through the many years that Jacob spent in Paddan-aram, Esau came to peace with the situation.  

Instead of holding on to hatred and bitterness, he seems to have found a way to be satisfied with the life that God had given him.  He welcomed his brother back with a hug, a kiss and tears of joy.  

The only other time that Esau shows up in the biblical story is when he and Jacob meet to bury Isaac together [Genesis 35:28-29].  

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Lord of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Esau,

Esau's sub-story reveals that even when we're not the main character in the plot, You still keep Your eye on us and help us to resolve the conflicts and dilemmas of our lives!  You are so awesome, kind and generous!  Thank You for this sub-plot of Esau's.  Thank You that his life didn't end in bitterness and hatred!  Thank You that You found a way to bring peace to his heart and life!

There are many in our world today who are like Esau!  They feel like they're the sub-plot in their family!  They feel neglected.  They realize that they didn't get their parent's blessing.  They're angry and distracted by plans to get even.  They're jealous.  They need You, Gracious God!  They need to hear Esau's story!  They need to realize that Your resources are unlimited and Your grace is readily available!  

Find them, Lord, and heal them.  Remove the bitterness and replace it with satisfaction and peace and joy!  You can do this!  You've done it for many - including Esau!  Praise Your Holy Name.

Amen