Does this prayer of Jacob’s sound like your own
prayers? He recounts God’s promises to
him, God’s goodness to him, and pleads that God will be faithful to His own
word. Jacob’s prayer is based on the
premise that he is where God told him to be, it was God’s idea that he return
to this place. He then acknowledges that
he isn’t worthy of all the Lord has already done for him. The last time he was here he had only his
staff and now he has much, the Lord has greatly blessed him. Finally, he pleads for protection from Esau,
whom he fears, and the plea is based in God’s promise to multiply him. For the first time in his life Jacob has
nothing or no one to rely on to obtain God’s promises but God Himself. He can’t trick anyone, there are no
accomplices like his mother, only God can bring about His promise. He does all he can think of, dividing everything
into two camps in the hope that one will be preserved even if Esau attacks the
other and sending ahead of his own approach an incredibly generous gift, he
wouldn’t be Jacob if he didn’t at least try to do it on his own would he?
He has a demon and He is insane. These are honest possibilities based on Jesus’
claims, wrong but honest. Today we allow
ourselves other options that aren’t honest at all, options like wonder-worker
and great teacher. We should take our
cues from those who heard and saw Him who would never have been so simplistic
and reductionistic. They didn’t
misunderstand His claims, they understood Him perfectly, they didn’t believe the
claims. Who could possibly believe that
He, the man called Jesus, was indeed the God of the universe? “I and the father are one.” It took centuries for the church to work out
what that meant, we cannot blame anyone who does not have the Holy Spirit for
failing to believe what we mean here.
What is the answer to our fears and doubts? We are to abide in Him, His Word, and
allowing the Word, both written and in the form of the Holy Spirit, to abide in
us. “Let what you heard from the
beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you,
then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father.” Those to whom John writes have seen some
leave the fellowship and deny that Jesus is truly the Son. They fear they may be wrong and these others
may be right, that these may have some form of knowledge and understanding they
don’t have. John’s prescription for them
is to rest in the truth they received, not doubt. Like Jacob in today’s reading we are to be immersed
in the Word of God, resting in the promises therein, and to stand firm in what
we know. What we know is not a matter of
personal opinion but the revelation by the Holy Spirit to us concerning
truth. What we have there, John says, is
eternal life. Let us lay aside all other
concerns to lay hold on this promise.
I will give thanks to
the LORD; and call upon his name;
I will make known his deeds among the peoples!
I will sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works!
I will glory in His holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!
I will seek the LORD and his strength;
seek his presence continually!
I will make known his deeds among the peoples!
I will sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works!
I will glory in His holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!
I will seek the LORD and his strength;
seek his presence continually!
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