Introduction
When I was growing up on the Eastside, my dream in life was to work in Ballard because it was cool. Thank you to Canon Britt, thanks especially to Rev Beverly her close friend who sent me here, and thanks to Rev. Peter, Brian, Michael, Rebecca and Katy, and everyone who has showed me why St Luke’s has such a reputation for warmth and getting things done.
This week I was told, “Whatever reading you speak to, don’t talk about Genesis.” These characters are not likeable! Before this Jacob steals his brother’s birthright. Here Laban deceives Jacob creating a very difficult home life. Next chapter, Jacob deceives Laban and takes his wealth. What if I told you Canon Britt was living in Phinney Ridge on her brother’s inheritance with two husbands, and a thousand sheep stolen from her in laws? Jacob is the story’s center, but not the hero. And so we ask, what could this possibly teach us?
Our Present
And yet, painful, uncertain circumstances, difficult people at the center feels very relevant. We’re living through a time of upheaval. More change most of us have seen in our lifetimes. Political, certainly. Economic, with AI. Relational, changing how we communicate and live and meet. We all have different questions, but we’re all asking questions. In what world are my kids growing up? Or if you’re under 20, more like, what world am I growing up in? What does this mean for my job? I’ve worked to make the world better my whole life, is it coming undone? What is this doing to communities I care about?
The place I see it really come to fruition, is in middle school and high school. That’s not intuitive, but true. Some of you know I’ve been working as the chaplain for a children’s hospital, with teenagers. My conclusion? Right now, middle and high school looks like Mean Girls meets Lord of the Flies.
God Can Work Through Difficult Circumstance and People
So what does Jacob’s story say to us? Well, thankfully, the first thing is God does not just work in perfect situations and perfect people. Jacob does not act righteously. But that is not a limiter on what God is doing. In our story Laban deceives Jacob, then Jacob deceives Laban. Sandwiched in the middle, the chiastic center – God enacts God’s plan. The kids are born who become Israel, the nation through which God blesses humanity. Jacob and Laban are boneheads. The story shows God works through all kinds of situations and people even when it doesn’t seem possible, even right now. When I imagine God in heaven watching us, I don’t imagine God thinking, “uh on, now this political situation is really bad, I’ve never seen this before.” I am not minimizing this moment or history. Yes, I do not think God is afraid. Our fear may say more about us than God. Sometimes the way we need to begin to work out of that is not in our heads but our hearts. Our fear can be a useful pointer to what is wrong, but when it consumes us, it is not helpful. And so we must ask, what makes each of us feel safe?
God Can Work Through Us When We’re Not Perfect
God can work through difficult situations and people, and that’s the second thing, God can work through people like us, sometimes more like Jacob than we’d like to admit. If you’re a parent, think of your worst parenting moment. Probably not as bad as Jacob. God can work with that. If you have parents, remember your teenage years and the worst thing you did, that made you think, “I’m a bad person.” Not as bad as Jacob. God can work with that. To be with God is to be part of God’s work, always. Studies show people have one of two defaults – I’m better or I’m worse. Yet, in that equation you are never enough. Even if you think you’re better, only as good as your last action. Jacob reminds us we’re not perfect, and God still works through us. Our significance is not in our perfection or lack of it. We have enormous significance in God, and perfection is not required.
Aligning Our Will With Go
Yes, God can work with Jacob and Leah and Rachel. But What if Laban wasn’t so greedy? If Leah thought, maybe I won’t sneak around in the dark with this guy who worked seven years for my sister? What if Jacob kept his tunic on one more minute and said, “Rachel?” There is a story about one guy who did surrender his will to work with God’s. His life didn’t make sense to a lot of people at the moment he died. But by 100 AD there are 10,000 Christians, 200, 250,000 Christians, 300, 6 million Christians. The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. God’s plan is not always clear to us as the seed goes in the ground, just how god is working with this moment, but God is working and God can do a lot more with us if we do as God asks. If each week we look for that one next way God is calling us.
Conclusion
Surrendering to God is how we participate in God’s healing of the world, and also how we let God heal us. One interpretation of the Eucharist is that it is a healing of our souls. When you take the bread and the wine today, I hope it is the healing you need. Amen.
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