Readings for today: Genesis 30-33
My dad died almost a year ago. We had a complex relationship. He was tough on me as his oldest son. He was a strict disciplinarian. A man you never said “no” to. He found it hard to express his feelings and emotions. Though he told me he loved me, he wasn’t overly demonstrative about it. Hugging was hard for him. He preferred critique over encouragement as a way to parent. He was also an alcoholic for almost forty years. Even though he was never physically abusive, he wasn’t easy to live with. When I moved back to Colorado over fifteen years ago, he was working at a golf course as a ranger. He and I were able to play regularly on the course. We had hours of conversation during those rounds. And God began to reconcile what I thought was irreconcilable. My father became more affectionate. He laughed easier. He told me how proud he was of me and the man I’d become. I was able to even confide in him at times and he offered me sound advice. About 18 months or so before he passed away, we took a trip to Israel together. My mom and my wife also were with us. I challenged him to make his peace with God. Once again, God worked a miracle. My father publicly proclaimed his faith in Jesus Christ and I had the privilege of baptizing him in the Jordan River. It was an experience I will never forget.
I imagine Jacob must have felt the same way when he met Esau. He had been gone for well over a decade. Plenty of time for Esau’s anger and hostility to ferment into something toxic and deadly. Indeed, if God wasn’t at work that’s exactly what would have happened. But as much as we read about God working in Jacob’s life, often despite his sin, He must have been working in Esau’s life as well. How else can one explain the greeting Jacob received upon returning home? “Esau ran to meet him, hugged him, threw his arms around him, and kissed him. Then they wept.” (Genesis 33:4 CSB) There’s no way to explain this miraculous reception other than God working in Esau’s heart to move him to forgiveness and reconciliation. And there’s nothing more powerful, more intimate, more life-changing than being on the receiving end of forgiveness and reconciliation whether it’s from God or those we love.
Think about your own life. Who do you need to forgive? Who do you need to ask forgiveness from? With whom do you need to reconcile? It may feel impossible. It may feel like the gulf is too wide. The hurt too deep. The disappointment too fresh. Everything in you may resist God’s call to lean in. But there’s nothing more powerful in the Christian life. Be strong and bold and courageous. Have faith. Trust the Holy Spirit. Reach out with open hands and an open heart. Pray fervently and regularly. Do all you can to make peace with God. Peace with others. Peace with the world.
Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 34-37