Through thick and thin - eyes on the prize! 16th August 2026

 2026  08  16 - Pentecost 12

Genesis 45.1-15    Psalm 133     Romans 11.13-32 (33-36)     Matt 15. (10-20) 21-28

 

Our Gospel reading reminds me of a lady with whom I play basketball.  She is known by some as The Bulldog.  She is a good and fair player, but where some are more timid or more just waiting for an opportunity to have the ball rather than go out and get it, she, more than anything she is strong and reliably single minded on the court.  This Canaanite woman was also strong and single minded.  She knew what she wanted and she assertively would not be put off by anyone else’s opinions.  Probably, she was also desperate.  A mother with a child who was suffering.  She wouldn’t rest until Jesus heard her request.

 

We hear the story of this woman in other Gospels, and in the Gospel of Matthew it comes at the end of Jesus’ message about things that make a person clean or unclean.  The connection being that those who were with Jesus would have considered that Canaanite woman to be an unclean person.  In all of Jesus’ words to the woman, we see him echo the thoughts of those people around him, and then show them and her that clean and unclean is something different to what they had thought… in fact he tells them that what comes out of the heart is what defiles.  For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.

 

Joseph , son of Israel and former owner of a multicoloured dream coat, is one who bore the brunt of what came from the heart.  His brothers had evil intentions to murder him, but they sold him into slavery instead and then lied to their father that a wild animal had killed him… false witness…  Then the wife of his master wanted to be sexually immoral with him and also lied about him, so that the master had him thrown into prison. 

 

The saying goes; “to er is human, to forgive, divine”.  What do you think about Joseph forgiving his brothers?  I feel like we should pause here to contemplate where this echoes into our own lives.

 

By the time Joseph was leader in Egypt the brothers had grown and changed.  They knew that they had done a great wrong to Joseph and he now had the power, as leader of Egypt to do them great harm. 

 

As much as the Bible contains mankind’s struggle with God, it also contains our struggle with each other and where we all stand in God’s eyes.  For example, I know what my relationship with God is, and that he loves me and that Jesus died to redeem me, but what about that person that actually hurt me… that person who spread false rumours about me… that person who manipulated me and caused me trouble… that person who was abusive…  What about all these people?  Where do they stand with God? And what will God do about it?

 

My hairdresser is a very genuine Christian lady, and we discussed this dilemma last time I saw her.  She was upset that people can commit horrible crimes and then accept Christ on their deathbed.  “Surely God will punish them, even though they’ve turned to God”, is what she said.  There are people who have committed horrible crimes.  Another point she made is that in some countries they receive the death penalty, but if they knew they were about to die, but then turned to Jesus, what happens to them then?

 

So many questions… have you pondered them too?  Before we answer these questions, we need to be prepared to accept God’s answer, even if it is something we don’t like, because God’s answer is the truth.  Rest assured God’s truth is good news.  We – can tie ourselves in knots trying to make a way for justice when people are hurt by another, while still being compassionate to the one who did the hurting, and this is evident in the mess of our justice system, but God’s way is a way of both Justice and mercy.

 

The answer is what we see here in Joseph.  We need to forgive.  End of story.  We need to forgive because God has forgiven us.  None of us is perfect and all of us to varying degrees have fallen short of perfection.  ALL of us have been forgiven by God… but not just that.  Imagine the absolute worst crime in the world… the penalty is death.  Figuratively the name of that worst criminal is Barabas.  Barabas is the man who was set free and Jesus died in his place.  Jesus died in our place.  In the eyes of God’s justice, the penalty for all sin… little and big is death… separation from God the father.  Jesus deliberately took that penalty.

 

This means that all can be forgiven and redeemed.   CAN – if we accept it and turn to Jesus to be saved.  That includes those who sin the least and also the very worst of sinners.  Even that person who hurt you.  The evidence of this is that there was a thief on a cross who said, “Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Do you recall Jesus’ response?  “Today, you will be with me in paradise.”  And as for us… we need to forgive, because otherwise paradise is gonna be a little uncomfortable for us.

 

Note that forgiving does not mean submitting to that person.  In fact, forgiving that person is something you do without the person necessarily knowing.  Forgiving someone who is abusive, absolutely does not mean allowing them to continue to abuse you.  You can forgive, but “draw a line in the sand”, with that person and set strong, protective boundaries.  Forgiving is the thing that happens in your heart.  It is the acknowledgement that humans are limited and the person who hurt you is limited.  Don’t allow them to hurt you again!!!  But put the situation in God’s hands and at least be willing to forgive.  Remember to er is human – we all er, but to forgive is divine and it takes some divine intervention.  If we are willing, God will help us to forgive.

 

The brothers of Joseph had been incredibly wicked to him.  Not only did they cause great harm to him, but they caused incredible anguish to their father.  These wicked ones were God’s chosen nation.  In fact, it was through the lineage of one of those brothers that Jesus would be born.  Before that would happen, there would be many in that line who acted wickedly…. Even the Great King David, who came 12 generations later, would manipulate a situation so that a man would die, all because David had taken the man’s wife.  This was King David who was said to be a man after God’s own heart.

 

A linage of such incredibly fallen and broken humans, yet God still loved and chose them.  This is God’s grace.  God is so gracious to his people that he continues his favour regardless of anything they do. 

 

We are told in Roman’s that God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.  Saint Paul is explaining this to the Gentile, non-Jewish, believers because they were realizing their own position of privilege in God’s Kingdom.  And that position of privilege is one that we all share…. But what does this mean for the Jewish nation since Christ came?

 

We know that Christ died for all.  For the Jew and the Gentile.  All are offered redemption by accepting and following Jesus, and in Christ, there is no difference.  Spiritually and individually, there is no difference.  However, the nation of Israel still and forever is the chosen nation of God – They are the ones through whom the blessing came and through whom comes the revelation of God, through the Torah, the law and the prophets. The gift and call of God is irrevocable.

 

We need to know that God so loved that incredibly fallen nation so much, because we too are broken and fallen.  One of the questions often asked by people is, “I once knew and followed God, but then I went and did my own thing… am I forever lost?  Will God take me back?”  Story after story in the Bible shows us that God is the loving father of the prodigal, always welcoming back.  But more than that, most of us want to know, will we be welcomed back as second class?  No, the gifts and call of God are irrevocable.  Children brought up in the faith who drift far away, will very easily be grafted back into the family of God where they already belong…  In fact, God’s family is the natural family of all of us.  We were known and belonged to God first.

 

This includes the Jew and the Gentile individual and the Canaanite woman.  Last week we noted that Peter had a little faith – and with that little faith he walked on water.  This week we have a woman who Jesus says has great faith.  How is that possible, and what is it that made her faith great and his small?  She was an outsider.  She was not a Jew, but she knew that Jesus was from God.  She would not be moved – like the bulldog – a dog with a bone.  She did not let public opinion or supposed divisions of race sway her from keeping her eyes on Jesus and her request before him.  In fact, she shows that she knows God grace by stating that even the dogs eat the children’s scraps.  God’s grace is abundant…. Abundant and overflowing.  This is why she was sure that there would be enough of God’s favour for her.

 

The way of faith is not an easy road, but neither is life on earth.  What we witness in the story of Joseph, is that God has a bigger plan and nothing is lost.  God can and does use the brokenness in our lives for a greater good, if we will let him.  Joseph was hurt and grieved, but he didn’t allow that grief to sway his faith in God.  Will we keep our eyes on Jesus regardless of our grief and regardless of what other people think of us? 

 

Our hurt and grief can make us hard and bitter.  Better that we cry as Joseph did when he embraced his brother Benjamin, and better that we stay in relationship with God, trusting him and knowing the abundance of his grace, as both Joseph and the Canaanite woman. Great faith is about knowing, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that God loves us and that His grace is abundant.  Through all our hardships, God is God, He loves us and He will save us.

To be a blessing, ride the waves 9th August 2026

 2026  08  09  Pentecost 11  Proper 14A

Genesis 37.1-4. 12-28    Psalm 105.1-6, 16-22    Romans 10.4-15  Matt 14.22-36

 

 

These last few weeks we’ve been following the story of the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  Last week was the momentous story where Jacob is blessed and his name is changed to Israel.  Our Holy Bible, the sacred word of God, comes to us through the stories of these very human and fallible people. The Bible is made up of letters and teachings, poetry, songs, and prophecy.  It’s the stories of people who encountered and struggled with God, and those encounters happened within the history and mess of real life.

 

What we have been reading about is the beginning of the Israelite nation, and however as monumental it is to have God’s blessing at the beginning of a nation, the equally monumental part of the story is that this nation – this heritage- is to be a blessing to all the people of the earth.  Through this lineage would come the Messiah…. The saviour, Jesus Christ, who would redeem all mankind.   The heritage of blessing doesn’t end there.  We are the children of God and the body of Christ, and we are to be a blessing also.  Today is about our own story that starts with God’s blessing.  It doesn’t end with that blessing, there is more.  We are called to be a blessing and everyday we chose again and we step into the journey to answer God’s call.

 

Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel, was the father of 12 sons, and one of those was Joseph…. The favourite.  Joseph’s brothers, were so jealous of him that they mostly wanted to kill him.  Yep, those are the blessed ones, the called ones, the people of God – Which means that there is hope for us all!  We don’t have to look to far to see the brokenness of our world.  It was broken from the garden of Eden and it is broken today.

 

There was a reason that Joseph was the favourite and it was nothing to do with what kind of person he was.  We are told that it is because he was a son born to Jacob in his old age, but the favour had a lot more to do with who his mother was.  AND the fact that Jacob was of a lineage of Barren women and miracle births.  Isaac, Jacob’s father, was born to the barren Sarah at the age of about 90, and Rebecca gave birth to twins, Esau and Jacob after being barren also – then Isaac prayed and God answered his prayers.  Joseph’s mother was Rachel, the one that Jacob loved and worked, pretty much 14 years to earn the right to marry.  Rachel was also barren for many years, but then eventually gave birth to Joseph.  This son, born to a barren woman was a sign of God’s promise.

 

Our story picks up where Jacob sends Joseph out to find his brothers.  The brothers were not where they were expected to be.  Along the way he meets some people who ask Joseph what he is looking for.  In the original language Joseph is asked, “What do you seek?”

 

This is the significant part that we often miss; If this question was not asked, Joseph may have returned home and his destiny remain unfulfilled.  It is pondered whether this stranger was actually an Angel or a pre-existant form of Jesus, because Jesus, many centuries later, in the New Testament, asks the same exact same question of the disciples who begin to follow him after John the Baptist pointed him out.  It is a question that makes a turning point in the life of Joseph, and for the disciples of Jesus.  Their destiny was defined in it.  If that stranger were not there, Joseph would have returned to his father, and his destiny would have been different – and safe.  But then his prophetic dream would have told a different story.  The same for the disciples – safe, or following the truth… what will we choose? Jesus  is the stranger who steps into all our lives and asks us to make a decision.

 

When Joseph’s brothers see him, the conversation centres around Joseph’s dreams.  Joseph had dreamt that the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to him.  The obvious interpretation being that the brothers, their mother and father would all bow down to Joseph.  Obviously, the brothers were not impressed, so they figured that if they killed Joseph they would never have to bow down to him. 

 

Now a spoiler alert to those who don’t know the story of Joseph; his parents and brothers eventually do bow down to him as this being sold into slavery, after many horrible years and even imprisonment due to false allegations, put Joseph in a position of leadership over Egypt.  He was placed in charge of the storing of food and was able to provide for his family through the great seven-year drought.

 

The point of the story, is to show us that Joseph was walking into his destiny, answering God’s call on his life.  That call was like Peter stepping out onto the waters… a seemingly odd thing to do, but in it, is a huge lesson for us all.

 

This figure walking on the water frightens the disciples, including Peter, but on hearing Jesus’ voice Peter believes Jesus, so much so that he gets out of the boat and walks towards him, but then he notices the wind and begins to sink.  Peter cries out to be saved, and Jesus reaches out his hand and saves him and then tells him that he is of “little faith”.  At least Peter got out of the boat!!  Where are we in this picture?

 

There is a song I heard many years ago, with the words, “with your little faith and your big believing, weak things shame the strong”.   The song was called “Child of Destiny”.  It struck me at the time –what did it mean big believing but little faith?  Well, this is where Peter was at, and probably most of us here.  And please note that it wasn’t so much that Jesus was upset with Peter, so much as encouraging him to grow in faith.  We absolutely believe in Jesus and give allegiance to him as the Lord of our life.  However, faith is about actually stepping out into the destiny into which he calls us.  Remember, as far as little faith is concerned, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can move mountains. … or in this case, walk on water!

 

We are all called to accept Jesus.  To believe in Jesus.  To believe that He died to redeem us.  Back in the garden of Eden when sin came into the world, mankind unwittingly gave their allegiance to Satan by following his advice and wanting to be independent of God.  Spiritually, mankind became separated from God the father and we needed to be redeemed…. Which is basically means being purchased back to the original owner.  Jesus paid the price, but that doesn’t mean we are automatically saved – it means we can be.

 

Romans tells us that if we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved.

“10:10For one believes with the heart, leading to righteousness, and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth, leading to salvation and so is saved.”  There is a free will choice that must be declared. 

At our baptism, if as an infant, that choice was made on our behalf, we must as an adult confirm that choice.  God gave us free will and it is vital that we freely chose to belong to God.

 

The reason that we regularly come together and celebrate communion is that we continue to affirm our faith…. Our belief … and we continue to freely give our allegiance to God.  This is where our faith begins, and for some it may be as huge as stepping out onto the waters of the great unknown.

 

We can stay in the boat where it is safe, with our big believing, but we are called to grow in our faith… to step out.  In fact, there is a destiny that God has called us to, and we will not achieve it if we stay in the boat… or at Shechem where Joseph was looking for his brothers.  Shechem means shoulder or back.  It was the place known in the ancient times as the valley of decision and the place for making covenants.  Will we turn back, or will we say, “Here I am, Lord, I will follow you – no matter where that leads.”?

 

It is important to note that Joseph’s destiny involved some really hard things.  He was sold as slave, but was also favoured in that role.  Then a false accusation saw him thrown into jail – but it was through this that he came to the attention of Pharoah and was ultimately made leader over Egypt.  Sometimes the path we are called to is incredibly tough, but God only calls us through tough times because it is important and abundant life is at the end of it….  On planet earth, there are tough times anyway.  We all live in a broken and fallen world and experience that brokenness in many ways and at many times.  And that brokenness can simply break us.  The difference of the tough times that happen when we are experiencing them because we are following God is that the tough times don’t break us.. they make us…  even though they might feel like they are breaking us…. God promises that all things work for the good of those who love him. 

 

Here is where we need to understand faith.  Faith is stepping out on the water.  The wind blows, the waves crash, we feel the cold… we feel the discomfort.  Keep our eyes on Jesus… keep knowing that he enables all things to work together for good.  But, if we feel ourselves falling – which, honestly, will absolutely happen, understand that all we need to do is call out, “Lord, save me,” and Jesus reaches out and saves us.

 

When those tough times come, we need each other, the body of Christ.  The church is the body of Christ…. You and me.  We need each other to hold each other above the waves.  We’ve been going through tough times, as a church, but many of us have also been personally going through absolutely crazy storms.  Jesus doesn’t ever leave us to drown.  We are encouraged to come out to him on that water and in that storm.  Remember that with Peter’s ‘little faith’ he still walked on that water.  We are called today to say, ‘YES, Lord.’ and to step into the destiny to which God planned for us before the creation of the world.

TREASURE! Pentecost 9A Proper 12 A 26th July 2026

2026  07  26  Pentecost 9 Proper 12 A

Genesis 29.15-28   Psalm 105.1-11   Romans 8.26-39     Matt 13.44-58

Saint James feast day: 2 Corinthians 4:7-15

 

Once upon a time, I decided to forgo a holiday so that I could buy a dishwasher with the money saved.  Then we moved house and the dishwasher stayed…. And I’m still just a little disappointed 30 odd years later! 

 

The point is that we are all willing to work hard or make sacrifices for things that we believe to be “worth it” – treasures!  We are told that the kingdom of heaven is like this also.  And my big question for the church in 2026 is, “Are you sure?”  While St. James and so many other early Christians… and even modern Christians here and there were martyred for this Kingdom of God, If we were to ask an outsider what they think the average Australian Christian considers the greatest treasure, would it be the Kingdom of God?

 

We are told that the Kingdom of heaven is like someone who finds a pearl of great value and sells everything to purchase it.  THAT is how great a treasure the kingdom of God is.  Do we know how great a treasure is the kingdom of God?

 

The reading for the feast of St. James tells us that we are afflicted in every way but not constrained; perplexed but not driven to despair; … etc But we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also.  This is the ultimate treasure. 

 

In our lives, often it is true that we do feel hard pressed on every side.  Modern life is often at odds with Christian values.  The early Christians experienced the very same thing.  The world around them had very different values to them and the friction between the two meant stress in the least, and outright persecution, suffering and death as a very real possibility in the most. 

 

The early apostles were told by the Sanhedrin (the Jewish officials) to stop preaching and teaching in Jesus’ name, but they responded that they HAD to obey God rather than man.  We reflected on this this week at our Bible Study, and we pondered if we are all obeying man rather than God, at this point in time, scared to speak out in case we get into trouble. 

 

A landmark 2026 report found that over 40% of Australian Christians experience hostility, threats, or harassment for expressing their faith in public. The Australian Christian Freedom Index (ACFI),  surveyed more than 10,000 Christians, 92% of whom responded that they felt “it is riskier to affirm Christian beliefs than five years ago.”  And 73% of responders said they “felt pressured to keep their beliefs private in public, online or at work” while 42% “experienced hostility, threats or harassment for expressing a Christian worldview.” One in four Christians said they were “denied opportunities in work, volunteering or leadership” due to their Christian beliefs. 

….But who can really harm us when we have the kind of outlook where we know that the greatest treasure is the Kingdom of God, and our place in that Kingdom is sure?

 

In our first reading Jacob is working happily for seven years for what he considers to be a great treasure… the beautiful Rachel.  He tells Laban very clearly what he is working to acquire from him.  This tells us that he was possibly aware that Laban is a deceptive swindler.  Knowing this, and taking every precaution, Jacob – whose name and past implies that he himself is a deceiver, is still deceived.   Somewhat poetic justice perhaps…. But also, a lesson to us, that with all our best and clearest intentions, the enemy can still thwart our plans.  Then, we may find we have to work even harder than we had anticipated…. But you know what?  It is worth it!   The Kingdom of God is worth it…. It is worth the extra sacrifice.  In fact – ask St. James…  it is worth everything!  We may find ourselves working hard to bring our children into church, thinking we already did that hard work years ago… but the enemy has been deceptive…. And we need to begin our work again….

 

Jacob was born grasping the heel of his twin brother.   The name “Jacob” means, “grabbing the heel”.  To grab the heel implied deception.  I’m guessing this has something to do with the story in Genesis where the Serpent deceived Adam and Eve and God declared that the serpent would “strike the heel, but man would crush his head”.  This is known as the first Gospel.  It refers to the reality that Satan, represented by the snake, would continue to deceive and win over mankind, but ultimate victory would come through Jesus Christ who would be THE man to crush the head.

 

Mankind was made in the image of God.  What this means to us as westerners, would be that we look like God, but the image of God in the original language was about being like God in more than image, in more than just type… Body, Soul and Spirit… but also “in the image of God” implies his moral nature, His goodness and His love.  Since the fall…. We’ve also fallen from that image.  Jesus even declared this fallen image to a group of pharisees, declaring them to be like their father the devil. 

 

Every human life is absolutely precious because we are all formed in the image of God.  That is why we advocate for the sanctity of life, even from the womb.  However, since the fall, every human life has become corrupted.   Perhaps it is like a record that once played perfectly, but now it has pops and crackles.  More realistically however, it is more like a corrupted computer file that is so corrupted that some of it looks like the original, but other parts are a frustrating mix of contradictions and bits that make no sense at all.  God chose a human line to maintain his integrity and reveal his image.  That line was Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (whose name God would soon change to Israel).  Through this line would come the one who would crush the head of the devil – Jesus Christ.

 

Jacob, as one who deceived and wasn’t always honourable, was to learn that this was not the way of God.  God promised to look after him.  God was true to his word.  There is no deception in God.  Jacob, like all of us, was created in the image of God, but his image had corrupted.  Our Romans reading tells us that those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.  We, like Jacob, have had our image corrupted also, but it was always God’s plan to restore us into the image originally designed for us.

 

I have a number of favourite scriptures, but this one from Romans is one of my all-time favourites, where it says that there is NOTHING that can separate us from the love of God.  Not even anything in our future!  God has so loved us that he has made a way for everything to be restored and it doesn’t depend on any circumstances, it only depends on Jesus, who has already made the way for us.

 

Much like a corrupted computer program we can do nothing to fix ourselves.  God came as one of us, but as one of us who was not corrupted… as one of us that was all in order and perfect.  It is as if He inserted himself into the program of this world and then he superimposes his image onto us who are baptised into him… in some ways perhaps it is like the computer programs that are corrupted can now be read because of this superimposed perfect program…. According to the spiritual law, we are now acceptable because we are seen as the perfect image of Jesus when God the father looks at us.  This, of course, is not dependant on anything that we have been or will be… but only depends on Jesus and what he is and what he has done for us.  I sometimes hear people in the church say that they hope that God will accept them.  If you aren’t completely sure, please re-read this reading from Romans;  “Who will bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.”  We are completely made whole and acceptable and NOTHING can separate us from God’s love.

 

Another important note in our Gospel reading is about the Kingdom of God being like a net that caught all kinds of fish both good and bad.  The Angels do the sorting.  This came up in last weeks Gospel too…. Therefore, it is important, that just as we can’t fix ourselves, but need Jesus, we also aren’t the ones to decide who is acceptable and who isn’t.  The sorting is not our job.  But perhaps it is because of this sorting in the reading that I still hear people in the church say that they hope that God will accept them.  If you aren’t completely sure, please re-read this reading from Romans; “Who will bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.”  If you have been baptised and genuinely desire to belong to God, NOTHING will separate you from God and his love.

 

Through Jesus we are restored into the image of God, and we are to reflect this image into our community – courageously, without any fear.  As the children of the King, we are about the Kings business.  Our values and love must reflect that of God.  We advocate for the poor and vulnerable and we speak for those without a voice.  This is the Kingdom of God… His kingdom on earth.

 

This Kingdom of God is worth everything… it is THE single most precious of any aspect in life.  And the Kingdom of God is about God’s love and acceptance being worth more than everything… absolutely everything.  But now that we’ve been challenged to give everything for the Kingdom of God, I’ll finish with a little twist for you to consider. 

 

In the story of Jacob and the love of his life, Rachel….  God, is like Jacob… and also, God is also like the man who sells all he has to acquire the pearl.  You and I are the greatest treasure in the eyes of God, and he paid the ultimate price to acquire us.  Human life, even though we are fallen, is such a priceless treasure to God.  Imagine I have a beautiful fresh hundred dollar note but someone took it and scrunched the note up and rubbed it in the dirt… then asked what it was worth….  Was it still of value? 

 

We may feel that we have failed God and that we are so much less than what we should be.  We may feel so unworthy of the love of God, but God sees our original value and nothing diminishes that worth… we are worth more than that hundred dollar note to God, and he gave all to acquire us.  He gave all for us.  We are God’s greatest treasure….. !

Too far away from His presence? 19th 07 2026 Pentecost8 proper 11

 2026  07  19  Pentecost 8  Proper 11

Genesis 28.10-19a    Psalm 139.1-11, 23-24    Romans 8.12-25    Matt 1324-30, 36-43

 

One of my favourite psalms tells us; O LORD, you have searched me and known me.  You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away.  You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.  God KNOWS us.  How good is it to be truly known, understood and loved?

 

In our readings today we discover that Jacob experienced God’s knowledge of him first-hand.  Jacob lay down in a strange land, afraid that he was being hunted by his brother, and probably quite fairly, as he had deceptively received his father’s blessing.  So here he was away from the familiar, and he was probably feeling vulnerable and far away from God. 

 

Jacob’s grandfather, Abraham, had been told by God, that God would make him into a great nation.  Abraham was told that his offspring would be numerous, and most importantly, Abraham was told that all the families of the world would be blessed in him and his offspring.  This blessing was to come through Isaac, the son born miraculously.  Isaac had twin sons, but Esau was the first born.  Jacob had just received the blessing of the first-born, through deceptive means and Esau was angry with him for this fact – murderously so.  Therefore, without accusing the twin brother to his father, his mother had convinced his father that Jacob should go to their relatives in the land of Haran to find a Hebrew wife, rather than a Canaanite one, such as had been taken by Esau.  

 

Jacob left his family and life of plenty, he is now completely defenceless.  Notice that he takes a rock for a pillow.  He is truly in the hands of God and has reached “rock” bottom, a point where he knows he needs God.  He falls asleep and dreams that there are angels ascending and descending.  Then God speaks to Jacob in the dream, and reveals himself as the God of Abraham and Isaac.

 

Jacob knew these stories.  Jacob knew that his grandmother miraculously gave birth to Isaac, his father.  Jacob knew that God had promised to make Abraham into a great nation through his father Isaac.  Jacob knew lots of stories about the faith of his family, although knowing all these things because someone tells you, is a whole lot different from knowing them for yourself.

 

An important aspect that we often overlook is knowing.  Knowing God…knowing his love for us… Knowing his promises.  It was in the knowing God and knowing his faithfulness that enabled Abraham to make that momentous trek up mount Moriah to sacrifice his son Isaac.   Abraham knew – and knew that he knew, that God had promised to make him a great nation through Isaac.  Therefore, Abraham knew that God would provide a way to save Isaac.  THIS IS SO IMPORTANT!   Abraham didn’t just go up that mountain with a vague hope in God.  He KNEW.  When we know the brightness of our future, we can bear the sacrifice.  Abraham knew God, and what’s more, he trusted God and believed that God would be faithful to his promises, even if those promises were a long time coming, and involved so many ‘speed bumps’. 

 

It is the sure vision of a future that kept Abraham moving forward, focused and faithful to God, and it is a sure vision of a future that we need to keep us moving forward also.  Scripture tells us that Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.  This is what it meant to believe God; to live your life in such a way that shows your belief, your trust and unshakable faith in the promises of God.  And that belief is proved when we continue to hold fast to our faith through the tough times.

 

During the plague of the Black Death in the 1300s, and during many other plagues in the medieval period, thousands of priests, monks, nuns and laypeople courageously stayed in infected cities to nurse the sick, feed the hungry and bury the dead fully knowing it would likely cost them their lives.  They were courageous because they knew – and knew that they knew – that their eternal life was completely assured and glorious. 

 

Note what St. Paul tells us in his letter to the Romans, when he says that he considers that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us.  Saint Paul began his life as a successful persecutor of the Christian Church.  He was successful in all areas of his life, but God revealed himself to Saint Paul, and Saint Paul would never be the same again.  Something about that experience, and or the relationship that he had with God, meant that Saint Paul could and would endure all kinds of suffering.  Knowing God and knowing that God promises us a future, does not mean that we will not experience hardships or suffering, but it does give us the resilience to continue through trials, to be faithful to God.

 

It is through these tough times, such as the black death plague, that we discover if we really are the children of God – or just pretending…  When I was a teenager, I had a 92 year old piano teacher who had been buried in an earthquake in Italy as a child, along with his father and a priest.  Obviously, they were rescued and lived to tell the tale, but a significant part of the story relayed to me, was how the priest proved to be completely lacking in faith.  We don’t really know how we are going to react in tough times, but often it is through suffering that those things that are “weeds” or “tares” in ourselves become exposed.  The way that our reading talks about the wheat and tares it sounds like some of us are wheat and some tares, but in reality, we all have aspects in our lives that are weeds / tares…. The tares are a plant that looks very much like the wheat when both are young, but the tares HAVE to be separated at harvest because they are actually poisonous.  At maturity the difference is more obvious, the wheat head bows over, but the tares stand tall.  Perhaps another subtle reference to the children of God bowing to God, acknowledging our need, but the tares stand with pride.

 

A process of sorting, divinely appointed and sorted by God, happens when we experience tough times.  In those times we work out what really matters and we acknowledge our need for God.  As we read in the text it is God’s job to do this when we are mature enough, otherwise the weeds will overcome us and we will be destroyed in the process. 

 

The thing that keeps everyone going through the tough times is the belief that things are going to get better.  People will go in for painful knee surgery, back or hip surgery – put themselves through pain, because they know that outcome is for the good in the long run.  Jacob, in our first reading, had the stories and promises from God, but at the time when he was most vulnerable, God revealed himself to Jacob and confirmed that promise, personally reestablishing his covenant with Jacob.  Jacob now knew that he could endure through hardships because his future was connected to God’s promise.  What’s more, is that God promised to be with Jacob.  We share in this promise.  God is always with us through His Holy Spirit.  Also, have you ever wondered the significance of the angels going up and down the staircase? 

 

Scripture tells us that God sends his angels to minister and protect his people, but also, according to some scriptures, we understand that Angels have guardianship over different locations.  The descending and ascending Angels imply that those from that land that Jacob was leaving, were ascending and those assigned to the land that Jacob was entering were descending so that they could go with him to protect him.   This was a confirmation of God’s promise to protect Jacob and must have been a huge reassurance.

 

Let’s put ourselves in Jacob’s shoes; There you are, possibly being hunted by your brother who wants to kill you – and he is a skilful hunter.  You may have been told that God has a future for you, but you are scared that you might not live to see your future.  Then God stopped you in your tracks, showing you that he HAS promised you a future and what’s more, that he will protect you on your journey.   Not only that, but you witness that divine protection in the form of the Angels.  That is something that changes your outlook on life!

 

Last week we reflected on how Esau lived for the here and now, but this week we notice that when what is in front of you is a threat to your life, it is hard to see anything but that threat. This may be where we are at personally.  It is also where we are at as a church.  We can only see the threat, and fear for our lives.  We are trying to make sense of our reality which we see with human eyes.  If we only see the physical, our vision is only partial.  There is a spiritual reality that encompasses the physical and the spiritual.  Someone with that kind of vision can have a whole different outlook.

 

It may be that right now there is a very real and physical threat which is overwhelming you.  This is why we are the body of Christ – we need each other.  It is too big a burden to carry on our own.  Jacob was shown a vision of the Angels that would be with him so that he knew he wasn’t alone.  His story is recorded to be a reassurance to us also.  Neither are we alone, but we need to be reminded that God is with us and he sends his Angels, and we need to call on each other to support us when we are afraid and feeling vulnerable. 

 

God has promised us a future, and God has promised that he will never leave nor forsake us.  We can never be too far away for God’s love.  NOTHING  - neither angels nor demons, nothing future or past can separate us from his love, his calling and his promise is sure, and nothing can take that away from us.  God sees us and knows us.  Nothing in us is hidden from him, and he completely loves us.  Jesus has freed us from the guilt of our sin.  Like Jacob, it is time for us to let go of fear and past failure.   We have a future that God is calling us to walk into –- let’s do it!

Selling our Souls for Lentils. Pentecost 7 Proper 10 12th July 2026

2026  07  12  Pentecost 7 Proper 10

Genesis 25.19-34  Psalm 119.105-112      Romans 8.1-11     Matt 13.1-9, 18-23

 

Jesus described the reality, “As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of this age and lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing.”  Jesus also described the seed sown in good ground – it yields massive growth.  Which soil are we?

 

 Last week we had the story of Rebekah and how the servant found her, gave her gifts and brought her back to Isaac, but did you notice, prior to the journey to Isaac, the response from her family?  It always seems to me that, without them coming out and saying it straight, they were trying to dissuade Rebekah from walking into her destiny.  They could well have been the cares of heart and choked out the word of God, but Rebekah left them behind.  However, she didn’t bear fruit, until her husband prayed for her.

 

The cares of this age and the lure of wealth are powers and principalities the enemy uses to dissuade us from walking in our destiny also.  And in our lives, aren’t there a huge number of cares striving to choke out the word of God?  Has there ever been such a time of pressure?  Everything must be done online.  A demand that is made to all, including those who were never taught the word “computer” at school, unless it was to refer to the person who added up on the abacus. LOL – I jest, but only a little.  The law has changed so many times.  I can think of one such law, where what used to be illegal, not only is now legal, but to speak against it you are in danger of being taken to court accused of hate speech.  This is an example of just how intense the cares of this world are. 

 

But wait, there’s more!  What is it that we care about so much that we are angry, grieving, hurting, and disillusioned?  So, here is the warning loud and clear; Will those cares choke out the very word of God?  Co-incidentally, this week our bible study looked at the book of Ezra.  A book following the people whose centre of worship had been destroyed and then the people had been sent into exile – they had nothing left of their religion, nothing but the word of God.  A great example of how when we have nothing but the word of God, and we let that word dwell deeply in us, we are actually holding on to something that nothing can destroy or take away.

 

Isaac and Rebekah had twin boys.  Esau was born first and therefore he was the heir.  We discover at the end of our reading that Esau despised his birthright, and it would seem, that he was swindled out of it. 

 

Isaac is the man who only exists because God performed a miracle in the life of his elderly and barren mother.  Isaac prays for his barren wife and she becomes pregnant.  Isaac is a living, walking miracle, and he knows God intimately.  Now we discover, so does Rebekah. 

 

Rebekah was in so much pain during her pregnancy, that she felt like she might die.  Therefore, she WENT to inquire of the Lord.  Are you wondering where it was that she went to inquire of God?  According to Jewish midrash, Rebekah went to a place of sacred study where the instructors, or wise men, were Shem and Eber.  Shem is where we get the term, “Semitic” and Eber is where we get the term “Hebrew”.  Shem was the son of Noah and Eber was his great grandson.  Whether it was from Shem or Eber or some other elder, the text implies that Rebekah was familiar with travelling the path to inquire of the Lord.  This also tells us, that unlike the people around them, Rebekah worshiped God – Yahweh.  

 

Rebekah was told that there were two nations in her womb and the younger would serve the older.  It appears that this is a prophecy that she kept to herself.  Perhaps wisely, as each of the boys were loved and favoured.  Isaac cherished Esau, but Rebekah cherished Jacob. 

 

Did Jacob swindle Esau out of his birthright?  Maybe, but there may have been more going on. It was customary to have red lentil stew when families were in mourning.  Some commentators suggest this was the time that Abraham died.  Jacob was involved and active in the ways of the family, and he was faithful to the sacred stories of faith.  He was honourable in the traditions of caring and mourning.  Esau, on the other hand, was very much living for the moment.  Esau despised his assumed role as the first born, who was meant to be the one entrusted with the spiritual passing on of the sacred stories.  He may have resented Jacob’s natural giftedness and inclination towards spirituality and care for this aspect.

 

Where are we in the story?  There are aspects of us in each, and even Esau, is often us.  Sometimes we too, resent those who “seem” to have it all together.  We resent those who show us up and make obvious our lack, or our sin.  ALSO, we too are, quite naturally, concerned with right here and right now, and sometimes the right here and now is pretty much all we CAN see. 

 

It is easy to “do the right thing” and follow God when everything is going our way, but what will we do when we feel that we are being attacked on every side and we are exhausted from all the trials that life throws at us?  It’s interesting how we read the Bible stories and relate to the heroes, but more often than not, perhaps we should be looking at the anti-hero.  The anti-hero has as much to teach us as the hero.  Esau has been out – perhaps hunting and successful… Killing it!  He was the hero in his own story, but he had returned home to a house of mourning.  He became acutely aware that he was not doing the duty of the first-born son…. Whatever!  And what’s more, he was so hungry!  So, he sold his birthright – a thing to worry about in the future –so that he could have something here and now. 

 

The fact that we are here, is a sign that we have been anointed as the chosen people of God.  We are called and set apart as holy to God.  That is our spiritual birthright.  Through our baptism, we are united to Jesus and scripture tells us that we are joint heirs with Christ, in the kingdom of God.  NO man can take that away-  but, would we give it away for a bowl of lentils?

 

Will the worries of life, lure of other things overwhelm the word of God in our lives?  Lentils are the food of mourning.  Have you known of people who left the church at a time of mourning, never to return?  Was the word of God, seed choked by sorrow?  The worries of life, the pressures, the sorrow etc… these things will come to us all – and really they do overwhelm.  What will we do, when those times do come?

 

Our letter to the Romans tells us that, to set the mind on the flesh is death.  The flesh wants comfort NOW.  The flesh wants to conquer, have and win.   The mind set on the flesh is death.  It is pretty tricky, because the world around us values that attitude of working to conquer, have and win.  It is a toughness – a hardness and an attitude that will not submit to God’s law – indeed, it cannot.  And what’s more, it is perfectly natural to want to conquer, control and win. 

 

If we think we can overcome the flesh in our own strength, we are fooling ourselves.  Ask any addict.  We need the Holy Spirit.  Last week we read about how we do the things we do not want to do.  We are here because we DO acknowledge that God’s way Is the way to life, but we still fail to do things His way.  So what hope is there for us? 

 

The hope is in our being united to Christ who did live the perfect life of faith.  He was obedient to God the father, even to death.  Because we are united to him, and spiritually are clothed in Christ, we are spiritually seen to have lived that perfect life.  That is why our reading in Romans can claim “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.”

 

Have we lived for the moment and made choices that didn’t glorify God?  Welcome to the human race!  We all have, but if we have chosen to be united to Christ, there is now NO condemnation.   God loves and accepts us as his perfect first-born.   THIS is the Good News – This is the quintessential Gospel message; We fail, Jesus is perfect and through our choice to belong to him we are saved. 

 

But how are we to live, now that we know that there is no condemnation?  Just because there is now no condemnation, do we just continue to live for the moment?  That would essentially be like selling our birthright for a mess of beans!  So here we are.  Exhausted.  Grieving.  Choking in the worries of life.  Breathe on us breath of God and plant the word of God deeply in us!  Let’s take a moment to admit our real position and need.  There are two “nations” in us also; Flesh and Spirit – And the struggle is to the point of death.  Come Holy Spirit!  Give the struggle to God, and live by the power of the Spirit, bearing much fruit.