Face to Face with God – Genesis 32:22-32
/Lectionary Readings for Aug. 02, 2020
Genesis 32:22-32 Jacob Wrestles with God
Psalm 17:1-7, 15 Prayer for Deliverance from Persecutors
Romans 9:1-5 God’s Selection of Israel
Matthew 14:13-21 Jesus Feeds Five Thousand (see Matthew 15:32-39 for the second feeding)
Peace Quotes
“Always forgive your enemies – nothing annoys them so much.” ~ Oscar Wilde
“I prayed for 20 years but received no answer until I prayed with my legs.” ~ Frederick Douglass
Any time I preach or lead a group, regardless of age, I start the same way. I’m going to say three short sentences. Please repeat each sentence, with enthusiasm.
God made me. God loves me. God has plans for me.
Preface to Today’s Scripture Reading
Today’s Scripture reading continues the 4,000+ year old legends of our spiritual forefathers. During the past two months, we have traveled throughout the Middle East and seen the profound faith and deep flaws of those beloved forefathers. Today’s story of Jacob wrestling with God is no different.
At this point, Jacob is in his 90s, well on his way of living to be 147. I chose this painting by Alexander Louis Leloir, because it is quite representative of most paintings of Jacob’s encounter with the mysterious physical manifestation of God. Most artists paint Jacob as though he were 25 years old and fresh out of the gym. But that’s not accurate to the text.
Speaking of the text, many English translations either say or imply that the Divine Presence knock’s Jacob’s hip out of socket. My Jewish commentaries point out that the original Hebrew text says the angelic being “wrenched Jacob’s hip at its socket…” (Dr. Nahum M. Sarna, The JPS Torah Commentary: Genesis, 2001, pg. 227). This seems more likely since Jacob limps away from the encounter.
As a quick reminder, here’s how we come to today’s story which is a bit of a later-midlife crisis / epiphany for Jacob. At this point, Jacob is on the run… again. After working for his father-in-law Laban for 20 years, Jacob is fed up with being underpaid and mistreated. So he decides to secretly pack up his family and flee from Laban and return to his father Isaac in Canaan. Long story short, God keeps Laban from capturing or harming Jacob. But wait! (OK, is it just me, or does this read like a classic American cowboy novel? As soon as our hero gets out of one mess, he quickly finds himself in another mess!) Which brings us to today.
Jacob’s LARGE family (and extensive herds of animals) learns that his older brother Esau is approaching and will soon intercept them. After decades apart, does Esau come in peace or to exact revenge from Jacob’s devious deceptions so long ago? Since Jacob is not sure, he sends gifts ahead of his still traveling family. After ensuring his family safely crosses a major river, 90-something year old Jacob spends the night alone, anticipating meeting Esau the next day – running ahead and arriving somewhere between his gifts and his family.
It is with the stresses of flight and survival that our story picks up today as Jacob holds his own going head to head with God.
Let’s open our ears, minds, and hearts to today’s Scripture.
Read Genesis 32:22-32 .
Have you ever felt like you’ve seen the face of God?
18 years ago, Anne and I moved from Atlanta GA to Reno NV. By the end of our first year, we had settled into our first home and decided it was time to expand our family. So we adopted a dog – a beautiful Dalmatian that was simply perfect in my eyes, despite the fact that he was 12 years old, had bad hips, and was deaf as a brick. For the last 15 months of his life, we did all we could to spoil him rotten.
One thing that made our dog particularly unique and memorable were his eyes. As Anne and I describe them, he had “people eyes.” There was something disturbingly powerful about locking eyes with him.
Some time after we buried him, I remember saying to Anne, “I know this is going to sound crazy, but there were so many times that I looked at him and I suddenly felt like I was looking eye to eye with God Himself.” Anne immediately replied, “Oh good, so it wasn’t just me.”
Have you ever felt like you’ve seen the face of God?
Dennis sent me a fascinating article about the Hebrew understanding of what is translated into English as “face.” According to the author, the English language focuses on the external whereas the Hebrew language focuses on the internal. So what we read in verse 30 as, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared,” would be more accurately translated, “I have encountered the essential nature of God…” Well that puts a whole new perspective on everything!
Have you ever felt like you’ve encountered the nature of God?
Galatians 5:22-23 gives us some descriptions of God’s nature: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Every week I see and hear those qualities, I see and hear the nature of God, in you as you share your joys and pains with me. I perceive God’s nature in you as you tell me how you stay in contact with our digitally disconnected members. I bask in the glow of God’s love as I watch you care for your family members and friends.
I see and hear God’s nature in the faces and voices of our HOPE Food Pantry – in our greeters as they welcome new people to our property, in our shoppers as they ask, “What else can we do for this family?” I sense God’s presence in our faithful community partners as well as the people who come to us offering anonymous donations along with a quick comment of, “Keep up the good work.”
And perhaps most of all, I sense God’s powerful presence in the people who come to us weakened by hunger and often loneliness, swallowing nothing more than their pride and sense of independence, asking, “Can I get some food?” I am inspired by their stories of persistent faith, their stories of experiencing God’s guidance, protection, and healing touch.
I often wonder if our abundance of possessions and quality medical care hinders us from perceiving God’s intimate presence and miraculous power more frequently.
In moments filled with this fruit of God’s Spirit at work, have you ever felt like you’ve encountered the nature of God?
In the coming days and weeks, I encourage you to look for God’s nature.
Look in the likely and unlikely places and people.
Look with anticipation and with a receptive heart.
Look with a desire to engage with the Divine Presence.
It’s human nature to find what we’re looking for.
I am quite certain that all of us, every single one of us, have the opportunity to encounter God’s presence face-to-face, essence-to-essence, in our families, in our friends, and in the people of Susanville and beyond.
Earlier this week I was talking about this with one of my retired clergy friends. He commented that, intimately connected to our ability to sense God’s presence in others is our ability to sense God’s presence in ourselves. We both laughed as we agreed that for much of our lives, it’s been far easier to see God in others than in ourselves.
We talked about how quick we are to disqualify ourselves from being beloved vessels of God’s Spirit. We talked about quickly we minimize indications of God moving in us, with us, and through us. We talked about how common our experience is with most of humanity.
That, THAT is why it is so important for us to TELL people when and how we see God’s presence in them. This is one reason why Jesus’ ministry was so powerful, because it was so personal. Jesus told people they were loved – he didn’t just hope they might figure it out. Jesus showed people how they were part of God’s creation and God’s Kingdom. Jesus wielded the powers of forgiveness and inclusion and He did so with wild abandon.
When we look at people – including ourselves – anticipating the possibility of seeing God’s presence through them, we are more likely to see God’s presence in them – and in us. And as we see God in and through people, please take those moments as opportunities to tell the other person, “I don’t know if you realize this or not, but I see the Spirit of God in you when you ____________.”
Another way of sharing your thoughts might be this: “Hey Ed (or whomever), I’ve been working on training myself to be able to better sense God’s presence around me. One of the ways I sense that is when I see kindness. When you did , that was a really kind act. Thanks for helping me see God through you.”
When we look for this, when we find this, and share this, we will begin the process of helping the people of our congregation and our community experience God’s love in their lives. And that is a powerfully transformative process – for ourselves, for our church, and for our community.
Amen? Amen!