O Brother Where Art Thou?

Well, the blog is about two weeks old now, and I can’t begin to tell you how grateful I am for the way you’ve received it.  Thank you for your kind comments and encouragement.  Kudos to my daughter-in-law Katie, for helping set things up.  I’m really excited about today’s post.  It’s from my wife, Lisa.  She knows a thing or two about the subject, so pay attention.  And enjoy.  Thanks.

 

Sibling stories in the Bible fascinate me. Sometimes I wonder what unrecorded events happened between Cain and Abel or, maybe decades later, between Cain and Seth. And what about Shem, Ham, and Japheth? Surely they fussed on that long cruise. Abram had two brothers, Nahor and Haran. Perhaps Abram, because he was the oldest, became responsible for his nephew, Lot, after Haran died.   Maybe Nahor and Abram discussed how best to see after their brother’s son and that’s how Lot ended up traveling with Uncle Abram.

Since Abraham favored Isaac over Ishmael, it’s not surprising that years later, both Isaac and his wife Rebekah divided their loyalties between their twin sons, Jacob and Esau. While it is true that Esau would not win an award for most-likely-to-make-a-quick-and-wise-decision, it is Jacob who was the deceiver.

Jacob undoubtedly knew his brother well because he waited until just the right moment to exploit Esau’s weakness. Then Jacob colluded with his mother to steal the blessing that rightfully belonged to his brother. Though Esau pleaded with his father for a blessing, he was denied. 

Initially, Esau comforted himself by plotting to kill his brother.  But after some time, his anger apparently subsided.

Genesis gives us many more details about Jacob’s life than Esau’s. But after Jacob leaves his Uncle Laban to return to the land of his father, he encounters Esau and schemes, once again, to save himself. Note the order in which Jacob arranged his entourage: 

o   Servant wives and their children . . .

o   Leah, the lesser-loved wife, and her children . . .

o   Rachel, then . . .

o   Himself.  That may be the first time in his life Jacob wanted to be last!

Esau had been manipulated by his brother, unloved by his mother, and turned away by his father.  Even so, by the time he saw Jacob again, he had amassed the wealth and troops to annihilate his brother’s caravan. But after at least 20 years, this is how Esau responded:

o   He ran to meet Jacob.

o   He embraced Jacob and kissed him.

o   He offered to take care of Jacob’s family.

Hmm.  Reminds me of a father/son parable in Luke 15.

We can’t know for sure what was in Esau’s heart, but from his actions we can conclude that he had forgiven his brother. Somewhere along the way, maybe during year three, or perhaps in year nineteen, Esau started the forgiveness journey and ultimately moved on with his life. You might think Esau’s forgiveness blessed Jacob.  But, for once, the real blessing came to Esau.

At this point in his life, I like where Esau landed.

Forgiveness is a process, not an event. It cleanses your mind, soul, heart, spirit, and your very being. When you can read Psalm 51, and no person on earth comes to mind except the person in the mirror, you’ve begun to grasp forgiveness.