Forgiveness is the Face of God (Jacob and Esau)

(S1) — {Luke 23:32-34}

(S2) — Response

(S3) — Series—Forgiveness

— Its the hardest thing to do...

“I was wrong...” The Fonz

— Its what Jesus commands us to do...

Mark 11:25 “...if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

— Forgiveness is a core characteristic of the Christian life—Jesus teaching his disciples to pray this…

Matthew 6:12 “...and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.”

What can we do to bring healing to our world, relationships…

A FATHER'S FORGIVENESS

In his book, What’s So Amazing About Grace , Phillip Yancey tells the story of Ernest Hemingway, who grew up in a very devout evangelical family, and yet he never experienced the grace of Christ. He lived his life “indifferent to moral restraints.” There was no father, no parent waiting for him and he sank into the mire of a graceless depression. A short story he wrote perhaps reveals the grace of forgiveness that he hoped for.

A Spanish father decided to reconcile with his son who had run away to Madrid. The father, in a moment of remorse, takes out this ad in El Libro , a newspaper. "Paco, meet me at Hotel Montana, Noon, Tuesday… All is forgiven… Papa." When the father arrived at the square in hopes of meeting his son, he found eight hundred Pacoes waiting to be reunited with their father. SOURCE: Rev. Brent Eelman, D. Min. Northwoods Presbyterian Church, 1998.

(S4)— Title

As we look at Jacob and Esau’s story, I pray we quickly realize its our story—There are hurting people all around us waiting to hear the words, “I forgive you” there is someone listening today who needs to forgive…

—Three things that are hard about forgivness and one amazing reason to forgive

If we are honest, forgiveness is hard, and yet, how many people are just hoping for someone to forgive them, or need so desperately to forgive themselves—maybe that's you...

PRAY

(S5)

Dysfunctional/family Drama

Family Funeral Meetings

Cain and Able—Abraham (Sarah)—Issac and Rebecca (24)—Jacob and Esau(25)

—In all this drama, keep in mind the whole story—God’s Covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—The new covenant given in Jesus

Luke 22:20 “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”

Knowing the backstory to today’s passage will help us to understand the power of forgivness…

{25:19-35}—Birth of Jacob and Esau

Rebecca is childless—Isaac prays—Surprise twins!

(S6)

Genesis 25:23 NLT

The Lord told her, “The sons in your womb will become two nations. From the very beginning, the two nations will be rivals. One nation will be stronger than the other; and your older son will serve your younger son.”

{25:24-28}

— Esau the older...comes out ‘red and hairy’ (redesih)—(27) skilful hunter and man of the open country...

— Jacob the younger...grasping Esau's heal (heal grabber ‘he deceives’)—Jacob was content at staying home

God’s Plan—The older would be subservient to the younger...

Genesis 25:28 “Isaac loved Esau...but Rebekah loved Jacob.”

{25:29-35}

Jacob takes advantage of Esau’s hunger...

Esau gives up his birthright...

Genesis 25:34 “So Esau despised his birthright.”

{Genesis 27}—Jacob Takes Esau’s Blessing

Isaac old and dying, calls for Esau...

Rebecca steps in...Jacob goes along with the plan...receives the blessing

Esau returns form hunting...and is furious—We don’t have to imagine his hurt...

(S7)

Genesis 27:34 NLT

When Esau heard his father’s words, he let out a loud and bitter cry. “Oh my father, what about me? Bless me, too!” he begged.

Esau begs for his fathers blessing (39-40)

Genesis 27:41 “From that time on, Esau hated Jacob because their father had given Jacob the blessing. And Esau began to scheme: “I will soon be mourning my father’s death. Then I will kill my brother, Jacob.””

Maybe you have felt the pain of being betrayed someone close…

For his safety Rebecca sends him away to Laban his uncle (44-45)

He travels 400 miles to Haran...God begins to work on Jacob—his dream at Bethel

Genesis 28:16 “Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it!””

He arrives in the land of Paddan Aram, the land of the eastern peoples; marries and starts a family.

{Genesis 29:14-30} —Jacob Marries Rachuel and Leah

— Rachel (younger)...but strikes a deal with Laban and marries Leah (older) first...and works for 14 years to get Rachel…

(S8)

Laban treats Jacob, how Jacob treated Esau!

Luke 6:31 “Do to others as you would like them to do to you.”

Jacob becomes wealthy and flees from Laban who pursues him...see a pattern? He is facing is own music…

— Everything we do; right or wrong, good or bad, eventually catches up with us...

{31:45-55}—They settle their differences...

With the pain of his past discretion against his brother still haunting him— Jacob has a ‘come to Jesus’ (God) moment

—Preparing to face Esau, he must first come face to face with God

(S9)

{Genesis 32:22-32}—Jacob Wrestles with God

…at the Ford of the Jabbok—sending his family across he encounters a man and pleads with him to tell him his name and receive a blessing

—Name Israel ‘struggles with God’

Forgiveness takes wrestling—not only within ourselves, but with God—what the bible calls ‘conviction of the heart’

2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects (convicts) us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.”

Jacob wrestles—basically losses—permanent limp— Peniel—’face of God’

Very soon after, he lifts his head to the horizon and sees Esau coming in the distance...

(S10)

Genesis 33:1 NLT

Then Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming with his 400 men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and his two servant wives.

He organizes things quickly, a defensive measure, but fear dominates his strategy...

Genesis: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition 2. Jacob with Esau (33:1–17)

Previously, Jacob had carefully ensured that he would be last to meet Esau. He had wanted his servants, wives, and children all to precede him (see 32:17–21). But, after his wrestling match with God, he is motivated by a new confidence, and he bravely walked alone toward his brother. He stood as only one man against four hundred but as one man newly filled with God’s power!

Still uncertain he would live through this ordeal...he went ahead

Genesis 33:3 “As he approached his brother, he bowed to the ground seven times before him.”

Jacob had outwitted his brother two times, but now he bows down to him, seeking his forgivness… an act of humility

—Forgiveness takes one to make the first step, which Jacob does

This is where we see that, “God has been working in Esau’s heart”

— God working on Jacob, but we don’t know Esau's story, what’s behind his forgivness. His own brother took everything from him, while his father is dying!

{Genesis 33:1-11} —Jacob Meets Esau

(S11)

Genesis 33:4 NLT

Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept.

Esaus running shows that God had been working in his heart—not proper...

Notice that grace is extended and grace is returned

— This does not happen in every act of forgiveness but here grace is reciprocal…

Esau tries to receive the gifts Jacob is giving him, but heres what happens

{33:10-11}

(S12)

Genesis 33:10–11 NLT

“...to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably.

Jacob receives Esau’s forgiveness and Esau does the hardest thing that we are asked to do by God—Forgiving someone who has deeply hurt him

— God bought him to this place where he could embrace his brother.

Often the people closest to us are hardest to forgive...

Esau teaches us some things about forgivness...

(S13)

I. Forgiveness is COSTLY

It cost the person who forgives everything.

Someone breaks something of yours that is valuable: forgiving them means incurring the cost. We absorb it...take it on ourselves

What Jacob stole from Esau is in invaluable...but Esau Incures the cost for the benefit of the relationaship

Forgiveness is costly

(S14)

II. Forgiveness is not a feeling, its a CHOICE

Esau chooses to not let what Jacob did to him destroy his life.

— Still felt angry, didn’t come alone (army). But Esau chose to not let Jacobs harm govern him.

Choosing to forgive is a promise to ones self, a choice we make

— I’m not going bring it up to the PERSON over and over

— I’m not going to bring it up to other PEOPLE

— I’m not going to keep bringing the offense up to MYSELF

“Forgiveness is granted before its felt” Tim Keller

Esau may not have felt like it, but he chooses to forgive

(S15)

III. Forgiveness is RISKY

Esau doesn’t know how Jacob is going to respond…

—The risk of being hurt again…

—The risk of his grace not being received…

Forgiveness is surrendering my right to hurt you for hurting me. Forgiveness does not pretend there was no offense; it does not dismiss wrongdoing. It does not say, "Oh, that's all right; forget it." True forgiveness is realistic.

Forgiveness is risky

“When I forgive I can be a savior or a victim or both. Embrace is grace and grace is a gamble” Pastor Cambron

(S16)

IV. Forgiveness is FREEING

In is running Esau is free…free to to extend grace to his brother

"You forgive somebody, and you begin to dance instead of wallow. You begin to walk with God. You set a prisoner free, and you discover the prisoner you set free was you."

When you forgive…the chains are removed

Woman in St Charles

Forgiveness is freeing

Acts 3:6–8

Carrying the COST; making the CHOICE; taking the RISK; Finding FREEDOM—Forgiveness is an act of GRACE

For Christians we look at this story of forgiveness and see that what Esau does for Jacob, Jesus did for us ALL!

n the cross, between two criminals, he looks upon all…especially those who betrayed him…

(S17)

Luke 23:34 NLT

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”

The greatest act of forgiveness ever...a roman soldier was greatly impacted by it—and the thief on the cross saw the face of God in Jesus; like Jacob did in Esau

Mark’ forgiveness—Seeing the face of God

Knowing the story of Jacob and Esau helps us understand our human story; our own need for forgivness.

Jesus on the cross looks not only to the people who betrayed him, but to us all; when in our sin—and he forgives

It was COSTLY...It was his CHOICE...It was RISKY...and because Jesus forgave, you and I have a chance to be FREE

—Grace given and when embraced, its grace received

Forgiveness is hard because people do hurt us—Jesus command us to—core of the Christian life

Matthew 6:12 “...and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.”

Forgiving someone doesn't mean we putting ourselves in a dangerous situation or staying in an abusive relationship

2. Forgiveness doesn’t mean the relationship always gets restored—two are not always involved

But it is an intentional choice something we do, and even more than that, its something only Jesus can do in our hearts

Matthew 10:8 “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!”

(S18)

10 “...to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably.

When we do, we help others see the face of God…

Mark 2:9 “Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’?”

What Esau does for Jacob, Jesus did for us!

Forgiveness is the only way to better this world, our politics, our relationships, families. marriages, schools

— but its costly...risky...and a choice...and its the greatest gift you can give

(S19) — VIDEO

(S20)

Someone came to John Wesley once about the issue of forgiveness. The man told Wesley he could never forgive this particular person for the hurt and pain they had caused him. John Wesley had a surprising response. He said, “ well, I hope you never sin again.” The man said what do you mean? Wesley answered, “your bitterness, anger and lack of forgiveness will burn the bridge upon which your forgiveness will come in the future.” In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches us to pray, “forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.”

We won’t see God’s face until we pass from this life to the next, but Jacob and Esau’s story shows us what forgivness looks like..when we forgive we help others see the face of God

I want to challenge you to be like Esau…let God work in you so that you have the grace you need to forgive—like jesus did for us all.

Grace given, and when embraced, its grace received