“Wait For It”
July 30, 2023
Seminarian Henry Norkplim Anyomi
Opening Prayer
Creator God, thank You for today; thank You for our lives. You know us inside out and love us nonetheless. This grace beats our imagination. Please grant us the humility to accept Your grace and to flourish therein. We know You are here, God. Speak to us, edify us, and glorify Your name. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Message
Last week, we encountered Jacob in transit in Bethel. Now he finally makes it to his uncle’s in Haran. One would think that should mark the end of his woes, but no. As treated last week, our walk of faith is neither “a storm-free walk in the park nor a forever party,” but a journey filled with “meanderings, ascents and descents.” On Laban’s encouragement, Jacob opts to work for him (Laban) for seven years in exchange for Rachel, Laban’s younger daughter, as wife. Laban may have secretly scoffed at the idea, because his plan was different – to secure a reliable household for both his daughters. And that seems to have worked perfectly. In the end, Jacob marries Leah, first, and then, Rachel.
Though Laban blamed his actions (mainly swapping Rachel with Leah) on custom, many biblical scholars suspect that may not have been the case. One such school of thought questions why Laban didn’t explain his plan to Jacob at some point within the seven-year service period? Further, they think that if indeed it was a “hard rule,” someone may have disclosed it to Jacob at some point. Others, including the Seasons of the Spirit, think Jacob, a trickster himself, may have simply been “out-cheated” by Laban, a smarter trickster. And still, others may think of it as “recompense” for Jacob’s previous sin against Esau, “karma,” and so forth.
But what stands, no matter how one chooses to interpret Jacob’s situation is that he was completely caught off guard, disillusioned even by having been made to share his tent (or bed) with Leah whom he hadn’t expected. Automatically, his choice was signed and sealed by the next morning – no walking back for Jacob. Interesting! Let’s explore this further a bit later.
For now, would you ponder with me for a moment, the plight of Rachel? What would it have felt like, being “robbed” of her marriage with Jacob because of her age? How painful may it have been that night to see her sister take her place in Jacob’s tent? How might she have felt about her father and the custom he was allegedly holding onto? … We may go on and on because the possible questions to ask are vast and varied indeed. But it probably isn’t enough to only ask these questions; we might also want to turn our minds to the voicelessness of Rachel in the plot.
In my estimation, in fixing Leah’s marriage, Laban comes across as heavy-handed and patriarchal, his cunningness aside. Here’s why: In Genesis 24, Rebekah’s family (Laban included) asks her opinion on marrying Isaac, before sending her on her way. Similarly, in Genesis 31, Jacob asks both Leah and Rachel for their buy-in before leaving Haran with them. So what happened in Rachel’s case? At least, from my point of view, she was sidelined – rendered voiceless – though Mesopotamian culture expected otherwise. Friends, what may sound like an “odd” interest in Rachel simply sources from how God expects each of us to be seen and heard – none of us should be excluded. Given Rachel’s centrality to the story, it should concern us that her voice is so lost in the plot as Laban unilaterally upends her marriage plans with Jacob. But how relevant is this today? Perhaps reflecting on these questions may bring it home: Who are the Rachels in our world today? Who is being unfairly stripped off their status, yet has no voice? Further, who are the Labans in today’s world? Who’s taking advantage of others and robbing them of their place?
Let’s refocus on Jacob for a moment. Jacob confronts Laban over the bride swap, doing well to remind him of their original agreement and his need of Rachel. Laban proposes to remedy the situation by giving Rachel to him after a week for another seven years of labour! Jacob accepts without complaint, nor argument. This was my reaction: “Perhaps, Jacob was just overjoyed at the mention of Rachel. But did he actually think about the terms of the marriage? Another seven years of travail, toil, and sweat?! Wasn’t that way too much? Wasn’t this mess created by Laban in the first place? Why should he be calling the shots? How could his word be taken seriously this time?” That’s a barrage of questions, I know. But Jacob is unmoved! Is he the same Jacob we knew weeks ago? No! Friends, something’s changed in Jacob. Actually, at least two things: One, the more evident, comes from his awakening in Bethel when he encountered God in a dream. The other, the more proximate, is his deep love for Rachel (see verses 20 and 30). Yes, he’s been turned around by love – a change significant enough to make him choose to peaceably resolve a matter as delicate as his unforeseen marriage to Leah with Laban, a trickster.
Let’s come to our Romans reading now. Those of us in Christ have also encountered a transformative love – the love of God. That’s what Paul seeks to drive at in this section of his epistle. To him, this transformative love originates from our being called by God to depart from sin and death to the love life resident in God’s Son, Jesus. Our being perfected in love is God’s endgame – i.e. so God’s glory is seen and God’s preordained purpose made known (see Ephesians 2:10). The good works Ephesians 2 describes include the things that Jesus names in Matthew 25 including feeding the hungry, giving the thirsty a drink, sheltering the homeless, clothing the unclothed … What the PC (USA) sums up as building congregational vitality, dismantling structural racism, and eradicating systemic poverty. And given that ours, as believers, is a call to love, our very fulfilment resides therein – there’s no going around it as God’s children. Again, unless our God-given love accomplishes God’s mission in these already-mentioned areas, we are living below par, below our true selves, below our spiritual selves.
A celebrated contemporary preacher breaks down love as that which “gives and gives,” rather than one that gives and takes. I couldn’t help meditating on this poignant saying again when I recently saw the film, Mr Church. Mr Church, the protagonist, played by Eddie Murphy, is a multi-gifted hard working man. In the opening scenes of the film, he is referred to as one who could have afforded to “be anything he wanted,” but chose to cook. Mr Church is therefore hired by a dying friend to take care of his girlfriend’s family for six months as a cook. Marie, the girlfriend in question, is dying from cancer – indeed, she is expected to live for only six more months, the exact amount of time Mr Church’s cooking stipend covers. Marie, however, outlives the projected timeline surprising many – she lives for six years before succumbing to the illness. Amazingly, for the extra five-and-a-half years that Marie stays alive, Mr Church covers the family’s bills and continues tending to their food needs without complaining or being resentful. He even put up with the little girl’s, Charlotte’s, opposition and disrespect in the first few years. After Marie’s death, Mr Church helps Charlotte get into college and is understanding when she returns pregnant. Further, Mr Church takes responsibility for Charlotte, taking her in, with her baby, till his death …
Let me just sum up what I’m trying to drive at here: Mr Church’s disposition to give and give; not expecting anything in return stuck with me. His generosity and love come in on the heels of a dark past – abused and cast out by his father (and this would haunt him throughout life). We may not all be called to be Mr Church, but we are all called to love, to exploit our best selves to give and give.
Having touched on weakness, let’s now address Paul’s thinking around the subject. Paul reassures that the Spirit of God helps us in our weakness, praying for us according to the will of God. Yes, the will of God because remember it’s not about us, it never has been. It started with a call from God; it must culminate in bringing honour to God. And while our love for God matters, even more worthy of emphasis is God’s love for us. You see, God’s love for us is unconquerable and unrelenting. God keeps coming after us, no matter where we may be.
God gives us open arms even before we come running to God; God comes looking for us in the fields even before we know we are lost; God has a heart big enough to hear us throw tantrums at God’s ways … Even more important, God cries when we cry; God grieves when we grieve; God understands us even when our emotions are all over the place … Now, looking at the expanse of this love, Paul couldn’t help but conclude that nothing can separate us from God’s love. Nothing, dear friends, absolutely nothing! That’s how amazing God’s love for us is!
And right there is our cue for victory – God’s love for us! We can bet that God’s love will always show up for us, no matter where we may be … On our best days and our worst ones, when we look our best and when we don’t, in the gym or the emergency room … God’s love won’t give up! It is the only constant in life, everything else changes, God’s love stays the same – perpetually present and profoundly vast and deep. Food for thought: If God’s love for us makes us stay atop life’s storms, why don’t we rest in this love? Why don’t we convince ourselves, like Paul, that this love can’t be defeated? Why don’t we allow this love to be fully perfected in us?
Our faith becomes unshakable when we are fully soaked in God’s love for us. It is then, and only then, that our offshoots of love are seen in their full glory. It is only then that we can do as Christ does – feeding the hungry; clothing the unclothed. It is only then that we can live without fear. And it is only then that we can say, with the rest of creation, that come, Lord Jesus, come! I pray that between now and when Christ our Lord comes, our love for God will help us to patiently wait for God’s good works and love for us to fully manifest in our lives (Romans 8:25). May the grace of God abound to us all. Amen!
Closing Prayer
Loving God, Your love for us never lets us go. Thank You that You come with us and walk alongside us no matter what we go through. Faithful and True is Your name, thanks for loving us so faithfully. Your love makes all the difference in our lives, please wrap Your arms around us afresh. We long for Your touch once more, Spirit of the Living God. Come. And as You work on us, please create ripples of Your love in our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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