Sermon on Genesis 32:22-31
Pastor Jennifer Garcia
Focus:Just as Jacob would not let go until he was blessed, we can learn to cling to God, even as our physicality and identities change.
Function:This sermon will help hearers examine their legacy by clinging to God first.
God is described many times throughout the Bible as “the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” The whole nation of Israel was named after Jacob once God changed his name in this story.
Jacob, also called Israel, has one of the biggest legacies in the Bible.
But his story didn’t start off in such a distinguished way.
When he was born, he was grasping his twin brother Esau’s heel, which got him the name Jacob, which means “takes by the heel” or “supplanter.” From the moment of his birth, he was known for clinging tightly to things, including somethings that weren’t his to grasp.
He grew up to be a bit of a trickster.
He conned his brother out of his birthright by getting him to trade it for a bowl of stew when Esau was so hungry he couldn’t see straight.
And with the help of his mother, he tricked his father into giving him the blessing that was rightfully Esau’s.
The tables turned when Jacob got older and started working for a relative named Laban. Jacob fell in love with Laban’s daughter Rachel and agreed to work for 7 years so he could marry her. But Laban tricked Jacob into marrying his daughter Leah instead and made Jacob work for another 7 years before he finally let him marry Rachel
Years later, Jacob was ready to stop working for Laban (can’t imagine why), and he tricked his way into becoming the owner of a huge number of Laban’s flock.
Laban was furious but couldn’t prove any wrongdoing on Jacob’s part, so they agreed to be peaceful.
But Jacob had been fooled by Laban before and wasn’t going to take chances, so as he left, he sent a bunch of gifts to his brother Esau to try to find safety with him.
Jacob had been clinging and grasping for his whole life—trying to get ahead, trying to get what he desired, trying to get his share regardless of the expense to others.
And that’s where our story begins today. Jacob doesn’t know how his gifts to Esau have been received. He and his family are traveling in the wilderness. They come to a river, and Jacob makes sure his family and flocks make it across safely.
Now it’s night.
Jacob’s by himself. Perhaps he’s looking up at the Milky Way, thinking of God’s promise to his ancestor Abraham of descendants as numerous as the stars.
Then, he hears footsteps.
The footsteps get closer, and closer, and closer. A stranger approaches and knocks Jacob down.
All of Jacob’s scrappiness comes out as he wrestles with the figure in the dark. No matter what tricks Jacob tries, he can’t get the upper hand.
But neither is he pinned. The two wrestle for hours, until the first rays of dawn break over the horizon.
Finally, the stranger twists Jacob’s body and knocks his hip out of joint. Jacob yelps but doesn’t let go. He clings still, determination in his jaw winning over the pain in his hip.
The stranger gasps out, “Dawn is breaking—why are you still holding on?”
Jacob responds through gritted teeth, “I won’t let you go until you bless me.”
Ever the opportunist, Jacob wants what’s coming to him, no matter the cost.
In this case, it’s worth it. He receives a new name, which will be his legacy. And more than that, he has seen God face to face and lived. Even Moses only got to see God’s back.
Jacob, or should I say Israel, had an encounter with God that changed him completely and meant far more than any of the grasping and clinging he had done his whole life.
What is it you cling to?
What is it you are grasping for?
We all cling to something, grasp onto the hope of something.
Is it peace with all your family members at any cost?
Is it the hope that you’ve accomplished enough?
Is it getting all your debt paid off?
Is it the dream trip, the kitchen remodel, the car you dreamed of having as a kid?
Is it your health? Safety? Comfort? The absence of fear?
We all have things we cling to.
We may not be tricksters like Jacob, but we still cling to things that are important to us.
Here are three ways to tell what’s important to you, what you might be clinging to:
1. First, what do you do with your time?
a. Who do you spend time with? Chances are they’re important people in your life.
b. What do you spend time doing? Do you volunteer somewhere regularly? That’s probably a cause you care about.
2. Second, what do you do with your talent?
a. What activities have you put enough time into to be pretty good at? You don’t have to be the best in your field at it or even make money doing it, but it brings value to your life.
b. What are you excited about?
What interests you enough to make you want to read about it or talk to other people who love it, too?
c. What do people ask your advice about?
3. Third, what do you do with your treasure—your money, your material possessions?
a. Hopefully our lives are rich outside of material possessions, but we live in a society where money makes the world go round, so where we put our dollars tells a story about us.
b. Do you invest in your home? Maybe that’s because it’s important to you to offer hospitality to others.
Maybe you are paying more to make eco-conscious choices for your home, because caring for our planet is important toyou.
c. Do you save up money for travel?
Maybe it’s to visit family, because family is important to you.
Maybe it’s because you love new experiences and learning about different cultures.
d. What causes do you donate to?
You don’t need to have your name on a building for your donations to make a difference for your neighbor.
None of this is about how much money you have—it’s about what you do with what you have, however much that is.
What we do with our time, talents, and treasure tells stories about us. It’s part of our legacy—the story of our lives.
The word “legacy” means something that’s passed on or passed down.
For Jacob, certainly the wealth he accumulated passed down to his children. And also, his name Israel was passed on to God’s people throughout generations. His encounter with God and God’s promises to him were passed down. Our reading even notes the tradition of not eating the muscle of the hip socket in memory of Jacob’s encounter with God. Jacob’s story lasts to this day in scripture.
Jacob, the clinging one who takes by the heel, found his most important blessing when he clung to God.
What story will your legacy tell about you?
We are all imperfect human beings, just like Jacob.
And still, when we cling to God, our story becomes greater than the sum of our flaws.
Our legacies are not solely about our treasure—not even about our time, talents, and treasure combined. But where we spend these things does tell stories about us.
I invite you to come to our Last Things First workshop next Sunday to talk more about telling the story you want with your treasure. In our society, it takes a good deal of planning ahead to make sure your money goes where you want it to. Don’t wait and let someone else tell your story in a way you don’t want.
And no matter what, cling to God first.
Don’t be afraid to wrestle with big questions—God is big enough to handle it.
Let your encounters with God change you and even rewrite your legacy.
And don’t let go until God blesses you.