Theme of the Week: Living in Light of the Resurrection
Bible Verse: “Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.” Ephesians 1:4
Scripture Reading: Genesis 32:22-31
Forbes magazine posted an article in 2012 with the title: Five Ways to Make Peace with Failure[mfn]https://www.forbes.com/sites/susantardanico/2012/09/27/five-ways-to-make-peace-with-failure/#37a8f0103640[/mfn].
Why is making peace with ourselves and our life so important to us? Because we all need acceptance and peace.
Jacob had a purpose and a promise from God before he was even born. Jacob lived in a culture where being second-born meant nothing. Because of this, Jacob did anything and everything to fulfil his destiny and find acceptance and love. Jacob did it pretty much his way: he cheated his brother, his dad, and his uncle. And now, finally returning home to fulfil his purpose and God’s promise, he would need to face his brother, and potentially, death.
One night, on his way to meet his brother, Jacob found himself alone and “in great fear and distress” (Gen 32:7). Suddenly, a man showed up and picked a fight with Jacob.
Until that moment, Jacob didn’t realize that he had been in a wrestling match for his whole life –with his culture, his brother, his dad, and then his uncle – all to obtain the blessing of acceptance and peace.
After fighting all night, the man “touched” Jacob’s hip socket, and Jacob was undone. Jacob finally realized that it was God that he was fighting, and all the acceptance and peace he longed for his entire life could only be found in God.
Jacob limped for the rest of his life but as a transformed man. He finally understood that God never wanted to destroy or hold things back from him but was for him and with him all along (Gen 32:10).
Christ’s death on the cross was God’s way to destroy our self-reliance and false autonomy. On the cross, Jesus was not just touched – He was crushed, so that we can be touched by His grace. The resurrection of Jesus is confirmation that, even though we may live with a limp, we can experience a full life of unconditional acceptance from God.
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