The First Sunday after the Epiphany – Pr. Faugstad sermon
Text: Genesis 27:1-19

In Christ Jesus, Himself a Child within an earthly home, who with heart still undefiled did to manhood come (ELH #187, v. 2), so that His righteous life would be credited to us, dear fellow redeemed:

If you are from a family of more than one child, which one of you was the favorite? The older children can say, “Mom and Dad were so happy with us that they thought they would have more kids… but it didn’t work out like they hoped.” The younger ones can say, “Dad and Mom kept hoping for something better until they got to us.” These comments are all made in good fun. As much as we might try to get our parents to name their favorites, we know this would not be helpful to anyone.

Today’s reading gives us a clear example of favoritism in a family and the difficulties it caused. We heard last week how Isaac and Rebekah were unable to have children until twenty years into their marriage when God blessed them with twin sons. Carrying twins would be challenging enough, but in Rebekah’s case, her boys struggled inside her. It caused her such discomfort and pain that “she went to inquire of the LORD” (Gen. 25:22), probably through a prophet. She received this response: “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger” (v. 23).

When her sons were born, the first baby was all red and his body was like a hairy cloak. He was called “Esau,” a name like the Hebrew word for “red.” The second baby came out hanging on to his brother’s heel, so he received the name “Jacob,” a name that means “heel grabber.” As they grew older, rough-and-tumble Esau, an outdoorsman and hunter, was favored by his father, while mild-mannered Jacob who stayed close to home was favored by his mother.

It is clear that the question of who was to be the chief heir of the family was on each of their minds. Esau was in the position of inheritance as the firstborn, but Rebekah could not forget the LORD’s prophecy about how “the older shall serve the younger.” Once when Esau returned home exhausted, he demanded that Jacob give him some of the stew he had prepared. Jacob sensing an opportunity said, “Sell me your birthright now” (v. 31). In other words, give up the right of the firstborn. And Esau replied, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” (v. 32). So Esau gave up his birthright for a bowl of stew, so little did he regard the promise of inheritance and of the coming Savior.

But it seems that Isaac was not convinced that Rebekah understood the prophecy in the right way. Perhaps through the struggle in her womb, thought Isaac, the younger Esau had prevailed and passed by his brother Jacob. Even by appearance, Esau was obviously the stronger of the two, and the prophecy said, “the one shall be stronger than the other.” Rebekah remained convinced that the son born last should be regarded as the first. Today’s reading shows us that the question had not been settled between husband and wife.

Isaac made it known to Esau that he intended to give him the official family blessing. Esau would inherit the largest portion. Esau would be the leader of the clan. Esau would be the heir of the promise. Rebekah overheard that conversation and quickly made a plan. Jacob would pretend to be Esau in order to receive his father’s blessing. The reason she thought they could pull it off is because Isaac in his old age had become nearly blind. Rebekah justified these actions by holding to the Word she had heard from the LORD, that the younger should prevail.

So Jacob dressed in Esau’s clothes, he covered his hands and neck with goat skin so his skin would seem rough like Esau’s, and he brought food for his father like the food Esau often prepared. And as crazy as the plan seemed, it actually worked. Despite some suspicions, Isaac bestowed the family blessing on Jacob including these words, “Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you!” (27:29). So Jacob received the blessing as the LORD intended. Everything turned out well! Except for the fact that Esau now hated his brother and made plans to kill him when their father died (v. 41).

Nobody comes out of this account looking very righteous. Isaac ignored or explained away the prophecy his wife received. Rebekah schemed to deceive her husband. Esau showed in various ways his rejection of God’s will. Jacob lied several times to his father. Does it surprise you to learn these things about Isaac and Jacob, two of the prominent fathers of the faith in Old Testament times?

What we find in the household of Isaac and Rebekah is not so different from what could be found in our own homes. Perhaps the sins of our household don’t look exactly like theirs, but sins are certainly there. In our homes, husband and wife do not always get along. They do not always willingly and humbly serve one another. Sometimes they get angry with each other and speak harshly to each other. Children do not always obey their parents. They seek to deceive them, they lie to them, and they speak disrespectfully to them. Siblings fight with one another, hurt each other, possibly even express hatred toward one another wishing that their brother or sister were dead.

You know the sins of your own household. You know the part you played in the conflicts from your youth to the present day. You know that you and your family are not as righteous as you would like people to think. We can be grateful that the details of our home life are not recorded in the pages of Scripture for everyone to read like Isaac’s and Rebekah’s were. But their family conflicts are not included to give us something interesting to read and make judgments about. Their family conflicts are included because they relate directly to God’s promise that a Savior would come through their line.

Even in this household of sinners, through these flawed and selfish individuals, God kept His promise. He chose them by grace to carry the seed that would one day take shape in the womb of a woman named Mary. God does great things even in our own sinful homes. He gives us opportunities each day for humble service to one another, opportunities to forgive each other’s wrongs, opportunities to encourage one another in the faith. We are joined to the members of our family by blood, but more importantly, we are—each of us—part of the body of Christ through the cleansing of His blood.

In all of human history, there has only been one perfect Child. We hear about Him today going to church with His parents in Jerusalem. And though we might wonder why He didn’t tell His parents where He would be as they prepared to leave the city, He did not try to deceive them. He had no bad intentions. When they located Him on the third day in the temple, He explained with some surprise, “Why were you looking for Me? Did you not know that I must be in My Father’s house?” (Luk. 2:49).

They did not understand what He was saying, which I’m sure happened over and over again in His conversations with them. But the perfect Jesus did not become frustrated with His sinful parents. He submitted to their earthly authority, and in so doing, He perfectly fulfilled the Fourth Commandment: “Honor your father and your mother that it may be well with you and that you may live long on the earth.”

Jesus kept that command for you, so that the times you disobeyed or disrespected your parents, your teachers, your bosses, and every other earthly authority—so that these times are covered by His righteousness. Jesus was born under God’s Law to redeem you from your breaking of His Law (Gal. 4:4-5). He took all the sins you have done as a child, as a sibling, as a spouse, as a parent, and He paid the price in full to save you from the wrath of God.

And since God is not angry with you for our sins, neither should you be angry with anyone else. Just because Esau did not get what he wanted, does not mean he had the right to hate his brother. Even Isaac when he learned he had been deceived by Rebekah and Jacob did not disown his wife and son. He forgave them and turned these concerns over to his Savior God, who knows how to work all things—even hurtful and dishonest things—for good.

Perhaps Isaac also realized that his favoritism toward Esau had clouded his judgment. Obvious favoritism in a family is never beneficial. The Bible says multiple times that “God shows no partiality” (Act. 10:34), and the same should be said for a father and a mother. When God grants children to Christian husband and wife, He intends that each child be loved, provided for, and prayed for just the same. I remember hearing about a family with multiple children who admitted after their parents’ deaths that each one thought he or she was the favorite. Each child thought this, which shows how dearly their parents loved each one.

In every station of our life, we want to love the people around us whom God has given us to love. When we fall short in our interactions and our responsibilities, we take comfort that we are loved with a perfect love. We are loved and forgiven by our heavenly Father who holds no grudge against us for past wrongs and has no plan to punish us in the future. He sent His perfect Son, the perfect Child of Mary, to redeem all the children of the world, including imperfect ones like you and me.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forevermore. Amen.

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(picture from “Jesus Among the Doctors” by James Tissot, 1836-1902)