We've got 2 great stories from our reading to talk about today. 1 night and 1 day when God intervened directly in people's lives.
God's there in our first story in Genesis and in our second story from Matthew. God's found right in the middle of human affairs and human events.
We start this first story about a man named Jacob who wrestled in the night by remembering his family tree...
Abraham and Sarah
Isaac and Rebecca
Esau and Jacob twin brothers
Jacob was coming home. He'd run away from his brother years before. Now he was on his way to meet and hopefully reconcile with his brother. Many year earlier he'd stolen his brother's blessing from their aged father. Jacob's brother Esau was so enraged that Jacob ran for his life to another country to stay with his uncle Laban. While he was there he work for his uncle for 14 years, taking Laban's two girls as his wives, and growing prosperous.
After many years with Laban he returned hoping to the land promised to Abraham and Sarah as their future homeland to reconcile with Esau. In the night he left his family on one side of the River Jabbock while he stayed alone on the other side. Some guess he sent his family first to meet his brother and make peace for him.
That night, while Jacob was alone, a mysterious individual came and wrestled with him through the night. Neither one would let go. Both kept on striving to win giving no ground through the whole night. As light grew in the sky the unnamed wrestler struck Jacob's hip putting it out of joint. Jacob still refused to let him go.
... he said to Jacob, “Let me go. The sun is coming up.”
Jacob said, “I will let you go if you will bless me.”
27 The man said to him, “What is your name?”
And he answered, “Jacob.”
28 Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob. Your name will now be Israel This name means “he wrestles with God.” because you have wrestled with God and with people, and you have won.”
29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.”
But the man said, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed Jacob there.
30 So Jacob named that place Peniel This name means “the face of God.”saying, “I have seen God face to face, but my life was saved.” 31 Then the sun rose as he was leaving that place, and Jacob was limping because of his leg. Genesis 32:26-31 NCV.
Scholars have debated for years if Jacob's opponent was an angle or the very divine being. Jacob was a strong man who simply wouldn't let go of his opponent in this fight. Looking back at the story its seems pretty clear that Jacob could have been flattened if his opponent wanted to do it. But his opponent had to allowed him to wrestle all night long. This powerful other who could have laid him out flat; but he didn't, Jacob was allowed to hold on and struggle all night long.
Anyone who's wrestled in their faith can tell you its not easy; but they can also tell you that they weren't crushed as they wrestled. Jacob might have been in what seemed like the struggle of his life that night. He kept on refusing to let go not even knowing the name of the one he held onto through the night.
Jacob's not alone in wrestling in the night unsure even of the name of the one he's wrestling against. There are many women and men who've stayed up late in the night wrestling in prayer trying to understand God's will and God's calling for their lives. There are many who wrestle within themselves looking for certainty and not finding it. Wrestling is part of authentic faith, Jacob struggled not wanting to let go. Faith for all of us means holding on to God's promises no matter what; faith is believing and holding onto the promises of God even when it might seem that the promises don't count anymore.
A lot of guys can probably remember wrestling over a football at lunchtime on the grass in 6th or 7th grade. Maybe you remember the way the knees on your pants turned green from being dragged as you just held on refusing to let go even if the other person would just keep on dragging you trying to move forward. Jacob was wrestling physically and spiritually that night. He left with an injured hip as the final proof that his spiritual wrestling was real and true.
Sometimes we underestimate spiritual challenges. But they're just as real as our physical challenges. Jacob walked away from his night of wrestling with an injured hip, changed by the experience, we walk away changed too within our bodies and spirits from wrestling in the night in prayer.
Jesus knew something about wrestling too. Jesus was looking for a place to be alone, a place to pray and seek comfort from God. Tings were going very badly for Jesus. He'd been rejected in his hometown (Matthew 13:53-58) His cousin and forerunner John the Baptist was beheaded (Matthew 14:1-12). Now he wanted to find place to be alone.
Jesus had gone away from the crowds looking for a quiet place. Jesus had good reasons to look for a quiet place. There's a spot along Lake Galilee where nothing grows and no animals can be grazed. That's where Jesus was going, a deserted place, a place with hard inhospitable volcanic soil that's unfit to grow anything.
Jesus was looking for quiet; but the crowds came looking for him. Someone spotted his boat out on the water and started on foot knowing, because the lake wasn't so far across, from east to west, exactly where he'd gone.
Everyone in the crowd had their own reason to come looking for him. Some came believing Jesus would heal, some came wondering what he would teach, some came hoping they could meet him and hear him, some came just because their parents said they should come. Some came seeking revolution and Jesus taught the crowd who'd gathered out in that deserted place for some time. There's no mention in Matthew about what he taught, just that he taught for some time that day.
As the day passed the disciples started worrying about food for the crowd. Jesus replied to their worries, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat." (Matthew 14:16 NIV) They were flummoxed naming what little they had. We can say the same things in our daily ministry. We don't have enough money, time, people, knowledge, experience, patience, will, or strength. Jesus replied to the disciples doubts instructing them to go ahead and pass out the food to everyone. Craig S. Keener observed,
God is not intimidated by the magnitude of our problem. The disciples saw the size of the need and the littleness of the human resources available; Jesus saw the size of the need and the greatness of God's resources available. Often God calls us to do tasks for him that are technically impossible-barring a miracle. IVP NT Commentary Series Matthews
Jesus miracle didn't start with human faith. It started with the power of God to create and to keep on creating. Jesus' power alone was enough to feed thousands. The disciples faith wasn't needed; but God will to make it happen was. There are plenty of times in the church when we would be wise to remember that Jesus' strength was revealed often in the Gospels when things were going from bad to worse.
God's involved in ordinary everyday life just as much as he is involved in the miracles that catch all of us by surprise. God provides for us. Sometimes its as blatant as 5 loaves and two fish turning into a meal for thousands with baskets full left over to spare. Sometimes the miracle is hidden within creation.
Everett Cook, a retired Pentecostal minister running a street mission, confronted an associate who had a growth on his nose but refused to see a doctor. "God will heal me," the man insisted.
"If you needed a miracle, God would give you one," Everett retorted, "but right now he's given you a doctor and medical insurance. You need to use what he's given you."
The next time they met the man's growth was much bigger, but the man still insisted, "I am healed." The third time they met the growth had spread further, and finally the man was thinking that perhaps he needed to see a doctor.
God performed a miracle when he created the world and set its laws in motion, and we are often wise to start with natural means when those are available. God performs miracles to meet our genuine needs, but he will not perform them merely to entertain us. IVP Matthew Commentary.
People still come to church looking for Jesus.
We are Christ's body after all. We are the place where his Word is preached, we are the people who wrestle trying to understand God's will and trusting that we are walking in his ways even if we can see him.
People come looking for a chance to meet God and looking for a place to belong. People come looking to be changed looking to meet the very God alive in our world. Thank God he comes just as he promised in bread and wine right into our midst.
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