Day 9 – September 10, 2025: Genesis 29-32 and John 17

The story of Jacob an Rachel (and Leah) is one that is legendary. A person works for 14 years for a father-in-law until he is able to marry the woman that he loves. There is so much distance between what was accepted and expected in the days of the patriarchs that it is hard to wrap our head around tricking a son in law by giving him your older daughter in marriage and then giving him your younger daughter. At the end of the day you have both of your daughters situated, but it seems horrific in our day and age.

The story of the patriarchs is filled with deceit and cunning. Jacob steals the birthright from Esau, Laban tricks Jacob, Rachel steals from her father the household gods. We haven’t arrived there yet, but we are getting close to it, but it seems as if Esau is the only honest one out there. We’ll get to that tomorrow. It is crucial to understand the history of Israel to understand that this name comes about as Jacob wrestles with God and refuses to let him go and so God blesses him and calls him Israel. Joseph is one of his children with Rachel and so the story will evolve moving forward of Joseph bringing his family to Egypt and then then family becoming enslaved and then the family leaving Egypt for the promised land. It all starts here.

John 17, as I alluded to yesterday, is a whole chapter of Jesus praying to His Father about how much he wants his disciples to be one. This prayer still has not come true. Our separation as denominations and as brothers and sisters in Christ is tragic and without excuse. The most visible sign of our division is the inability for all denominations to either take communion together or to recognize each other’s baptism. While here in Strasburg we are able to take communion together, not all of us recognize each other’s baptism. This is a stumbling block and a direct disobedience of these words that, as Jesus states: “They may be one.”