What do we do before returning home?

Jacob has this desire to return home but is not completely convinced. He is trying to figure out what he wants to do.

A Swiss Theologian, Hans Urs Von Balthasar (1905-1988) said, “All great thought springs from a conflict between two eventual insights.”
1. The wound which we find at the heart of everything is finally incurable.
2. Yet, we still try! And, in fact, we are driven to try!

Conflict drives Jacob to see change in his life-going home. Conflict had driven his to seek change by actually running away. Now we find Jacob struggling with the decision of returning home.

Returning home is what we all seek at some point in our life especially when entering the second half of life. Can we identify with the Jacob story up to this point of the story?

When do things work for good?

Toward the end of his sermon Mark turns to Romans 8:26-39. God deals with us at our weakest point. Jacob has reached a low pointing in serving Laban seven years, another seven years, only to find another seven years added to his length of service.

“We know that all things work together for good of those when love God” (Romans 8:28). As we can see farther down the road, Jacob’s life does change for the better. He begins the journey back home that he has wished for. As the events are taking place, Jacob does not see all things working together for his good. He could see only seven more years of service to his uncle.

Life has its interruptions where we are facing another seven years of service. How do we see God working together for good? If our life is in harmony with God, then God’s plan is our plan. Don’t we see this taking place in our lives but usually on God’s time?

Yearning to Return Home

In our weakness God helps us. Jacob has proved that he is not capable of being faithful. He continues to attempt to control every situation, but Laban seems to be getting the best in most of the deals. We see that Jacob is thinking about going home. “Sent me away, that I may go to my own home and country. Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know very well the service I have given you.”

What is happening to Jacob? God deals with us when we are at our weakest point. Jacob has reached the place in his life where he wants to return home. In the spiritual journey, returning home is the beginning of the second half of life.

Jacob has a family but not possessions so he is convinced to remain for another seven years of service to Laban. Another seven years will provide economic security for Jacob.

Facing Disappointment

Finally, Jacob has found completeness when he finishes the seven years of service to Laban. Now he will receive the woman he has been in live with since he first met her at the well.

Jacob breaks the first community custom when he rolls the stone away so Rachel could water the sheep. The custom was for everyone to wait until all had arrived before removing the stone in order that all shared equally as a community in the community resources.

Now after seven years, instead of receiving the wife he had been expecting Laban has given him the eldest daughter Leah. The community custom of the eldest being given in marriage first be observed according to Laban. After negations with Laban, Jacob receives Rachel in exchange for another seven years of service.

The story shows a Jacob who is not in control of all the events in his life. Things have gone as Jacob planned up until he meets his uncle Laban. Now Jacob is in a position where he must negotiate if he is to have his way.

Does Jacob learn how to accept disappointment?

Real with Relatives

Mark begins with the fact that our lives are reduced to a series of distractions. The plans we make for our lives do not usually proceed as we planned. Regardless of how well we plan and work our plan it does not take us to the destination we hoped for.

Jacob had a plan. He would work for Laban for seven years and the reward would be receiving Rachel as his wife. Laban did not understand the contract this way. He had an older daughter that he needed to get rid of so he substitutes Leah. Jacob is upset because Laban has deceived him. This is an important point in this story, the great deceiver gets deceived. But the story does not end, Laban has a plan. Jacob can work another seven years for Rachel. After a week, Jacob will receive Rachel for his wife. Within a week, Jacob has two wives.

Jacob had a plan to receive one wife, but now he has two wives. What happens when our plans go wrong? How do we deal with frustration?

Are willing to accept another plan or go in another direction?