Proper 24 -- Year C -- Oct. 21, 2007
Text: Genesis 32:3-8, 22-30; Psalm 121:1-8; Luke 18:1-8a
Preacher: Tinh Huynh+
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In the Name of God: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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One of the questions for us today's Christians to think about is:
"Do we take God seriously?"
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This morning, from the first lesson we read the story
of Jacob in the Book of Genesis.
Among the people of biblical times,
perhaps Jacob was the one who did not really like his name.
He was a twin son of Isaac and Rebecca.
When he was born, he held on to the heel of his brother Esau.
That's why his parents named him "Jacob,"
which means "the one who grasps the heel."
But the word "Jacob" has a couple of more meanings.
"Jacob" also means "supplant" or "cheat."
The name might have bothered him at times.
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Jacob was rich.
He had two wives plus concubines and many children.
He had many sheep and goats,
and he had many servants.
Through devious means he became wealthy.
Since the days of his growing up,
he had always been about winning.
He was not about care.
He even turned his loved ones into his enemies.
First, by being deceitful, he made an enemy out of his brother.
Then, through manipulation for his own gain, he enraged his uncle, who was also the father of his wives, Leah and Rachel. Both his brother and father in-law wanted to kill him.
Jacob did not think much about God.
All that he was concerned with was wealth.
And so he had never been settled down.
He was constantly on the move,
and he was a fearful man.
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The story we read this morning
tells of Jacob in the night he tried to ready himself for the encountering with his brother.
Esau and four hundred men are approaching him.
No doubt, this showdown will be deadly.
Jacob has never prayed.
He has been so used to depending his own strength and skills to deal with life situations.
But this time he does not know what the outcome will be.
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That night, when Jacob was alone,
a man came to wrestle with him.
The man did not say a word.
He just tried to push Jacob down.
Jacob yelled out, and in anger who knows he might have used bad words.
But the man did not say one word.
Jacob tried to push him away,
but he could not free himself from him.
They struggled with each other in the dark,
until morning comes, as the man appeared to give up.
At that moment, Jacob realized that the stranger was not human.
It was God, or God's angel, who came to wrestle with him.
Now, instead of trying to free himself from the stranger,
Jacob held the man tight.
Can you visualize such a scene?
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God must have had a funny idea.
God let Jacob win.
God did not care about winning, anyway.
God let Jacob win.
God did not push Jacob away.
God let Jacob hold on to Him.
Now it is Jacob's turn to hold God tight.
He says, "I would not let you go until you bless me."
"I would not let you go unless you save me from this terrible situation."
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God came to Jacob when Jacob did not expect to meet Him.
He came to Jacob when Jacob was panicking and having no hope.
Jacob had never taken God seriously,
but God had always taken him seriously
and had been watching him.
God cares about Jacob.
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The LORD asked, "What is your name?"
- Jacob.
- Your name is no longer Jacob.
Your name is now "Israel."
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The word, "Israel" means
"May God persevere."
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During the struggle,
the stranger struck Jacob on the hip socket,
and his hip was knocked out of joint.
The pain made him attentive to God's presence.
Now he begins to take God seriously.
He has become a new person,
with a new name,
and new hope.
The focus of life now,
to Jacob, is no more wealth or winning,
or anything else in the world.
The focus of his life is now God,
and God alone.
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What about the story Jesus tells in the Gospel of Luke?
It is a story about a widow and a judge.
Widows of Jesus' time were outcasts.
They had no money to see a physician when they became ill.
They had no money to offer sacrifices in the temple.
In many cases, they were considered unclean.
In the case of this particular widow,
she has been denied justice.
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The judge in the story was not an honest man.
He did not wish to rule in her favor.
Jesus said that the woman finally prevail.
Although powerless, she was persistent.
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Jesus did not compare the unjust judge to God.
He only wanted to say that
if a human judge --
powerful and yet sinful and unjust as this one is --
gives in to persistent requests of an outcast,
how much more attentive will God be
to our prayer.
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God hears our prayer.
The issue is not the absence of God.
The issue is the absence of faith.
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Some of us believe that if we keep praying things will happen the way we wish.
Some of us believe that certain people can pray more effectively than others.
We can become superstitious, believing that God can be bribed with gifts,
or that God can be persuaded by humans who know the right things to say.
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But this is not what Jesus taught.
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Jesus speaks about taking God seriously.
Jesus speaks about attitude.
Jesus speaks about clinging to God.
Do we give God a space in our hearts?
How do we spend our energy, money and time?
Do we stop and reflect on our life journey?
Do we count our blessings?
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In his Letter to Timothy, the apostle Paul says,
"Be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable."
The Christian congregation anticipates difficult time,
but God is always there for them.
How they can face the challenges depends on how close they are to God.
Young Timothy had been brought to church early in his life,
and he had learned the habit of worship and stewardship.
He had learned to take God seriously,
and he knew in his heart that
no matter how difficult life could be,
God would always be near him.
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As we struggle with this life,
we can be fearful about what it may bring.
Sometimes, in the darkest moments of our lives God touches us,
and resurrection happens.
God can restore us and make us whole.
The LORD who keeps watching over us
shall neither slumber nor sleep.
Amen.
Our My-Linh Tran, DDS, at work
End-of-the-day Celebration -- October 5, 2013 
- This Sunday, October 27th, we will hold the Harvest Day's Service and Dinner at 5:30 PM.
- FCS CROP Walk -- Sunday November 10th, 1-2 PM. The Falls Church Community Service, Inc. (FCS) will be holding its very first "CROP Walk" for hunger relief. Participants in the 2-mile walk in the Falls Church area will work to raise pledges and donations to fund world hunger program administered by Church World Service, with 25% remaining for the FCS food pantry. All are invited to participate.
- Bishop Shannon will visit Saint Patrick's on Sunday, December 8, 2013. The service on that day will be held in the afternoon. This will be an opportunity for baptism, confirmation, reception and affirmation of faith. Fr. Tinh+ will teach a confirmation class on every Sunday after church from October 13 to November 24. Parents and Sponsors of the confirmands are invited to join the class.
- The Nov-Dec-Jan Forward Day by Day has arrived, and is now available in the narthex. Please pick up your copy. A donation is welcome, and may be given to the counters in the church office after the service, or dropped in the alms basin during worship.
