“When We Make a Mess of Things” [Following God in Real Life Summer Series #6] - Fr. Pete's Sermon for July 12th, the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

Genesis 25:19-34

A long time ago, I decided to tackle a repair project around the house. Now, I confess I am not very handy. You can ask Dan. Some people seem naturally gifted at DIY home repair projects. They own specialized tools. They know the difference between things found in the plumbing aisle and things found in the electrical aisle. They watch home improvement shows and think, "I could do that." I am not one of those people.

Still, there was a minor problem that needed fixing, and for one reason or another, I decided I would handle it myself. How hard could it be? Those words have launched many unfortunate adventures.

This project looked simple enough when I started. But I kept putting parts in backwards or upside down and having to redo it. And fixing that problem uncovered yet another problem. A quick trip to Lowe’s turned into multiple trips to Lowe’s. Several hours later, I found myself standing in the middle of a project that had somehow become much bigger than the one I had started.

I distinctly remember thinking, "It probably would’ve been better if I had just left this alone." Most of us know that feeling. Sometimes we create problems by doing the wrong thing. Sometimes we create problems by trying too hard to fix things. Sometimes our efforts to control a situation become the very thing that makes it worse.

And that's where Jacob comes in.

As we continue our Summer Sermon Road Trip through Genesis, we leave Abraham and Sarah behind and begin traveling with a new generation. Last week we met Rebekah, who trusted God enough to leave everything familiar behind and begin a new journey. Today we meet her twin sons, Jacob and Esau.

And unlike many of the stories we've encountered so far this summer, this one isn't primarily about hardship that comes from outside. It's about a mess that people create for themselves.

The story begins before the boys are even born. Rebekah feels them struggling within her and asks God what is happening. God's answer is unusual: two nations are within her womb, and the older will serve the younger. In other words, before Jacob ever does anything, God already has a plan. That's an important detail. Because if there's one thing Jacob never quite seems to grasp, it's that God is already at work.

When we finally meet the brothers as adults, Esau the hunter comes in from the field exhausted and hungry. Jacob is cooking a pot of stew. Esau demands some food. Jacob sees an opportunity and says, "Sure. I'll feed you. But first sell me your birthright."

Now let's be honest. Nobody comes off particularly well in this story. Esau treats something precious as though it has no value. Jacob takes advantage of his brother at a vulnerable moment. One is impulsive, the other is manipulative. It's a family mess. And it's only the beginning. If you've read ahead in Genesis, you know things are about to get worse.

One of the reasons I appreciate the Bible, and I’ve mentioned this before, is that it refuses to clean people up. If this were a public relations campaign, someone would have edited these stories. Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Joseph, Moses—none of them are presented as flawless heroes. Scripture tells the truth about human beings.

And the truth is that we humans sometimes make a mess of things. We say things we shouldn't say. We make decisions we later regret. We let pride get the better of us. We try to control situations that cannot be controlled. We convince ourselves that everything depends on us.

That's where Jacob's story becomes surprisingly familiar. God has already spoken. God has already made promises to Abraham's family. God has already declared that the younger brother will somehow receive the blessing.

Yet Jacob behaves as though everything depends on Jacob. He can't wait. He can't trust. He can't leave things alone. He has to help God out with God’s plan.

See, the trouble is that whenever human beings decide to help God out, things often get complicated or messed up. Have you noticed that? I see a few of you squirming in your seats! Oh, I am one of you!

We think, "If I don't fix this, nobody will."  We think, "If I don't manage this situation, everything will fall apart."  We think, "If I can just pull a few strings, persuade a few people, arrange a few circumstances, then I’ll make everything work out."

And sometimes it does. And sometimes we discover that our efforts to control the situation have become part of the problem.

So, before we're too hard on Jacob, let's acknowledge that most of us have a little Jacob in us. Waiting is difficult. Trusting is difficult. Letting go is difficult. Especially when the future feels uncertain.

That's true in families. It's true in churches. It's true in our country. It's true in our own lives. We want to know how the story ends.

Jacob teaches us what happens when we become so focused on securing the future that we lose sight of the God who holds the future.

But here's the remarkable thing about this story. Jacob makes a mess. And God doesn't give up on him. In fact, if you read the rest of Genesis, you'll discover that Jacob spends much of his life dealing with consequences of his own actions.

Yet through all of it, God remains faithful. God continues working. God continues guiding. God continues blessing. Not because Jacob deserves it. Because that's who God is.
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One of the most comforting truths in Scripture is that God's plans are not defeated by our mistakes.

Our mistakes have consequences, certainly. Jacob learns that. We learn that. But our failures are not the end of the story. God is still at work.

In many ways, the rest of Jacob's life becomes a long lesson in learning what he should have trusted from the beginning: that God's promises do not depend on our human manipulation.

God can be trusted. Even when we cannot see the outcome. Even when we are tempted to take shortcuts. Even when we have already made a mess of things. And I think that's good news for all of us.

Because if we're honest, most of us have our own bowl-of-stew stories. Decisions we rushed. Opportunities we mishandled. Relationships we complicated. Repairs we bungled. Moments we wish we could revisit and do differently.

Yet God is not finished with us. God was not finished with Jacob. And God is not finished with you or me.

Looking back, my home repair project eventually got done. Not quickly. Not elegantly. Not without a few lessons learned along the way. But it got finished. And yes, I had to ask for help!

And perhaps that's the good news in Jacob's story as well. Jacob makes a mess of things. A serious mess. Yet God's purposes continue. God's grace continues. God's promises continue.

The story moves forward not because Jacob gets everything right, but because God remains faithful even when Jacob does not.

Which is fortunate, because if God's plans depended on human perfection, none of us would get very far down the road!

Thanks be to God that the journey continues anyway, and God is always with us, step by step. Amen.