Day 17 – January 17, 2021
Scriptures: Genesis 32-33, Matthew 11, Psalm 131 In the book of Genesis, our reading tells the story of Jacob wrestling with God. God gives Jacob a chance at a fair fight. At the end of the wrestling, God touches Jacob and gives him a hitch in his giddy-up. In our Matthew reading, John’s disciples are intrigued about Jesus. They wonder if Jesus is the one who is the Messiah, the one who will make the world right. Jesus tells the disciples of John to let John know that "the lame walk, the blind can see, the poor are lifted up, the Gospel is being proclaimed.” That’s enough info to know that Jesus is the Messiah, the one that John had been preparing Israel for throughout hjis ministry. Jacob is now known as "Israel." This shapes the rest of the story of Scripture. After wrestling with God, he gets the name, and is also given a limp. In Jesus, those who come in contact with him, they are restored, the lame now walk! “Israel” is a name given by God to say that God will struggle to make them who He desires them to be. There will be one wrestling match after the next between the people of Israel and God. This difficulty and suffering is leading Israel forward. We find ourselves in this story, realizing that we have a lot in common with Israel. God wrestles with us, to become what He desires us to be. The verse that continually makes its greatest impression on me, and I imagine for many others, is the invitation to rest from all the wrestling, and embrace the way and life of Jesus. Wrestling or Rest. What will it be? Come to Jesus, all who are weary, and embrace the rest of God. Jordan
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AuthorJordan Ickes, Minister of Etna Green Church of Christ. Archives
December 2022
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