Dysfunctional

So this week we have been reading about Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25-32).  Dysfunction, dysfunction, dysfunction.  This family was really messed up. 

Isaac and Rebekah played favorites (Gen 25:38) with their sons Jacob and Esau.  Jacob was a manipulative deceiver (Genesis 25:29-34), and Esau wasn’t very bright.  Mom wasn’t above the fray, because Rebekah helped Jacob deceive Isaac and steal Esau’s blessing (Gen 27).  Jacob lied to his father (Gen 27:19,24). Esau then hates Jacob and makes plans to kill him (Gen 27:41).  Jacob runs off to escape Esau and began working for a fellow deceiver, his uncle Laban.  Laban tricks Jacob into marrying the wrong woman, Leah (Gen 29:25).  So Jacob repays Laban’s deception with more of his own by stealing from Laban (Gen30:40-43).  Jacob’s preferred wife, Rachel, then continues the family legacy by stealing from her father Laban as they leave (Gen 31:19).

So let’s recap: favoritism, enabling, deception, lying, selfishness, manipulation, murderous thoughts, hatred, anger, jealousy, competitiveness and stealing.  What a messed up family!  Yet this is the family that God selects through which to build His people Israel.  And this is the family through which God sends the Savior of the whole world, Jesus (Matthew 1:17)!  Long before Paul wrote Romans 8:28 (that God works out good for those who love Him), God had demonstrated this truth time and time again in the Bible – His story of love and grace running right through the stories of His people’s dysfunction!

So how you?  Feel like you’re surrounded by dysfunction?  Maybe it’s your family or your friends or your workplace or just our world all together.  Maybe you’re honest enough to see some of your own dysfunctions.  Take heart.  Be encouraged.  Our God is an amazing transformation specialist!  He can transform the worst dysfunction and use it for good and for His glory.  So God be glorified in us!  Use even our dysfunction for Your kingdom!

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         -  Jeremi, the older, shorter music guy