Gen. 33-35
Though Jacob returned “home”, he did not go back to his father right away. After he met with his brother, he made excuses and settled in Succoth instead. It seems to me that he was avoiding his father. He was perhaps avoiding God’s plan for him as well. I believe, though, that the name of the altar he built there was the first time he acknowledged God as his God (rather than the God of his father).
As often occurs when trying to avoid things, trouble ensued with his daughter Dinah. It seems, however, that God used that trouble to move Jacob back to where he should have been. I believe it is at this point that Jacob fully commits himself to God. He finally cleanses his family of any foreign gods, and God, for the second time, changes his name to Israel. God was persistent with Jacob, and Jacob was persistent in avoiding, delaying, resisting, and contending with God. It is comforting to know that God never gave up on the proud and stubborn soul that was Jacob – it leaves some hope for me.
There are a few other things of note in these chapters:
1. Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn (who should have received the blessings and birthright of the family) fell out of favor over Jacob’s concubine, Bilhah. Sons 2&3, Levi and Simeon, fell out of favor over their sister Dinah. That left Judah next in line, which is how son #4 – Judah – became the prominent one in Jesus’ line.
2. Rebekah’s nurse, Deborah, was, for some reason, with Jacob when she died and was buried near Bethel. Why was Deborah with Jacob’s company? There is no mention of Rebekah’s death in the Bible. Did she perhaps hear of Jacob’s settling in Succoth and go to join him there with her nurse?
3. Finally, it is interesting to note that Rachel was not buried with the other prominent names in this historical narrative in the cave that Abraham bought.
Matt. 20:17-34
Here we have a continuation of Jesus’ “first are last / greatest are least” narrative. He makes it perfectly clear that being a leader in God’s kingdom does not mean that you lord it over anyone else but, rather, that you serve and suffer for those in your charge. Perhaps I have always known this and it is why I have never wanted to be in charge of anyone – I would much rather be a nobody than to “drink from [Jesus’] cup”! I’m not sure people know what they are asking for when they desire to be considered “great” in God’s kingdom!! That being said, Lord, make me willing to drink from your cup and to not avoid you and your plan as Jacob seems to have done.
One other thing I find interesting – why is it that sometimes Jesus heals with nothing more than a simple touch or a word and other times he does elaborate things like making spit mud balls and the like?