Dysfunctional patriarchy

Today’s first reading (Genesis 27:1-5, 15-29) does not sound very edifying: an eavesdropping wife conspires with one son to deceive his elderly, blind father and cheat the other son.

The deceiving son, Jacob, will be remembered as one of the great patriarchs of the people of God: included even in God’s great self-identification at the burning bush (Exodus 3:6):

I am the God of thy father,
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac,
and the God of Jacob.

The Lord would hold Jacob to account for his conduct (Hosea 12:3f), but through Jacob – as imperfect as Jacob was – God would bring great blessings not only to his descendents but also to the entire world. Such is the power of God’s grace.

We ourselves can be dysfunctional. We ourselves are sinful. Yet God’s grace can not only advance us down the road to restitution and recovery, but can bring great blessings to others through our unworthy efforts.

Praise the name of the Lord

(from an earlier post)