Liar, Liar
Jacob's struggle with honesty reveals so much about our own lives and our struggle to be honest.
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“He’s a liar!” Yep, he sure is, and his actions send ripples throughout his life and the lives of so many others.
We were discussing a politician we both knew. But here’s the rub: this politician held many of the same values and positions we both felt strongly about. However, this politician had been caught in a public and inescapable lie, and not just any lie, like “I did finish my homework,” but a lie that revealed a real character flaw in this politician we so very much agreed with on so many things! As we struggled with this disappointment, something my mother taught me came to mind: “Son, always put your best foot forward.” She meant for me always to show everyone the best of who I am and what I am. Good advice, especially if you’re a leader!
There’s something powerful in deciding to be honest with yourself and everyone else. Choosing to live honestly is a grand adventure.
Look at our lesson today in Genesis 27:1-41. We won’t quote the whole passage, but the portion that deals with the lying Jacob and the furious Esau:
As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, when Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, Esau his brother came in from his hunting. He also prepared savory food, and brought it to his father. And he said to his father, “Let my father arise, and eat of his son’s game, that you may bless me.” His father Isaac said to him, “Who are you?” He answered, “I am your son, your first-born, Esau.” Then Isaac trembled violently, and said, “Who was it then that hunted game and brought it to me, and I ate it all before you came, and I have blessed him? – Yes, and he shall be blessed.” When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, O my father!” But he said, “Your brother came with guile, and he has taken away your blessing.” Esau said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright; and behold, now he has taken away my blessing.” Then he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?” Isaac answered Esau, “Behold, I have made him your lord, and all his brothers I have given to him for servants, and with grain and wine I have sustained him. What then can I do for you, my son?” Esau said to his father, “Have you but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father.” And Esau lifted up his voice and wept. Then Isaac his father answered him: “Behold, away from the fatness of the earth shall your dwelling be, and away from the dew of heaven on high. By your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother; but when you break loose you shall break his yoke from your neck.” Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and Esau said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”
This scene from the First Testament sets the stage for Jacob’s life. He will struggle with the Truth and pay the price for his dishonesty!
Let’s face it, you and I will live lives with moments of real pain, real disappointment, and a real challenge. We will be lied about, and if we’re honest, there will be times we are less than totally honest. We will face the consequences of these challenging times. And how we face these moments in our lives reveals both our strengths and our spiritual needs. The wise person of faith will pay close attention to the insights of these moments and won’t be captured by the temporary pain threatening to intoxicate us to revenge or dishonesty.
We will embrace the lifestyle of repentance that calls us to sober honesty about our sins AND a calling to ignore the sins of my brother. That sobriety sets me free from the toxic shame that keeps me distant from God and others AND the useless “scorekeeping” of constantly comparing myself to others. That is the freedom of the followers of Jesus.
Towards the end of the 6th century there lived a man named Theodore. He was born out of wedlock but lived his life so honestly that he became known for his ability to cast out demons. The was called “The Iron-eater” because of his strick discipline and his fierce treatment of the dishonesty of the demons. He was made a bishop in Galatia around 583 AD. After serving 10 years, he asked to be released from his duties so he could return to his monastic lifestyle. He was blessed to do so but then Church insisted he retain his title of bishop. He was known as a wonderworker and expereinced many miracles inj his ouwn life. Around 613 AD he reposed in peace, having lived an exemplarly honest life.
Today, let’s realize that all of us have brokenness in our lives, and the very purpose of all this spiritual labor is to apply the spiritual medicine of our Orthodox faith to those broken places and watch as God’s grace heals us and makes us like Himself. Nothing less and nothing else will ever make us Orthodox on purpose!
P.S. Since you had been known from your swaddling bands to be sanctified, and had been shown to be filled with graces, you did illuminate the world with miracles, and did drive off the swarms of demons, O sacred minister Theodore; wherefore do you beseech the Lord on our behalf.