A Family Healed and Restored by Grace

Prompt: A Happy Family, by Makoto Shinkai

Note: This article is the first part and serves as an introduction to the sermon that I will be delivering in our Chapel Service this coming 12 September 2023.

Watching America’s Got Talent, I saw this stand-up comedian who says, “In the West, 49% of marriages end in divorce.” Then he asked, “What does it mean?” He answered his own question and said that it means 51% of marriages end in death. And then he gave a piece of advice to those who are married to enjoy it while they can for it does not end well. I am not sure how many laughed at his joke.

The song that we just sung says:

Pag-isahin Mo
Ang laman ng aming puso
Pag-isahin Mo
Ang laman ng aming isipan
Bigkisin ng Iyong pag-ibig
Bigkisin ng Iyong pagmamahal
Hesus maghari Ka sa aming buhay

The song talks about harmony, unity, or oneness that is supposed to characterize the Christian marriage, the Christian family, the Christian community like PTS, and the church. The first stanza tells us about pride that causes hostility and disunity. This is the foremost sin that causes division and strife. The second part of the chorus shows us the solution, which is the love of Christ. And love is the concrete demonstration that Christ is indeed the King in your life.

Unfortunately, in many cases, the reality in the Christian life both within our homes and the church is the exact opposite of the message of the song. Living in this fallen world, not even Christian families are exempted from broken homes. Serving for just a few months in the Business Office, I realized that many of our parents and students who struggle to pay the tuition fee have a domestic problem.

How are we to respond to these challenges, to these ugly faces of evil that are staring and threatening the harmony even of Christian homes?

The reason why I selected Genesis 25:19-34 as our passage this morning is because the theme of hostility and separation within the covenant family is central in this narrative. And if such hostility is not removed, it can lead to complications and broken relationships. The kind of brokenness by the way we can read in our passage is not between lovers but between brothers. Our text does not speak about broken families but the theme of hostility has far wider ramifications or consequences that can destroy relationships between brothers, sisters in Christ, married couples, parents and children, teachers and students, bosses and employees.

Hostility characterizes human relationships in various spheres of life whether interpersonal, domestic, economic, religious, or political. History is our teacher and guide that shows us this ugly reality of human relationships.

From a biblical perspective, human hostility is caused by the reality of sin. Every man born into this world is hostile to God and such hostility can be covered up even by a show of religiosity. Hence, the reason for the existence of numerous religions. Man, under the state of sin, cannot accept the reality of God the Creator and the Redeemer revealed in the Bible, and that’s why man made it his business to create gods in their own images. Those are the only kind of gods that man can accept.

This vertical hostility manifests itself in diverse horizontal aspects of human life beginning with oneself; with the individual closest to him or her; with people who are different in social class, gender, religion, and color, and; even with the environment. And so not unless this vertical hostility is addressed, man will continue to hurt himself, his spouse, and his children whether intentionally or not. This vertical hostility is the root and the psychological, social, and environmental aspects of it are the fruits.

What is the Bible’s response to this vertical hostility or spiritual enmity against God? The message of the Bible is very clear. This primary kind of hostility can only be removed by the power of grace.

Concerning our passage this morning, the hostility among Ishmael’s descendants mentioned in Genesis 25:18 serves as an introduction to the hostility between two brothers as we read here in Genesis 25:19-34. This shows that hostility is not only confined to those outside the covenant community but also among people within the covenant community, at least as far as the external observance of its requirements is concerned. For Esau, as we know, though part of the external covenant community is not really part of its internal reality.

The hostility between Esau and Jacob started before their birth, showed up at their birth, and continued as young adults. As far as the human perspective is concerned, the primary reason for this hostility is due to the personality of Jacob. He is described as deceitful. There we see the power of God’s grace to transform a deceitful man who paved the way to end the hostility with his brother and prepared him to be a channel of God’s grace to others.

This morning, as we reflect on God’s word and apply it to our situation, let us see how the grace of God removes the hostility between brothers and thereby heals a broken relationship and restores a family.

Grace and peace!

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