John 21:1-19
“Our Money Story: Restore”
Preached Sunday, November 13, 2022
Let me tell you a story that matters.
Once there were two brothers, twins! They moved around a lot in their mother’s womb, pushing against her and causing her to wonder what she got herself into. I think a lot of pregnant women think that! And so her children were born, the first came out red and hairy and his mom gave him the name Esau. The second brother came quickly after the first, holding on to his heel. And she named him Jacob.
The two boys grew up and Esau loved being outdoors. He was especially good at hunting. Jacob, meanwhile, was more of a quiet, subdued type who preferred staying at home. They may have been brothers, born on the same day, raised in the same home - but they were very different people. And still, they loved one another and Jacob loved Esau - especially when he brought home fresh game and it was made into stew. Truly, a good stew is the way to a man’s heart. But the thing was, Jacob and Esau’s mom, her name was Rebekah, she played favorites. She loved Jacob more. Maybe that was the start of a rivalry between the brothers. Many brothers are rivals but it’s got to cut a little closer to home when the thing you are competing for is your mother’s love.
And so, one day, when Jacob was making stew and Esau came back from a hunt, famished, Esau asked Jacob for some of the soup. Jacob, said, sure - but it will cost you your birthright. That’s a high price to pay for a bowl of soup! But Esau thought little of his birthright and said, sure!
The brothers continued to grow up and Esau married two women - it was normal in those days for men to have multiple wives - but these women were foreigners, from a different tribe - and because of that their in-laws didn’t much approve of them. And so, very likely, this was another sore spot in the brothers’ relationship.
And so, while Jacob and Esau’s father was on his deathbed - his name was Isaac - Isaac summoned Esau and asked him for one last dying wish. Will you go hunt for me? Bring back game and make me some of that delicious stew - as I said, a good stew is truly the way to a man’s heart - bring me some of that delicious stew that I might enjoy it one last time. And after that, I know I am going to die, so I will give you my final blessing. So Esau, a dutiful son, leaves to do his father’s last will.
But Rebekah, the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob and Esau, she was eavesdropping on this whole conversation. And the thing about Isaac, about her husband, at this point in his life, he was practically blind. So she said to the son she loved most, “Jacob, go get two goats from our flock so that we can turn them into stew, I will give it to you to serve your father and then YOU will get his blessing instead of your brother.”
“But mom,” Jacob must have replied, “that won’t work. Even if he’s blind, Dad will know I’m not Esau - he’s hairy and I’m not.” But his mom said, “Don’t worry, I’ve got a plan.” So she made the soup, dressed Jacob in his brother’s clothes, and covered his arms in the hide of the young goats.
When he went to go serve his dad the food, Isaac was confused. Are you really my oldest son, Esau? The voice is off but you brought me the delicious soup and your arms are hairy, you even smell like him…so he ate the soup and then blessed Jacob, thinking he was Esau. He gave him the best blessing, meant for his oldest son.
When Esau returned and brought his father stew made with the game from his hunt, his father was extremely distressed. And that’s an understatement. The poor dying man’s heart could barely take it and his whole body trembled violently. And he put two and two together and realized his youngest son had deceived him and said as such to Esau. And Esau, Esau was devastated - he fell to his knees, let out a cry filled with agony and wept - tears of distress and tears of anger. He was so mad at his brother. First he took his birthright from him. How stupid he was to be so young and naive and to trade it for a bowl of soup. And now this? He trembled with anger.
He practically begged his dad: “Bless me too! Didn’t you save a blessing for me?” Now, we might be thinking, why can’t Isaac just say the same thing to Esau that he said to Jacob? But that’s not how blessings worked back then. Isaac had blessed Jacob that he would be powerful, that his brother would be his servant, that he would have grain and wine aplenty. What was left to bless Esau with?
So Jacob gave Esau a blessing - that he would make himself a home, that he would live by his sword and serve his brother…but that he would be able to get out from his brother’s controlling grasp.
Talk about settling for a lesser blessing.
And Esau was beyond furious. He was tired of his brother’s scheming and planning. He was tired of the rivalry. Tired of competing for his mother’s love. And so he let his anger get the best of him and he started hatching his own plan. He would wait until his father had died, wait until the time of mourning was over, and then he would kill his brother.
But their mom caught wind of all this and sent Jacob away, to find women to marry, to start a life, and to wait until the day when Esau’s rage had abated.
Many years pass. Jacob gets married to two sisters, Rachel and Leah. They have children together. Jacob gets into some more trouble with his father-in-law…but that’s another story for another time. And so Jacob decided it was finally time to return to where he came from…and to make things right with Esau. But he was afraid of his brother, afraid of his rage, afraid that not only he would be killed but that so would his wives and his children. So he sent a messenger to his brother, to tell him: “I’m coming home. Please be kind. To me and to mine.”
His messenger returned and said, “Esau got your message and he’s coming to meet you…him and 100 men.”
100 men!? Why would he need so many? Surely to kill Jacob and all of his family. But Jacob, Jacob always had a plan. From stew for a birthright, goat skin on his arms, the trouble he’d gotten into with his father-in-law…his plans had worked every time. So he set aside a huge amount of gifts - goats, rams, and ewes, camels, cows and bulls…and he sent each ahead with a servant, in four groups, to meet his brother on the way. Each time his messenger was to tell Esau that this was a gift from his brother - no, not just from his brother, a gift from his servant.
And we know the rest of the story, Ken read it from the Scripture this morning. Esau met Jacob and tried to give back the gifts that he had been given asking for his kindness. But Jacob insisted - he knew he had done wrong by his brother. His other plans that involved his brother…those made their relationship all wrong, broken. It split them apart. This time, this plan, he wanted to make things right again. And Esau, who Jacob was so sure was coming to murder him… Esau accepts the gifts, accepts him, forgives him, meets him with kindness. And in that act, Jacob tells his brother that seeing his face again was like seeing the face of God - you know you’ve messed up and might deserve judgment, but there is only warmth and forgiveness there.
Let me tell you another story that matters. And since I took so long to tell you the last story, you’re going to get the cliff notes version of this one.
At the Last Supper Jesus told Peter that he would deny him three times. Peter swore he would never, he loved Jesus, how could he do such a thing? But Jesus was arrested and Peter was afraid for his life and he lied about knowing Jesus. Not once, not twice, but three times. He was ashamed of himself. He must have felt he had broken his relationship with Jesus, with his friend, his teacher, the person he loved and looked up to the most in the world. And on top of that, it was the last thing he did before Jesus died….but that’s not the end of the story. Jesus came back and came to Peter on the beach - and when Peter realized it was him, Peter got to Jesus as fast as he could and then Jesus asked him three times - do you love me? And three times Peter said yes. And three times Jesus said back, then feed my sheep.
Peter is given a chance to make his relationship with Jesus right again - and it’s not just the words, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.” It’s also the new story and new direction that Peter has for his life. One - that his life no longer belongs to him. And two - that he will work the rest of his life for right relationship: right relationship with God and right relationship with the rest of the world, as Peter would live the rest of his days doing just what Jesus asked him to do, to feed his sheep.
These are two stories that matter. This sermon series we have been talking about stories that matter - money stories and faith stories, more often than not, they are one in the same.
We told the story of Judas’s betrayal of Jesus for money…but how he was still welcomed at the table.
We told the story of the Israelites in the desert, complaining that they’d rather be enslaved than be hungry and free - and God still fed them manna, re-writing their story.
We told the story of the man who walked away from Jesus grieving because he had many possessions and how we should open our hands to the poor and the needy.
We told the story of the widow who gave away all she had, a story of caution for churches and those who have the responsibility of gifts given to God through us, to use them for the good of all, to build God’s Kingdom here and now.
We told the story of Jubilee - of what could be on the day when all debts are forgiven, all burdens released.
And today we told two stories of right relationship being restored: two brothers and the giving of gifts and Peter and Jesus AND Peter and the whole world, the rock on which Jesus would build his church would go on to do what Jesus commanded, to feed his sheep.
And we are all called to right relationship. Right relationship with God, right relationships with each other…and our relationship to money can either help restore right relationship or a broken relationship with money can cause further brokenness. I’m NOT saying you have to have money to have a right relationship with God and neighbor - that’s not what I’m saying at all. More so, how you view and use your money is going to impact your relationships. With God and with neighbor. I don’t think I need to lay those out - we see it in our world and we’ve talked about it through all the stories we’ve told in this sermon series.
There is no denying that the stories we told are all faith stories and that they are money stories too. They are so intertwined that we can’t separate the two out.
Before I wrap this sermon up, I’d like to tell you one more story that matters…but it’s not my story to tell. That money story and that faith story is yours. What your money story is, how you’ve let go of parts, let God re-write it, how it continues to take shape, and how you use your gifts and resources to seek right relationship with God and neighbor.
That’s your money story. And it’s your faith story. And it’s no one’s to tell except yours.
AND, know you are not alone in your story - here in this space, we are all seeking right relationship:
Right relationship with God.
Right relationship with neighbor.
Right relationship with the world.
Right relationship with our money narratives that shape how we interact with God, neighbor, and world.
Your story is your own - and you are not alone.
Together, may we all share our stories and seek right relationships.
Amen.
The two boys grew up and Esau loved being outdoors. He was especially good at hunting. Jacob, meanwhile, was more of a quiet, subdued type who preferred staying at home. They may have been brothers, born on the same day, raised in the same home - but they were very different people. And still, they loved one another and Jacob loved Esau - especially when he brought home fresh game and it was made into stew. Truly, a good stew is the way to a man’s heart. But the thing was, Jacob and Esau’s mom, her name was Rebekah, she played favorites. She loved Jacob more. Maybe that was the start of a rivalry between the brothers. Many brothers are rivals but it’s got to cut a little closer to home when the thing you are competing for is your mother’s love.
And so, one day, when Jacob was making stew and Esau came back from a hunt, famished, Esau asked Jacob for some of the soup. Jacob, said, sure - but it will cost you your birthright. That’s a high price to pay for a bowl of soup! But Esau thought little of his birthright and said, sure!
The brothers continued to grow up and Esau married two women - it was normal in those days for men to have multiple wives - but these women were foreigners, from a different tribe - and because of that their in-laws didn’t much approve of them. And so, very likely, this was another sore spot in the brothers’ relationship.
And so, while Jacob and Esau’s father was on his deathbed - his name was Isaac - Isaac summoned Esau and asked him for one last dying wish. Will you go hunt for me? Bring back game and make me some of that delicious stew - as I said, a good stew is truly the way to a man’s heart - bring me some of that delicious stew that I might enjoy it one last time. And after that, I know I am going to die, so I will give you my final blessing. So Esau, a dutiful son, leaves to do his father’s last will.
But Rebekah, the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob and Esau, she was eavesdropping on this whole conversation. And the thing about Isaac, about her husband, at this point in his life, he was practically blind. So she said to the son she loved most, “Jacob, go get two goats from our flock so that we can turn them into stew, I will give it to you to serve your father and then YOU will get his blessing instead of your brother.”
“But mom,” Jacob must have replied, “that won’t work. Even if he’s blind, Dad will know I’m not Esau - he’s hairy and I’m not.” But his mom said, “Don’t worry, I’ve got a plan.” So she made the soup, dressed Jacob in his brother’s clothes, and covered his arms in the hide of the young goats.
When he went to go serve his dad the food, Isaac was confused. Are you really my oldest son, Esau? The voice is off but you brought me the delicious soup and your arms are hairy, you even smell like him…so he ate the soup and then blessed Jacob, thinking he was Esau. He gave him the best blessing, meant for his oldest son.
When Esau returned and brought his father stew made with the game from his hunt, his father was extremely distressed. And that’s an understatement. The poor dying man’s heart could barely take it and his whole body trembled violently. And he put two and two together and realized his youngest son had deceived him and said as such to Esau. And Esau, Esau was devastated - he fell to his knees, let out a cry filled with agony and wept - tears of distress and tears of anger. He was so mad at his brother. First he took his birthright from him. How stupid he was to be so young and naive and to trade it for a bowl of soup. And now this? He trembled with anger.
He practically begged his dad: “Bless me too! Didn’t you save a blessing for me?” Now, we might be thinking, why can’t Isaac just say the same thing to Esau that he said to Jacob? But that’s not how blessings worked back then. Isaac had blessed Jacob that he would be powerful, that his brother would be his servant, that he would have grain and wine aplenty. What was left to bless Esau with?
So Jacob gave Esau a blessing - that he would make himself a home, that he would live by his sword and serve his brother…but that he would be able to get out from his brother’s controlling grasp.
Talk about settling for a lesser blessing.
And Esau was beyond furious. He was tired of his brother’s scheming and planning. He was tired of the rivalry. Tired of competing for his mother’s love. And so he let his anger get the best of him and he started hatching his own plan. He would wait until his father had died, wait until the time of mourning was over, and then he would kill his brother.
But their mom caught wind of all this and sent Jacob away, to find women to marry, to start a life, and to wait until the day when Esau’s rage had abated.
Many years pass. Jacob gets married to two sisters, Rachel and Leah. They have children together. Jacob gets into some more trouble with his father-in-law…but that’s another story for another time. And so Jacob decided it was finally time to return to where he came from…and to make things right with Esau. But he was afraid of his brother, afraid of his rage, afraid that not only he would be killed but that so would his wives and his children. So he sent a messenger to his brother, to tell him: “I’m coming home. Please be kind. To me and to mine.”
His messenger returned and said, “Esau got your message and he’s coming to meet you…him and 100 men.”
100 men!? Why would he need so many? Surely to kill Jacob and all of his family. But Jacob, Jacob always had a plan. From stew for a birthright, goat skin on his arms, the trouble he’d gotten into with his father-in-law…his plans had worked every time. So he set aside a huge amount of gifts - goats, rams, and ewes, camels, cows and bulls…and he sent each ahead with a servant, in four groups, to meet his brother on the way. Each time his messenger was to tell Esau that this was a gift from his brother - no, not just from his brother, a gift from his servant.
And we know the rest of the story, Ken read it from the Scripture this morning. Esau met Jacob and tried to give back the gifts that he had been given asking for his kindness. But Jacob insisted - he knew he had done wrong by his brother. His other plans that involved his brother…those made their relationship all wrong, broken. It split them apart. This time, this plan, he wanted to make things right again. And Esau, who Jacob was so sure was coming to murder him… Esau accepts the gifts, accepts him, forgives him, meets him with kindness. And in that act, Jacob tells his brother that seeing his face again was like seeing the face of God - you know you’ve messed up and might deserve judgment, but there is only warmth and forgiveness there.
Let me tell you another story that matters. And since I took so long to tell you the last story, you’re going to get the cliff notes version of this one.
At the Last Supper Jesus told Peter that he would deny him three times. Peter swore he would never, he loved Jesus, how could he do such a thing? But Jesus was arrested and Peter was afraid for his life and he lied about knowing Jesus. Not once, not twice, but three times. He was ashamed of himself. He must have felt he had broken his relationship with Jesus, with his friend, his teacher, the person he loved and looked up to the most in the world. And on top of that, it was the last thing he did before Jesus died….but that’s not the end of the story. Jesus came back and came to Peter on the beach - and when Peter realized it was him, Peter got to Jesus as fast as he could and then Jesus asked him three times - do you love me? And three times Peter said yes. And three times Jesus said back, then feed my sheep.
Peter is given a chance to make his relationship with Jesus right again - and it’s not just the words, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.” It’s also the new story and new direction that Peter has for his life. One - that his life no longer belongs to him. And two - that he will work the rest of his life for right relationship: right relationship with God and right relationship with the rest of the world, as Peter would live the rest of his days doing just what Jesus asked him to do, to feed his sheep.
These are two stories that matter. This sermon series we have been talking about stories that matter - money stories and faith stories, more often than not, they are one in the same.
We told the story of Judas’s betrayal of Jesus for money…but how he was still welcomed at the table.
We told the story of the Israelites in the desert, complaining that they’d rather be enslaved than be hungry and free - and God still fed them manna, re-writing their story.
We told the story of the man who walked away from Jesus grieving because he had many possessions and how we should open our hands to the poor and the needy.
We told the story of the widow who gave away all she had, a story of caution for churches and those who have the responsibility of gifts given to God through us, to use them for the good of all, to build God’s Kingdom here and now.
We told the story of Jubilee - of what could be on the day when all debts are forgiven, all burdens released.
And today we told two stories of right relationship being restored: two brothers and the giving of gifts and Peter and Jesus AND Peter and the whole world, the rock on which Jesus would build his church would go on to do what Jesus commanded, to feed his sheep.
And we are all called to right relationship. Right relationship with God, right relationships with each other…and our relationship to money can either help restore right relationship or a broken relationship with money can cause further brokenness. I’m NOT saying you have to have money to have a right relationship with God and neighbor - that’s not what I’m saying at all. More so, how you view and use your money is going to impact your relationships. With God and with neighbor. I don’t think I need to lay those out - we see it in our world and we’ve talked about it through all the stories we’ve told in this sermon series.
There is no denying that the stories we told are all faith stories and that they are money stories too. They are so intertwined that we can’t separate the two out.
Before I wrap this sermon up, I’d like to tell you one more story that matters…but it’s not my story to tell. That money story and that faith story is yours. What your money story is, how you’ve let go of parts, let God re-write it, how it continues to take shape, and how you use your gifts and resources to seek right relationship with God and neighbor.
That’s your money story. And it’s your faith story. And it’s no one’s to tell except yours.
AND, know you are not alone in your story - here in this space, we are all seeking right relationship:
Right relationship with God.
Right relationship with neighbor.
Right relationship with the world.
Right relationship with our money narratives that shape how we interact with God, neighbor, and world.
Your story is your own - and you are not alone.
Together, may we all share our stories and seek right relationships.
Amen.
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