Rabbi’s Reflections – Saturday, December 14, 2019
Shabbat Shalom *|FNAME|*,
This is very likely to be one of the shortest RRs. However; it has already brought tears to my eyes. I hope you enjoy it.
Rabbi Trail: I don’t say that very often, but I do hope you enjoy reading all of them. I certainly enjoy writing them. Some I like better than others. I’m not saying where this one fits on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest. End RT.
I was captivated to tears over this piece of a verse from this week’s Torah reading. Jacob is speaking to his brother Esau. Jacob is expressing his relief. He thought Esau was going to kill him (like he promised he would).
Jacob his faced his big fear, the fear of death, head-on. In faith he was ready to lose his life. He ran out in front of everyone else in his family to meet his fate at his brother’s hand, only to be hugged instead of killed. Then Jacob spoke these words to Esau…
Genesis 33:10b For this is the reason I’ve seen your face—it is like seeing the face of God—and you’ve accepted me!
What grabbed me? It’s the phrase, “You’ve accepted me!” We all want to be accepted. Especially by our family members and especially by God. We all want “the father’s blessing.” Our earthly fathers give us what they can, but sadly, for many, they don’t have it to give.
There is plenty of rejection to go around. We should be careful not to reject God’s creation.
But our advocate is the Son of God, Who says, “Hold it right there! I went to earth and died on the cross for that one. I have been resurrected so that he/she might have eternal resurrected life through Me. We will receive this one into Our family.” And so we are saved.
May we all pause for a moment to pray a prayer of thanksgiving to God that starts with the words of Jacob, “You’ve accepted me, and I am thankful.”