A Famine Not of Bread

"Jacob Wrestles with an Angel" by James Tissot Click here to listen to this sermon. Then [the Lord] said, ‘Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed’” (Genesis 32:28). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Most of you recognize that struggle builds character, and something earned is more appreciated than something received without any effort. As a result, toddlers take a couple steps, fall, and get back up again. Business owners put in long hours to get ahead. Loving parents administer discipline. Coaches preach: “No pain, no gain.” The road to anything worthwhile seems to be the tougher one. So why are we surprised when this is also true of our spiritual life. Why do we get discouraged when living our Christian faith doesn’t get easier but, in fact, becomes more of a struggle? Certainly, it doesn’t help that most of the literature found in Christian bookstores ...

"Jacob Wrestles with an Angel" by James Tissot Click here to listen to this sermon. Jacob said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me.” (Genesis 32:26). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Jacob and his caravan reach the Jabbok, a stream that flows into the Jordan from the east just about midway between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. After leading family and flocks south across the Jabbok under cover of darkness, Jacob himself goes back across the stream, apparently to spend some time alone with the Lord in prayer. As he begins once again to pour out his heart to God, he suddenly becomes aware that out of the darkness someone has grabbed hold of him and is wrestling him to the ground. The mysterious struggle continues—for hours—until the first streaks of dawn appear in the eastern sky. In commenting on this passage, Martin Luther said, “This text is one of the most obscure in the Old Testament.” Although there are ele...

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