Leaving a Legacy
I preached at KCC again yesterday and thought I would give you the highlights and add a few additional thoughts as well.
One of my favorite characters in the Bible is Jacob. He was so terribly flawed and yet he managed to live his life in a way that produced a legacy that lasted far beyond his own reach. He understood that he needed blessing. He understood that he needed an inheritance.
He took advantage of Esau’s impetuous disdain for his birthright (Gen. 25:29-34), he lied to his father to steal his blessing (Gen. 27:18-29), and then ran from his angry brother like a coward (Gen. 27:41-46). Later Jacob wrestles with an angel for a blessing from God. This is the turning point in Jacob’s life. God renames Jacob as Israel. Jacob means “supplanter” or “deceiver”. God changed his very identity, and made him the headwaters of the river that flowed through history to produce the chosen people of God and the Messiah. How’s that for a legacy!
Interestingly, before his name is changed the angel asks, “What is your name?” Jacob replies, “I am Jacob.” This exchange reminds me of God calling out in Eden, “Adam, where are you?” He’s not looking for information, but rather a willful admission of guilt. In Jacob’s case, he was not just admitting to some mistakes but rather he was admitting that his very identity was flawed beyond repair. He needed it replaced entirely. Are we any different?
When Jacob wrestled with the angel and won the blessing, he was left with a permanent limp. He was forever marked by the struggle. His weakness was no longer hidden, but exposed. But instead of the weakness being a thing of shame, it was a mark of blessing. It was a badge of honor and a reminder of what God had done.
I often say that men and women who do not limp, have not yet wrestled with God. But we so often look at those around us and honor those that do not limp, and disregard those that do. We expect our salaried preachers to be spit polished models of perfect Christian Living who never cuss, yell at their kids, or watch Chuck Norris movies. Likewise, we put that same expectation on each other.
The result is that when God asks us, “What is your name?” we deny to God that we are flawed beyond repair. The wrestling never ends because we refuse to see who we really are. We want the blessing without the identity change. We never manage to carve out a legacy for ourselves and those that come after us. This is why children who are abused often become abusers. This is why children of alcoholic parents often become alcoholics themselves. This is why dysfunctional families beget more dysfunctional families. This is also, in part, why many churches perpetuate the same problems that keep them from growing year after year.
The good news is that all it takes is one person to wrestle with God, admit their flawed condition, and receive the new identity to impact the destiny of the generations that follow.
I closed with the following video called “I Was Here”.
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Categorized as Life, Family Life, Media, Video
