{"id":784,"date":"2013-04-19T14:08:05","date_gmt":"2013-04-19T18:08:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/?p=784"},"modified":"2013-04-19T14:08:05","modified_gmt":"2013-04-19T18:08:05","slug":"var-_gaq-_gaq-_gaq-push_setaccount-ua-25646250-2-_gaq-push_trackpageview-function-var-ga-document-createelementscript-ga-type-textjavascript-ga-31","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/?p=784","title":{"rendered":"<script type=\"text\/javascript\">  var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-25646250-2']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);  (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text\/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https:\/\/ssl' : 'http:\/\/www') + '.google-analytics.com\/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })();  <\/script>  <\/heat> Isaac, Esau, and the Blessing &#8211; Held on Sunday, April 14, 2013"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>Personal Note on Posting Timeline<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Our summer program gained some determination as we agreed to discuss the topic of Evangelization on a once a month basis.\u00a0 At present nine members have committed to gather.\u00a0 Today\u2019s post of Sunday, April 7 gathering leaves us with only three more sessions.<\/p>\n<p><b>Preview<\/b><\/p>\n<p>As I listened to the discussion of April 7, one of St. Augustine\u2019s memorable quotes came to mind, <span style=\"color: #444444;\"><b>\u201cThou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in thee.\u201d<\/b> We are on the move, restless, and only God can quite that restlessness.<\/span>\u00a0 We are made that way. \u00a0Those who gather, gather in part because they are searching, wondering which is a critical example of that restlessness in who we are.\u00a0 All the answers to our searching only cause to search more \u2026<b><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Background: Gen. 28: 30 \u2013 40: Isaac, Esau, and the Blessing<\/b><\/p>\n<p>This episode begins as does the previous one, only it is Esau not Jacob who prepares the meal, approaches his father for his blessing.<span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 Again Isaac asks who is it that approaches him; he learns that Jacob has deceived him and for the first that time that Jacob has obtained the birthright from Esau.<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 The blessing once given though cannot be withdrawn.<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 Esau is beside himself, and incessantly asks for a blessing.<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 Isaac ultimately relents and blesses Esau, though the nature of the blessing is ambiguous, more so in the Greek than the English.<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 It is critical to recognize that in the story Esau is the progenitor of the some of the non-chosen.<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 Inherent in selecting Jacob, there is a non-selection of everyone else.<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 It is this fact that dominated our discussion, more in me perhaps than in the group.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>The Reading: <\/b>Gen. 28: 30 \u2013 40. <b><a href=\"http:\/\/www.usccb.org\/bible\/genesis\/28\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">http:\/\/www.usccb.org\/bible\/genesis\/28<\/span><\/a><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">.<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p>Once again Ken began our discussion with keen observation. \u00a0\u00a0He recognized a theme in the selection of the younger brother over the elder brother and wondered first if that was true and, if true, what it might mean.\u00a0 The theme is definitely true.\u00a0 In some ways God\u2019s selection of the Israelites themselves is similar to his choice of the younger and resonates with me at least in Paul\u2019s words in 1 Cor. 26:29<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201dConsider your own calling, brothers. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something, so that no human being might boast before God<span style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>For me Ken\u2019s observation raised a fundamental question that I thought was addressed in this story of the blessing of Esau.<span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 An hour later, and reflecting on what transpired during the ensuing week, left me knowing that the issue certainly was more mine than the groups.<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 The question that I had, what does it mean to be \u201cchosen\u201d by God especially in relation to the \u201cnon-chosen.\u201d<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>I began by offering some simple statistical facts of the world as it exists today.<span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 These numbers are roundings; Google \u201cWorld population of \u2026\u201d to get the most up to date figures.<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 There are 7 billion of us on the planet; about 2 billion are Christian of whom 1.2 billion are Catholic.<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 Another 2 billion are Muslim and a mere 13.3 million, Jews.<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 If all of these people of the Book, think in some way or another that they are chosen, none are a majority.<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 But there is only one God and He\/She is God of all, of the entire universe [s].<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 All that is, simply put.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>So is being chosen a privilege and thus the non-chosen are thus not privilege.<span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 Or perhaps being chosen is a responsibility.<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 In the midst of our lengthy conversation, Ken pointed out that the blessing of Jacob within the story is much preferred over that of Esau.<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 Compare the two blessing and there is no question, Ken is correct.<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 But the historical facts raise a further question for me at least.<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 Take for example, Jacob \/ Israel was blessed with an abundance of grain and wine.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">May God give to you<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">of the dew of the heavens<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">And of the fertility of the earth<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">abundance of grain and wine.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>But historically is that true?<span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 Was Israel blessed with an abundance of grain and wine?<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 I think that the answer is no.<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 And that the \u201cno\u201d allowed the Israelites to keep searching, an utterly unique feature of the chosen people.<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 In other words the Promise is something more.<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 The question remains is the Promise, whatever its fulfillment is, meant only for the chosen people whether those chose be the Jews, the Christians, the Catholics, the Muslims, the whoever.<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n<p>As the conversation developed I asked what for me was a follow up question, what makes Christians, Christian.<span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 After considerable back and forth, Annette pointed us in the right direction when she said that it is what we believe.<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 The natural follow up though is well what do we believe.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>There was a host of answers; Jody even went into the church to get the Missalette, to focus attention on the Nicene Creed.<span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 But to each of their responses, I would counter with the question, well what does that mean.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>1 Jesus saves us from our sins \u2013 well what does that mean?<span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 Keep in mind that after Jesus\u2019 death and resurrection the world in a fundamental sense was no different and in another fundamental sense, will never be the same again.<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 What difference did Jesus make?<\/span><\/p>\n<p>2. So we could go to heaven.<span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 Well certainly we all want to go to heaven, yet such a goal is not expressed in the Nicene Creed.<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 If fact, it states that we await the resurrection of the dead.<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 What does \u201cgo to heaven\u201d actually mean, especially to those who don\u2019t believe &#8211; the majority of human beings?<\/span><\/p>\n<p>I concluded that Esau was blessed, he wasn\u2019t cursed.<span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 The chosen were then, and continued through the scripture, told to treat the foreigner well.<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 Being chosen is more responsibility than a privilege.<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 The Promise is the fulfillment of our hopes and dreams and as Christians we believe that such fulfillment has been realized in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Well enough for my ramblings which represent pretty well what happened last week.\u00a0 We just never know what happens at our gather until it is over.\u00a0 Remarkable in itself.<\/p>\n<p>Your comments, observations, questions are welcomed.\u00a0 See \u201ccomment\u201d link below<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Personal Note on Posting Timeline Our summer program gained some determination as we agreed to discuss the topic of Evangelization on a once a month basis.\u00a0 At present nine members have committed to gather.\u00a0 Today\u2019s post of Sunday, April 7 &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/?p=784\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[18,19],"class_list":["post-784","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-scripture","tag-religion-and-culture","tag-scripture-study"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/784","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=784"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/784\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":785,"href":"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/784\/revisions\/785"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=784"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=784"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rjr.richardross.annaerossi.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=784"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}