Day 14

Genesis 30:1–31:16; Matthew 10:1-23; Psalm 12:1-8; Proverbs 3:13-15

IN OUR READING from Genesis yesterday and today, Jacob arrived in his ancestral homeland and was welcomed by his uncle Laban. He fell in love with Laban’s daughter Rachel and offered to work seven years to marry her, but the morning after the wedding brought quite a surprise —Rachel’s older sister, Leah, was lying next to him. He’d slept with the wrong girl! Laban made Jacob work another seven years for Rachel, his true love.

In the end, the sisters Leah and Rachel were married to the same man, and only one of them was loved. This favoritism caused conflict and initiated a war between the sisters to provide the most children. But these children are extremely important to the biblical narrative, as we shall soon see.

As deliberately cunning as Laban was toward Jacob, God used Jacob’s time in Laban’s household to eventually make Jacob very wealthy. But Jacob longed to return to the land of his father, Isaac —which would be no small task. Jacob and his wives made a plan and left secretly while Laban was away.

Today in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus sent His disciples out for some on-the-job training, effectively giving them instructions for what to do after He was gone. Essentially, He said: “Go. It doesn’t have to be far away; there’s no need for fanfare or publicity. You don’t need anything to do it but your presence. Go to the adrift, perplexed people around you. Tell them that the Kingdom is near. You’ve been treated generously, so live generously.” Jesus gave us this same permission and instruction to go out into our neighborhoods —into our spheres of influence —and tell people about the incredible offer of salvation. And Jesus’ words complement today’s reading from Proverbs, which says that having wisdom —operating in life with clarity and direction —is worth far more than money or power or anything else we could desire.

Know and walk with God today, and live with purpose. Hear the words of Jesus, and go.

MEDITATION:

Wisdom is more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold. Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.