Have you ever had to apologize? Have you ever had to forgive someone? Apologizing and forgiving are two of the hardest burdens you and I will ever have to bear. Pride is what keeps one from apologizing and another from forgiving. They say, “I’m not going to apologize. I didn’t even do anything wrong!” The other says, “They will have to beg for mercy if I’m ever going to forgive them.” Today’s reading is a story of apologizing and forgiveness.
It had been twenty years since Jacob had deceptively stolen Esau’s blessing. A lot had happened in those twenty years since Isaac and Rebekah advised Jacob to flee from Esau’s revenge (Gen. 27:41-46).
After Jacob’s departure from Laban, the Lord told Jacob to travel back to his home country (Gen. 31:13). Jacob sent messengers to see if Esau was still upset. Word got back to Jacob that Esau had four hundred men with him to meet Jacob. Jacob’s first impulse was to separate his band into two. If one part of the group was attacked, then the other group could escape. Jacob’s first thought wasn’t to ask Esau for mercy. Jacob’s first plan was to preserve his life. Then Jacob had a better idea: prayer. Jacob decided to pray and remind God of His promises (Gen. 32:9-12). He asked God to deliver him from Esau’s retaliation. Friends, pray when you don’t know what else to do. Prayer can change any situation.
When Jacob met Esau, he fell down at Esau’s feet. Jacob had made a living by scheming and planning. The best idea Jacob came up with was asking for Esau’s forgiveness. Esau fell upon his brother’s neck and they wept together. Jacob gave a gift to Esau and said, “I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me” (Gen. 33:10) Jacob apologized, and Esau forgave him. When Esau forgave him, Jacob said it was like looking at the face of God.
Beloved, when we apologize, that’s when we are the most Christian. On the other hand, when we forgive, that’s when we are most like Christ.