Jacob saw Esau coming.
This scene should begin with an ominous soundtrack. For years, Jacob probably thought about the day he deceived his brother, stole his blessing, and ran away because he was afraid of the consequences. Now, after all that time, Esau was coming toward Jacob with 400 men.
And Jacob prepared for the worst. Wouldn't you?
But Genesis 33 tells a different story. One of my favorites, actually.
The text says that when Esau saw Jacob, he ran to meet him, embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him.
Jacob saw Esau and expected a fight.
Esau saw Jacob and saw his little brother.
We're not told how or why Esau changed his mind about what he wanted to do to Jacob all those years ago. But he offers me great hope for what our relationships with each other and with God can be.
We're good at carrying our failures and our regrets around. So many of us are shame bearers more than we feel like image bearers. We imagine God standing there watching us, waiting to remind us of everything we’ve done wrong.
But God runs toward us with grace and mercy.
The God who transforms enemies into family is the same God who restores relationships and heals what feels like it could never be mended.
Remember what Jacob says after he hugs Esau: “To see your face is like seeing the face of God.”
Sometimes, we encounter God’s grace through unexpected people and unexpected moments. Sometimes, the person we thought would hurt us becomes the person God uses to remind us that mercy is real.
Today, remember that you don’t have to run from God because of your past. God is already moving toward you. And the encounter you fear might actually be the God hug you need.
Stay blessed...john
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