From the beginning he was quite a character. During her pregnancy, Rebecca was having a lot of discomfort and inquired of God why she was suffering. The answer she received came as a form of prophecy. She was told that the twins she was carrying were fighting and that they would fight all of their lives, even after they became two separate nations. The prophecy also stated that “the older will serve the younger.” (Genesis 25:23d) And so it came to be.
The Hebrew meaning behind Jacob’s name carries a lot of different interpretations. One meaning is “to follow, be behind” . . . of which Jacob came in second to his twin brother Esau in the race out of the womb. We are told that he came out grasping the heel of his brother. He was deemed the younger of the two, which seemed to be a point of contention throughout their lives.
Another meaning of the name is “to supplant, overreach”. No one can deny that aspect of Jacob’s character. Remember he takes advantage of his brother when he was hungry and bought Esau’s birthright for a bowl of soup. This did not make Esau happy. Then with his mother’s help he deceives his father into thinking that he was Esau and stole the blessing that was due to the eldest son. Again, Esau was not happy. To say he held a grudge would be an understatement . . . he swore to kill Jacob.
Another meaning of Jacob’s name is “heel”. This makes sense when one considers that he came out of his mother’s womb holding the heel of his brother. That is one meaning of the word “heel”, but the word “heel” can mean so much more. It can be the crusty end pieces of a loaf of bread . . . Jacob was pretty crusty. It can also mean “a contemptible person—a person who is self-centered or untrustworthy”. In professional wrestling a “heel” is the one who plays the role of the unsympathetic antagonist. Jacob is definitely that.
The writers of this story had a sense of ironic humor when it came to the name of Jacob. Jacob’s name describes him quite well. He was a wheeler dealer . . . always needing to stay one step ahead of the competition. With such a life it would not surprise us then that he had a lot going on in his mind . . . he had a lot to think and stew about.
It is to Jacob’s good fortune that his father sends him away to seek a wife . . . it gets him out of the range of his angry brother. He is safe. It is here that we pick up the story in our reading this morning. Jacob is on a journey, and he stops for the night. As he is sleeping, he has a dream . . . a magnificent dream of angels ascending and descending a stairway from heaven. In the dream he is given a blessing from God much like the one that his father, Isaac, had received . . . about a great and mighty people—a powerful nation . . . that all the people of the earth will be blessed through him and his offspring. And, to top it all off, God tells Jacob: “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
Upon waking up Jacob jumps up and proclaims that where he was sleeping was a holy place . . . a sacred place. He erects a stone cairn, anoints it with oil, and declares: “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it. How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”
If anyone needed the assurance of God’s presence, it was Jacob. And don’t we all? Don’t we all need the assurance and reassurance of God’s presence in our lives. Don’t we all need those sacred places . . . those holy places . . . that assure and reassure us that we are safe in the presence of God? Though our lives may not be as convoluted or crazy as Jacob’s life was, our lives can be a source of concern as we navigate our way through life. We all need those sacred spaces where we feel that we are loved and wanted . . . that we are taken care of. We all do.
We all need sacred space in our lives . . . we need those places where we are safe to be who God created us to be and that we are accepted for who we are. The key “word” in that statement is “safe”. Jacob recognized that in that spot he had found safety in the promise of God to always be with him. That God would not abandon him. That God would receive him just as he was no matter how despicably he lived his life. We all seek those places in our lives.
Now it is true that this space that we are occupying in this present moment is deemed to be “sacred space”. In the walls of this building—this church—we have discovered the “holy”. We have designated it as such . . . marked it as such . . . proclaimed it as such. Here we gather to worship, pray, sing, and fellowship with one another grounded in the assurance of God’s presence. As a group of Jesus’ followers, we strive to make this space “sacred space”. A place where one can come and be who God created us to be—to be ourselves—and feel safe. In our church covenant we state that we want this space to be a safe place where everyone feels accepted and loved for they are.
Acceptance for who we are . . . loved . . . and we feel safe. Safe because we know that God is with us. This is the making of “sacred space”. It is not a building or a place, though it can be. Instead, it is the awareness and acknowledgement of the “holy” that makes such places and space “sacred”. Which is exactly what happened to Jacob. Even Jacob said this . . . “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” That feeling happened in a particular place, but it was in the awareness within himself that revealed the “holy” to Jacob. The sacredness came through the relationship that he acknowledged between him and God . . . and it could have been anywhere.
So where are those sacred, holy places in your life? Are there particular locations . . . like this church sanctuary . . . that you find that sacredness, that holiness, that safety and assurance that you are loved? I have been surprised over the journey of my life of those places that were sacred, holy, and safe for me. Think about it . . . often I have mentioned how sacred and holy our kitchen table whenever our family gathers to share a meal. The teasing and laughter, the conversation . . . even the quietness makes me feel assured that I am loved, cared for, and that I can be myself . . . that God is truly with me.
And there are other places.
I love those moments when I can go “critter creeping” as Dana and I call it . . . when we just go back roading to view God’s creation. I have come to find that sacredness . . . that holiness . . . that comes with the rising or setting sun . . . of witnessing the gathering of the elk . . . a moose munching on a bush . . . Sandhill Cranes in flight. The sacred is there and I am aware of the presence of the Holy.
That sacred space can be discovered in the presence of another . . . in a conversation, in a hug . . . in the acknowledgement of the Holy in me recognizing the Holy in you. Sacred space is all around us because it is in us. We all need it. All we need to discover the sacredness of space . . . the sacredness of relationship . . . sacredness of place is to become aware of it within ourselves.
You see God promises to never abandon . . . to always be with us . . . to protect us, love us, and care for us. To always be there wherever we go. It is up to us to be aware of it. Such was the situation for Jacob in our reading this morning. He became aware—through a dream—of God’s presence. Remember he even said that he was not aware of it until that came through loud and clear in a dream. Take time to listen to the Spirit . . . allow it to open your eyes, open your ears, and open your heart to the presence of God who is within us and around us.
God loves us for who God created us to be. May we all become aware to that loving presence within our lives wherever we might be. In the acknowledgement we discover the sacredness, the holiness of time and place. It might be in our gathering for worship on Sunday morning, or while we are taking a walk. God is there . . . always there. May we declare with the enthusiasm of Jacob: “Surely the Lord is in this place . . . how awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”
God is with us . . . always with us. Amen.
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