How's Your Blessing Coming??
By Rev. William Dohle
I had the strangest conversation last week.
Coming back from lunch at our area's Leadership Conference, I walked next to our synodical bishop. We started talking about the conference and the speakers and about his upcoming visit to our congregation.
When suddenly the strangest thing popped out of my mouth.
"Bishop," I said. "I just want to tell you what wonderful gifts of administration you have! You really know how to organize people! What you said in there... I couldn't say. And your job is something I couldn't do. Thank you for your hard work, bishop. Thanks!"
The bishop looked strangely at me...really strangely...and then walked on. I'm not sure if he knew what to say to me. I sure didn't know what to say back. I hadn't planned my conversation out. But suddenly I had done something biblical without even realizing it. I had blessed the bishop!
Blessing people has a long history. Going clear back to Genesis, people have blessed other people. God himself told Abraham and his decendants. "I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."(Genesis 12:2-3)
Jacob follows in this tradition. When he meets Pharaoh, he doesn't receive the Pharaoh's blessing, but gives Pharaoh his own blessing. Jacob blesses Pharaoh! And not once either...but twice. Once when he first meets Pharaoh and once as he leaves!
Now, most of us in the presence of leadership wouldn't dare bless them. If the President of the United States walked into our office, few of us would approach him with thanks. Either because we are angry with him or because we don't feel worthy to be in his presence. Instead we might hope that the man in leadership would pay attention to us or look our way. But blessing them or thanking them? How many of us would do that?
But Jacob does. Jacob doesn't flinch from doing so either. He knows what his role in life is. He has been blessed to be a blessing to others...and that's what he does. Jacob doesn't come to Pharaoh with criticism. He doesn't tell him to turn away from Egypt's false gods and serve the Lord alone. And Jacob doesn't expect blessing from Jacob. He doesn't expect to be told what a great father he was to raise up Joseph who has saved the land. He doesn't expect to be blessed or thanked or praised by the leader of the known world. Instead, Jacob knows it is his job to thank, praise, and bless Pharaoh.
So... Jacob turns to Pharaoh and gives him his blessing, saying in effect: "May God bless you...as he has already! May you be blessed by the Most High God!"
What a radical way to live life! To be a blessing to others. And to give our blessing freely...to those in power, to those less fortunate, and even to those we dislike!
A few years ago, I met a man who decided on a whim to write a letter to his favorite actor, Jimmy Stewart thanking him for his work in the movie, It's A Wonderful Life. The letter writer didn't expect a response. He didn't really know what to think. But a response he got. A personal letter from Jimmy Stewart thanking him for his letter. Jimmy told him that no one had ever thanked him like that before. No one had ever thanked him period. It's A Wonderful Life had been panned by critics at the time. A flop at the box office. But Jimmy Stewart had always liked that movie too. And he told the letter writer that. He had received many letters but no one had ever blessed him as he did.
When was the last time you blessed someone else? When was the last blessing you gave to your spouse or to your kids? To your pastor or to your teacher? When was the last letter you wrote to your senator, to your governor, even to the President, thanking them for their work? Too often in this election time we look at the negative. We focus on all the things we dislike about the people. And in this way, we curse them!
But Jesus says we are to not to curse our enemies, but to bless them. "But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."(Lk. 6:27-28)
Our blessings were given to us to share. So...share those blessings with those you like...and those you dislike. Be a blessing to others, just as God has been a blessing to you. Bless others...and may God cover you with with his grace.
God of Abraham, Jacob, and me! I thank you that you have blessed me so richly. May I share that blessing with others, through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.
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