Personal Liberation - The Art of Forgiveness - Part I

Personal Liberation - The Art of Forgiveness: 

Esau’s Incredible Journey to Personal Wholeness Through His Forgiveness of Jacob Genesis 33:1-19

Quintessentially, forgiveness is a selfish act; necessary for personal liberation.  Esau, the eldest son of Isaac and Rebekah and the twice-cheated brother of Jacob, demonstrates the bountiful blessings, holistic healing, and indescribable peace that awaits people who freely forgive.  Ordinarily, we cite the example of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who incredibly forgives humankind, past, present and future, as He dies on the cross.  Honestly, it is hard to emulate such a perfect example of forgiveness.  Yes, it is the right thing to do in all instances.  Yet, it is most difficult to practice this way of life.  Gratefully, we also have the more personally applicable example of Esau’s incredible journey to personal wholeness through his forgiveness of Jacob.  Chances are we can relate more directly to Esau. 

Esau travels through the full complement of emotional stages: murderous anger, contempt toward Almighty God, righteous indignation, plots of vengeance, blaming others, depression, isolation, seeking God, acceptance of personal accountability, and living out the principles of forgiveness.  His willingness to relinquish righteous anger and retribution liberates him to enjoy life’s blessings.  Esau’s forgiveness of Jacob greatly rewards Esau rather than Jacob.

You recall Jacob cheats Esau out of his birthright and blessing.  Famished after a long and unsuccessful day of hunting, Esau despises his birthright by accepting a rather costly bowl of lentil soup, from Jacob.  Plotting in his tent, Jacob schemes and takes advantage of Esau’s impulsive behavior and ignorance of the rights and wealth of being a firstborn son.  A trickster in name and character, Jacob exploits his brother’s weakness.  Esau’s acceptance of Jacob’s offer equates with sixty-six percent of Isaac’s estate. 

Jacob, with the complicity of his mother, Rebekah, deceives Isaac into giving Jacob the blessing that Esau should rightly receive.  Returning again from a hunting expedition, this time at the behest of his father, Esau discovers that Jacob has cheated him a second time.  It is hard to calculate the sum that Jacob steals from Esau.  Genesis details lucrative spiritual, financial, and geographical benefits to this blessing which Esau loses in addition to his birthright.  It appears that he will be a pauper, practically speaking.

Understandably, Esau’s emotions erupt like lava.  He determines his anger will only abate with the annihilation of Jacob.  Esau unflinchingly decides upon the course of fratricide.  He does not question the moral implications of his plans.  Jacob’s two-tiered duplicity justifies his murder in Esau’s estimation.  Moreover, Jacob would never be able to harm Esau again.

I imagine we are able to agree with Esau’s state of mind.  When people harm us, we thirst for revenge and punishment.  We desire they feel the same pain that we feel.  We want to see their agony so that we may ask, “How does it feel?”  Our anger might also grow to the point of wishing someone dead.  When we resolve people have gotten away completely free and have not paid for their dastardly deeds, we rationalize our determination to be an agent of divine vengeance. 

Meanwhile, these boisterous feelings and turbulent thoughts consume us.  They transform into a poison of the mind and acid of the heart.  Naturally, we become very cynical.  We find danger everywhere;  conspiracies and potentially dangerous people lurk within the crevices of our minds.  Additionally, our hearts are distrust others.  We assign adverse motives where there are no reasons to do so.  Essentially, we become small-minded and bitter people who operate with ulterior motives of revenge, resentment and punishment.