The lessons for each Sunday in the church year proclaim God’s grace in Jesus Christ. Also derived from a Sunday’s texts are lessons for the Christ-inspired and Christ-like life of God’s people. The comments here will help you find hunger-related threads –sermon starters – among the themes of this day’s texts. (We're presuming you have already done your exegetical work on the texts.) God bless your proclamation (and teaching) of what is most certainly true!

Jacob has become fairly wealthy at this point in his life. He has amassed flocks, servants, and now leaves the care of Laban. As far as the narrative is concerned, Jacob’s attention turns immediately to the broken relationship with his brother Esau. Jacob takes the initiative to reach out to Esau, but does so with both fear of Esau’s response and trust that God will deliver him. It is worth noting that Jacob’s peace offering to Esau is an economic one. In other words, Jacob is willing to part with the wealth he has accumulated if it means reconciliation with his brother.

The plot that moves this passage is a wrestling match that ends in a draw, a limp, and a blessing. There is no promise that the road to reconciliation is an easy one. The wrestling match illustrates at least this much. It takes us into territory that would be easy to leave in the past, where sometimes we confront issues of injustice and pain. But Jacob’s urgency to make amends reinforces the importance of seeking reconciliation in our journey as people of God. It is certainly a process is worthy of communal reflection and commitment. In what ways are we willing to wrestle with God or with the issues that need reconciling in our communities?

The words of advice to Timothy emphasize the teaching and instruction he has already been given. He is assured that what he has learned is valuable for his faith and salvation. Moreover, he is told that the scriptures are useful for equipping, guiding, and correcting others. The instruction also portends the time when people will give in to their “itching ears” and heed doctrine of their own choosing. This wades deeply in the waters of how we interpret scripture. Without getting too caught up in issues of orthodoxy or doctrine, this instruction also reminds us of the importance of rooting our actions in scripture. For example, it is possible to pursue “training in righteousness” in a way that emphasizes care for the neighbor and poor rather than just understanding righteousness as person piety. This instruction cautions us to avoid settling for (or inventing) myths to explain our actions, and encourages us to engage the tradition we have inherited and become familiar with our scriptures.

Jesus describes a judge whose character contradicts his position. If the judge cannot dispense justice, what good can he do? The judge’s decision does not come from empathy or change of heart, but is one of personal interest—he simply cannot be bothered by the widow any longer and relents. Jesus uses the parable to remind his audience of God’s faithfulness in spite of what they may encounter in their daily lives. The parable also serves as a way for us to evaluate our actions, lest we become like the unjust judge in our dealings with others. We are challenged to identify the widows in our contexts, those who turn to us for justice against the opponents in their lives. Or, for a more proactive approach, we can ask who hunger, poverty and injustice are afflicting and reach out them in their hour of need.