Please let my lord go ahead of his servant. I will continue on slowly, at a comfortable pace for the livestock and children, until I come to my lord at Seir." Sermons
I. THIS DOES NOT IMPLY KEEPING ALOOF FROM MEN, OR FROM HUMAN INTERESTS. We are called to be the salt of the earth. It is an error to shrink from contact with the world as dangerous to us. This of old led to monasticism. But there may be a spiritual solitude even when living in the throng of a city. In secular matters refusing to take an interest in what occupies others (cf. Luke 6:31), as if God had nothing to do with these; or in spiritual things avoiding Christian intercourse with those who do not in all points agree with us; or being engrossed with our own spiritual welfare, and turning away from all concern for the welfare of others (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:20-22). II. IT DOES IMPLY A REAL CONSCIOUSNESS OF BEING REDEEMED, set free, bought with a price; OF HAYING A DEFINITE WORK TO DO FOR GOD, WITH WHICH NOTHING MUST INTERFERE; a real way to walk in, from which nothing must make us turn aside. And in order to this, watchfulness over self, that in seeking to help others we ourselves are not ensnared. III. SOME WAYS IN WHICH THE WORLD IN ITS FRIENDSHIP TEMPTS CHRISTIANS. 1. By the plea, there is no harm in this or that. We must not think that all actions can be brought to an absolute standard of fight and wrong. This is the spirit of legality, the spirit of bondage, and leads to partial service instead of entire dedication (cf. Luke 15:29). Loyalty to Christ must direct the Christian's life; desire not merely to avoid direct disobedience, but to use our time and powers for him who loved us and gave himself for us. 2. By the display of good feelings as the equivalent of Christian graces. Esau's kindliness and frankness are very attractive. Yet he was a "profane person;" not because of his anger or any sinful act, but because he thought little of God's blessing. 3. By making Christians familiar with worldly aims and maxims, and thus insensibly blunting their spiritual aspirations. The way of safety is through prayer for the Holy Spirit's help, to maintain the consciousness of Christ's presence. - M.
The children are tender. I. LET US VIEW JACOB AS AN EXAMPLE TO US. Tender consideration for the young and feeble.1. How we may overdrive.(1) Puzzling them with deep and controversial points of doctrine, and condemning them because they are not quite correct in their opinions (Romans 14:1).(2) Setting up a standard of experience, and frowning at them because they have not felt all the sorrows or ecstasies which we have known.(3) Requiring a high degree of faith, courage, patience, and other graces which in their case can only be tender buds.(4) Fault-finding and never commending. 2. Why we should not overdrive the lambs.(1) Common humanity forbids.(2) Our own experience when we were young should teach us better.(3) We may again become weak, and need great forbearance.(4) We love them too well to be hard with them.(5) Jesus thinks so much of them that we cannot worry them.(6) The Holy Spirit dwells in them, and we must be gentle towards the faintest beginning of His work.(7) We should be doing Satan's work if we did overburden them.(8) We should thus prove ourselves to have little wisdom and less grace. If we kill the lambs now, where shall we get our sheep from next year?(9) We dare not bear the responsibility of offending these little ones, for terrible woes are pronounced on those who do them wrong.(10) We remember how tender Jesus is: and this brings us to our second point. II. LET US VIEW JACOB AS A PICTURE OF OUR LORD JESUS. See His portrait in Isaiah 40:11. 1. The weak have a special place in His love. 2. He will not have it that any of them should die. 3. Therefore He never overdrives one of them. 4. But He suits His pace to their feebleness, "I will lead on softly" (Genesis 33:15).I have many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Has He not thus been very tender to us? " Thy gentleness hath made me great" (Psalm 18:35). Let us not fret and worry as though He were an exactor. We are not driven by Jehu, but led by Jesus. Let us rest in His love. At the same time let us not be slower than need be. Towards others let us be tenderness itself, for we are to love our neighbour as ourselves. ( C. H. Spurgeon.) (M. M. Kalisch, Ph. D.) ( C. H. Spurgeon.) When a candle is newly lighted and needs to be moved, it must be carried at a slow pace or it will be extinguished. A fire which is almost expiring may be revived by a gentle breath, but it will be blown out if the bellows are plied at their full force. You can drown a little plant by watering it too much, and destroy a lovely flower by exposing it to too much sun.( C. H. Spurgeon.) Nothing is so strong as gentleness; nothing so gentle as real strength.( Francis de Sales.) Even in our manner there should be tenderness. A truly kind act may be so performed as to cause as much grief as joy. We have heard of one who would throw a penny at a beggar and thus hurt him while relieving him. A heart full of love has a mode of its own by which its gifts are enhanced in value. There is enough misery in the world without our carelessly adding to it. Some persons are morbidly sensitive, and this is wrong on their part; but when we are aware of their failing we must be the more careful lest we cause them needless pain. A gouty man will cry out if we walk with heavy footstep across the room. Do we censure him for this? No, we pity him, and tread softly. Let us do the same for the sensitive.( C. H. Spurgeon.) At the Stockwell Orphanage the usual rule of walking is — little boys first. In this way the younger children cannot be overdriven or left behind, and moreover all the boys can see before them, whereas by the usual practice of putting the tall fellows first the view in front is shut out from all but the few who lead the way. Let the Church have great care for the weaker brethren, and shape her action with a constant reference to them. A strong Christian might do a thousand things lawfully if he only thought of himself, but he will not do one of them because he wishes to act expediently, and would not grieve his brother, or cause him to stumble.People Aram, Esau, Hamor, Jacob, Joseph, Leah, Rachel, SeirPlaces Canaan, Paddan-aram, Penuel, Seir, Shechem, SuccothTopics Able, Along, Cattle, Drive, Droves, Ease, Endure, Foot, Gently, Journey, Lead, Leisure, Livestock, Move, Pace, Pass, Please, Proceed, Rate, Seir, Se'ir, Servant, Slowly, Softly, TillOutline 1. Jacob and Esau's meeting; and Esau's departure.17. Jacob comes to Succoth. 18. At Shechem he buys a field, and builds an altar, called El Elohe Israel. Dictionary of Bible Themes Genesis 33:1-17Library Jesus Sets Out from Judæa for Galilee. Subdivision B. At Jacob's Well, and at Sychar. ^D John IV. 5-42. ^d 5 So he cometh to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 and Jacob's well was there. [Commentators long made the mistake of supposing that Shechem, now called Nablous, was the town here called Sychar. Sheckem lies a mile and a half west of Jacob's well, while the real Sychar, now called 'Askar, lies scarcely half a mile north of the well. It was a small town, loosely called … J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel The Roman Pilgrimage: the Miracles which were Wrought in It. 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