A few days ago, a friend confined in me about her concerns, sharing a series of unfortunate events that occurred to her mother due to overly frugal habits.
Photo by Artur Kornakov on Unplash
When she visited her parents, she noticed that her mother’s slippers were worn down. Acting quickly, she bought a new pair from the supermarket and threw the old ones away. To her surprise, her mother secretly retrieved the old slippers from the bin and continued to wear them after she left. Consequently, a few days later, the worn-out slippers cause her mother to fall and break a bone while taking a shower. After being hospitalized a week, she had to rest in the bed for another two months.
Shortly after her recovery, my friend’s mother suffered severe burns from an extremely hot wok while trying to pick up a piece of chicken that fell out as she cooked. The injury required her to return to the hospital for medical treatment.
To save a pair of worn-out slippers and a piece of chicken, the price paid was thousands in medical expenses and physical suffering. With a concerning look, my friend felt at a loss for her mother’s habit of being “penny wise and pound foolish”.
The experiences of my friend’s mother bring to mind the story of Esau in Genesis 25. When the fatigued and starving Esau returned from the fields, the aroma of Jacob’s stew immediately clouded his older brother’s judgement. “Look, I am about to die. What good is the birthright to me?” (Genesis 25:32) Thus, Esau sold his birthright -- which included the covenant of Abraham, properties, and spiritual authority -- for a meal to satisfy his immediate hunger.
The value of the birthright was no secret to Esau. In Hebrews 12:16, the author also criticized: “See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.” His real mistake was prioritizing immediate, tangible satisfaction over an invisible yet profound promise.
Many similar stories can be found throughout the Bible.
The “mess of pottage” represents the lust of the eyes, as seen when Adam and Eve were enticed to focus on the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:6). The price they paid for tasting the fruit was the loss of the entire Garden of Eden and eternal life in God’s presence.
The “mess of pottage” also symbolizes the immediate satisfaction, as demonstrated by the Israelites in the wilderness who wailed for meat (Numbers 11:4-6). Their craving for the meat they remembered from Egypt led them to abandon the pursuit of the Promised Land, resulting in their death before reaching the land of milk and honey.
Furthermore, the “mess of pottage” resembles worldly recognition. King Saul made offerings to win the people’s favor rather than God’s (1 Samuel 13:8-14). His disobedience in seeking human approval over divine command ultimately caused him to lose his reign.
The “mess of pottage” reflects a false sense of safety. The young man who possessed great wealth (Matthew 19:16-22), left the Lord in sorrow, as he chose his riches over the promise of Heaven.
In the contemporary era, “the mess of pottage” appears more exquisitely disguised -- crash-course faith sugarcoated by prosperity theology, materialism worship beautified by consumerism, and standards of truth diluted by relativism. While we may mock Esau’s foolishness, we often repeat his mistakes in the trivial matters of life. We trade service for compliments, compromise principles for interests, and exchange truth for harmony, mirroring the transaction between Esau and Jacob. An aching body convinces us that health is everything; a lonely mind elevates love as utmost importance; sufficiency leads us to see possession as the ultimate solution. Tragic stories akin to Esau’s, involving the mess of pottage and the giving up of birthrights, occur repeatedly in our lives.
Yet, thanks be to God, for in Christ, tragedy can be reversed. When Jesus faced Satan’s temptations in the wilderness, the latter employed the “mess of pottage strategy”, suggesting that Jesus could turn stones into bread and offer Him earthly glory and wealth if He could bow down. But Christ remained steadfast in eternity, rebuking Satan with the truth “Man shall not live by bread alone”, “You shall worship the Lord your God”, and “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.”
“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” (Philippians 2:6-7) Esau exchanged eternity for the temporary, while Jesus sacrificed Himself temporarily for eternity. Esau gave up his inheritance right for filling his belly, while Jesus endured hunger and thirsty for our salvation. Esau belittled the birthright, while Jesus secured for us the identity of God’s children.
Therefore, we should look to Christ as our role model, avoiding the mistakes of being penny wise and pound foolish, and never allowing short-term interest to obstruct our grand blessings. Paul reminds us: “So we fix our eyes on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18)
The mess of pottage always releases an appealing aroma, yet recognizing the birthright of the firstborn requires the eyes of faith. May God open our spiritual eyes, so that we can discern between eternal inheritance and temporary satisfaction when facing temptations. In every choice we make in our life, let us uphold our principles, trust and obey, invest in eternity, and always keep our focus on the best blessings that cannot be taken away.
Author: Liu Lingwei
Translator: Bei Feng
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