“Watch out for the Esau syndrome”
Download discussion questions: Hebrews 12:11-17
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I encourage you to look at the passage in Hebrews before you read this Blog entry. What do you see in the text yourself? What questions come to your mind? How would you interpret what the writer says? After even a few minutes examining and thinking about the text you will be much better prepared to evaluate the comments in the Blog.
Individual or Corporate?
Our group immediately focused on verse 12, “Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak….” Is the command intended for each of us to look to our own weaknesses? The “therefore” that begins this section connects this and following commands to the previous section about discipline, that is, training. Is the pastor emphasizing our personal discipline? Or are we involved in the strengthening dimensions of one another’s discipline?
As is often true in New Testament verses, our western twenty-first-century thinking first hears individual instructions. But, as is also often true, the verbs in verse 14 (strengthen and make straight) are plural. But that didn’t answer our question, since the command could be to you plural (or as one member suggested, y’all). Each of us certainly has a calling to our own spiritual formation.
The broader context of the entire message to the Hebrew congregation provided more clarity. A continuing theme sprinkled through the text has been the corporate care of struggling members. As the sermon draws to a close and the pastor is summing up his main themes, this verse is one more reminder. One member of our group suggested that the multiple images of hands, knees, and feet represent the entirety of the body. Every part that struggles with any weakness needs attention and assistance. The previous section reminds believers that their difficulties are part of God’s training. Now they are called to help one another endure through the discipline that leads to ever-increasing intimacy with God.
Why Esau?
The writer follows the general image of strengthening hands and feet and knees with several more specific commands:
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- Two positive: Pursue peace and sanctification
- Three negative: No one comes short of God’s grace, no bitterness, no immoral or godless person
But before our group could consider those instructions we were puzzled by the example of Esau.
Esau is mentioned in chapter 11, but not as one of the examples of faith. Instead, the fact that Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau is pointed out as evidence of Isaac’s faith. The two sons are mentioned in Hebrews 11:20 in reversed order, the younger Jacob first, just as they were blessed in Genesis 27.
The question remained: Why did the writer choose Esau as the negative example?
One person suggested that, in the context of training, perhaps Esau had not been trained or disciplined. He was, after all, his father’s favorite (Genesis 25:28). Another commented that Esau’s big mistake was in trading his inheritance, his birthright, for a simple meal, “bread and lentil stew” (Genesis 25:34). In the summary of Genesis, “Thus Esau despised his birthright.”
Several people observed what a trivial view Esau had of his heritage. That heritage was God’s promise to Esau’s grandfather, Abraham, the promise of land and a great nation (Genesis 12:7). That amazing assurance didn’t matter to Esau. As someone said, Esau did not cherish what God had promised. He was focused on his present, immediate gratification. In his “casual faith” hunger determined his choices more than God’s plan.
Esau’s choice demonstrates self obsession: “We want what we think will bring us the greatest joy, and we want it now.”[1] Esau was hungry. That was all it took for him to abandon the joy of following God’s plan.
We may not be tempted by a meal of bread and stew, but all of us experience degrees of self-obsession. As one person in our discussion asked, “What trivial thing do we leave Christ for?” How often do we imitate Esau? We choose anger over forgiveness when we are made uncomfortable. We choose pride and reputation over humility when we are challenged or insulted. Maybe Esau was a very good example for the writer to illustrate his point.
Sanctification
Then our attention turned to the specific commands in verses 14-16a. Several people questioned the requirement for “sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.” Modern, Reformed theology is adamant that we are justified, made legally righteous, by the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. Sanctification is understood as the ongoing process of growing in godliness and overcoming sin. The natural question in response to verse 14b is, “How much sanctification do I need in order to see the Lord? Is this a hint of a return to the old covenant? Is there a threshold I have to meet in addition to the work of Christ?” Clearly, the early sections of the sermon stressed the adequacy and finality of the priesthood and self-sacrifice of Jesus. It is impossible to imagine the pastor returning to that meaning of sanctification.
It is important to remember that the first-century writers did not necessarily think in terms of our detailed doctrinal distinctions. The first few centuries of the church included numerous battles against various heresies, and many of our theological details and differentiations (such as justification and sanctification) grew from those roots. Only as the canon of God’s Word was completed were believers able to form a deeper and sharper picture of what God in Christ has done.
For that reason, we must always be careful not to impose our modern theological understanding onto first-century texts. Instead, we must humbly work toward letting those ancient documents continue to shape and clarify our current beliefs. The use of “sanctification” (ἁγιασμός, hagiasmos, holiness[2]) is an example.
…In Hebrews human endeavor is never the subject of sanctification. Christ alone is the one who consecrates others to God through his sacrificial death. Holiness is a gift, to which it is necessary to respond with our personal ‘Yes’. Christians are those who have been made holy through Christ (10:10,14). They are consecrated to God as those who belong to the one who makes men and women holy (2:11). In Hebrews, ἁγιασμός, ‘holiness,’ does not possess an ethical significance. It draws its distinctive nuance from the cultic argument concerning the efficacy of Jesus’ high priestly ministry.[3]
The holiness which this epistle has explained is a drawing near to God with a cleansed conscience (10:14, 22), a true acceptance of Christ’s sacrifice as bringing the worshipper into fellowship with God.[4]
The pastor emphasized the sanctification that he just mentioned as the result of our training, “in order that we may share in His holiness” (Hebrews 12:10). The more we endure and benefit from training, the more we will be able to draw near to God (Hebrews 4:16, 7:25, 10:22, 11:6), to “see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14b). The pastor continues to return to one of his main themes.
Specific Instructions
Next, our discussion turned to the specific instructions the pastor provides. Those commands may be the particular concerns he had for the sanctification of the Hebrew congregation.
The three directives are connected by the verb that opens verse 15, “See to it” or “Looking diligently” (KJV) or “Watch out” (MSG) or even “Look after each other” (NLT).[5] The only other use of this word in the New Testament is in 1 Peter 5:2, instructing church leaders (elders) to “exercise oversight” in shepherding the flock. Once again the pastor underlines the fact that the welfare of the entire body of Christ is the responsibility of the entire body of Christ, not just the “official” leaders. All of us are to be caring for others, especially in three areas.
No One Comes Short
Several members asked the natural question, “What does it mean to ‘come short’ of the grace of God?”
We had already discussed the fact that the pastor’s meaning of “sanctification” was not a minimum threshold of behavior. “Come short” must mean something else.
Esau seemed to provide the logical answer. One who trivialized his understanding of God, one whose self-obsession for immediate comfort and satisfaction outweighed any desire for God, who did not take the holiness of God seriously, did not cherish God. Our group’s various observations about Esau seemed to sum up the meaning of one who comes short of the grace of God.
No Root of Bitterness
Difficult circumstances can make relationships difficult. Someone reminded our group of previous discussions. The Hebrew congregation was facing oppression, persecution, even physical abuse. The potential for bitterness was very real. The experience of bitterness may already have infected them as the pastor feared, “that many be defiled” (v. 15b).
The instruction against bitterness ties in to the overall command to “pursue peace with all” (v. 14). Bitterness can be a particular danger in an environment with different levels of commitment to the group. Some members among the Hebrew congregation may have already experienced persecution. Others were considering compromise to avoid it. Complaints, guilt, accusations, and excuses could destroy relationships.
The circumstances of the Hebrews were fitted to excite a quarrelsome spirit, and a feeling of alienation towards those weak members who left the straight path. They must not suffer them to be alienated but must restore them to the unity of the faith, and in endeavoring to reclaim them must use the methods of peace, not of anger or disputation.[6]
The “many” who could be defiled might extend beyond the church.
… The house church is the demonstration in society of the presence of the new age. Consequently, it must be a dynamic reflection of the peace that is characteristic of God’s reign. … Those who enjoy the blessings of the new covenant are to be united in earnestly pursuing the peace that is both sign and gift from God.[7]
“Immoral or godless” might be the result of the defilement from bitterness. Those marginal members struggling with the needed endurance could finally abandon the “straight path” leading to genuine belief and return to their Jewish heritage. Those outside the community would be denied the “final apologetic” that Jesus prayed for.
I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. (John 17:20-23)
To “pursue peace” and avoid bitterness is more than just surface harmony within the Christian community. The prayer of Jesus connects the success of the gospel message to our deep relational unity, a unity that reflects the oneness of the Trinity.
We cannot expect the world to believe that the Father sent the Son, that Jesus’ claims are true, and that Christianity is true, unless the world sees some reality in the oneness of true Christians…. Without true Christians loving one another, Christ says the world cannot be expected to listen, even when we give proper answers.[8]
No Immoral or Godless Person
It is at this point that the writer introduces the extraordinary example of Esau. One suggestion in our discussion brought up the idea that Esau had failed in each of the three instructions.
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- He came short of the grace of God by valuing immediate comfort over following God. He “despised his birthright” (Genesis 35:34)
- He cultivated bitterness against his admittedly deceitful sibling, nursing a grudge and saying to himself, “I will kill my brother Jacob” (Genesis 27:41b).
- He exemplified an immoral and godless character by his disregard of God’s plan for his inheritance, and later in life by ignoring the generations-old command (Genesis 24:3) against taking a Canaanite wife (Genesis 36:2).
In Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase, The Message, he renders the beginning of verse 16, “Watch out for the Esau syndrome.”[9] Perhaps the self-obsession illustrated by Esau was the source of most of the problems in the Hebrew congregation.
No Place for Repentance
A member of our group pointed out a similarity earlier in the pastor’s sermon to the Hebrew congregation, all the way back to Hebrews 6. Esau could be an example of the temptation facing some in that community, “those who have once been enlightened” (Hebrews 6:4-5). Apparently there were some who had seen and tasted the benefits of the Christian community, but who might still “fall away” in the face of difficulties (v. 6). A superficial connection will not be enough to endure persecutions, maybe not even enough to withstand mild difficulties or discomforts. Like Esau, some members of the congregation were in danger of choosing immediate relief instead of trusting God. They were subject to “the Esau syndrome” of self-obsessed preference for instant gratification at any cost, even abandoning the promise of the risen Christ. Only those who genuinely cherished the joy of drawing near to God, who were genuinely God obsessed, would display “the things that accompany salvation” (Hebrews 6:9).
The similarity between Esau and Hebrews 6 is reinforced by the similar attitudes toward repentance.
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- it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. (Hebrews 6:6)
- [Esau] found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears. (Hebrews 12:17b)
Some in the Hebrew congregation considered leaving the gospel community to escape difficulties. The pastor laments the fact that repentance was impossible as long as they continued to shame Christ by rejecting His Good News. They had disregarded God’s solution for sin. Late in the sermon he reminded them that apart from the work of Christ “there no longer remains a sacrifice for sin” (Hebrews 10:26). There is no Plan B for salvation. In “despising his birthright” (Genesis 25:34), Esau had disregarded the pattern that God had established. Once he rejected God’s way of doing things, there was “no place for repentance.”
But that seems harsh. Someone asked, “Didn’t Esau want to repent? Was he not given the opportunity? Why was there ‘no place for repentance’ in spite of his tears?”
How sincere was the “repentance” Esau sought? Perhaps Esau’s emotional response reflected his interest in God as long as his stomach was full. Compare the two accounts of the transaction between the brothers.
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- [Esau] sold his birthright to Jacob (Genesis 25:33)
- [Esau said to his father] he took away my birthright (Genesis 27:36)
Esau’s emotion clouded his confession. Certainly, his brother took advantage of his weakness and deceived their father. But Esau saw no value in what God had for him, “What use is the birthright to me?” (Genesis 25:32). Then, when he realized the consequences of his shallowness, he twisted the facts to hide his guilt, “He took away my birthright.”
Esau’s emotional search for repentance was his reaction to pain, not to recognition of sin. He regretted the consequences of losing his inheritance, not the reality of rejecting God. Genuine repentance is regret over sin against God’s holiness (Psalm 51:4), not distress over the discomfort of natural consequences. The indecisive members of the Hebrew congregation refused to recognize the work of Jesus as the solution to their sin. Esau refused even to recognize his sin.
In both cases, the impossibility was the faulty view of repentance. As a person in our group reminded us, emotional distress over pain or discomfort sounds like the “sorrow of the world” described in 2 Corinthians 7:10. Sorrow over pain seeks only relief, like Esau’s pleading for a replacement blessing (Genesis 27:36, 38). Genuine repentance produces genuine spiritual formation, such as fear, longing, and zeal (2 Corinthians 7:11). Counterfeit repentance does not.
Perhaps the wording applied to Esau is significant. “He found no place for repentance.” He could not find a way to repent on his own terms, to “repent” without actually admitting and regretting his sin. He did not take God’s holiness seriously, and he had no genuine sorrow over sin.
Holiness and Grace
The consensus of our group was that Esau was an example of someone who had the opportunity to know God, but who failed to take seriously both God’s holiness and God’s grace. The exhortation of the pastor to the Hebrew congregation, and to us, was to “see to it” or to “look after” one another to avoid that “Esau syndrome.”
We often struggle with varying degrees of both extremes exhibited by Esau. There are times when we may need to comfort another believer who has lost sight of God’s grace and struggles with shame and guilt. At other times we may need to confront one who minimizes God’s holiness in excusing sinful behavior. And sometimes we may be that one who needs comfort or confrontation.
Several members affirmed the fact that the goal is not to “fix” one another, not to solve the immediate problem. Rather, careful and patient listening, punctuated only by questions of Spirit-led curiosity, may restore the lost perspective of a holy, gracious God. Likewise, when we are being comforted or confronted, we need the atmosphere of a community of trust that will share honestly and openly and deeply.
A desire to discern God’s work in the heart of another is the beginning of “looking out” for that person and his or her spiritual formation. Listening with no hidden agenda or clichéd advice builds trust. Humbly recognizing that only God can truly touch hearts can take away the pressure to provide a quick solution. Instead, we can wait for whatever opportunity God may provide for us to be used by Him in the life of another.
[1] Larry Crabb, Soul Talk (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, 2003), 231.
[2] https://www.billmounce.com/greek-dictionary/hagiasmos
[3] William L. Lane, Hebrews 9-13, Word Biblical Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1991), 449-450.
[4] Marcus Dods, The Epistle to the Hebrews, The Expositor’s Greek Testament, Volume Four (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1976), 369.
quoted in Kenneth S. Wuest, Hebrews in the Greek New Testament, Word Studies in the Greek New Testament; Volume II (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1973), 223.
[5] https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Hebrews%2012:15
[6] Marcus Dods, The Epistle to the Hebrews, The Expositor’s Greek Testament, Volume Four (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1976), 369.
quoted in Kenneth S. Wuest, Hebrews in the Greek New Testament, Word Studies in the Greek New Testament; Volume II (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1973), 223.
[7] William L. Lane, Hebrews 9-13, Word Biblical Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1991), 449-450.
[8] Francis A. Schaeffer, The Mark of the Chrisitan (Downers Grove, Illinois: Inter-Varsity Press, 1971), 14, 17.
[9] The Message Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018;
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%2012:14-16&version=MSG ; emphasis added.