Deleted Scenes: Genesis 29:14-30. Harvesting, Karma, and Grace

I’ve been reminded again that the book of Genesis is a literary masterpiece, with all its patterns, connections, and narrative devices. As we’ve gone through this short sermon series on the life of Jacob, I really believe his life could easily be made into a TV series in the same way that David’s life has been on House of David. One of the ways we see this genius storytelling at work is the way that what Jacob had done to others is now turned back on him. (By the way, when I say “storytelling”, I don’t mean that these events didn’t actually take place. They did. By “storytelling”, I mean the way these events are narrated in the Bible.)

I alluded to this a bit on Sunday, but in Genesis 29 we see how Laban takes advantage of Jacob’s desperation to cut a deal that’s very beneficial to Laban. Just like Jacob was able to trade a bowl of soup for Esau’s birthright because of Esau’s desperation, Laban is able to effectively trade two daughters in marriage for 14 years of free labor from Jacob because of Jacob’s desperation for Rachel. Here’s another one: just like Jacob and his brother were subjected to favouritism from their parents, Jacob now subjects his two wives (who are sisters) to favouritism. Here’s one more: in Genesis 27, Jacob pretends that he is Esau so that Isaac will give him the blessing that he meant to give to Esau. Now in Genesis 29, Leah essentially pretends she is Rachel so that Jacob will marry her when he meant to marry Rachel. The tables are turned on Jacob in regard to so many of the deceptive and twisted things that he was a participant in during his younger years.

There is a biblical concept at work here that has sometimes been called “the law of the harvest”. It finds expression in Galatians 6:7-9: “7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Jacob has been sowing deception for years, he now reaps the same from others. How he’s treated others, he’s now treated. We see that in all kinds of ways, don’t we? For example, if someone has lived generously, eager to give to others in need, people are generally eager to help them out in times of need too. If someone has been stingy all their life, the chances are people will not feel much compulsion to be generous toward them. What you reap, you sow. 

On one level, that sounds a lot like “karma”, doesn’t it? People will often talk about karma that way, as some kind of general principle that dictates the kinds of outcomes people will receive on the basis of how they’ve lived. Karma, however, is a Buddhist and Hindu concept that is tied to the idea of reincarnation. What you “reap” includes the fate that awaits you in your next life cycle. That, of course, bears no resemblance to what we find in the Bible, which says that we only have this life to live before we come into our eternal resurrection. Karma also lacks reference to any kind of personal God who is committed to justice, which is what we find in the Bible. And of course, things are never as simple as karma makes it out to be. Bad things happen to good people, good things happen to bad people. Jesus contested the simple correlation of “bad things happen to bad people” in passages like Luke 13:4, where he rebukes those who would blame the victims of a disaster. Jesus says in Matthew 5:45 that God causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. The “law of the harvest” is more of a principle that holds true in general rather than some unbending rule.

But here’s the biggest difference between “karma” and what we find in the Bible, even regarding the law of the harvest: grace. Grace is when we receive what we do not deserve. Grace is a gift given because of God’s goodness, not because we’ve earned it. And we see grace in Jacob’s life too. God calls him and uses him not because Jacob is virtuous, but actually despite how unvirtuous he is. It is grace that ultimately changes things for this grasper and deceiver named Jacob, and it is grace that ultimately changes us sinners too. After all, this is the heart of the Gospel: we can live a life pleasing to God only because of the grace we’ve received through Christ. That’s what empowers us to please God. If all we had was karma, we’re doomed. But if we are able to receive what we don’t deserve- God’s forgiveness, His adoption of us, His gift of the Holy Spirit- then we can truly sow seeds that will bear good fruit.