7-12-26 “Small Things Become Big Things”

Click here for worship material

“Small Things Become Big Things”

I want to start with something funny I found on an internet site: Mrs. Smith was fumbling through her purse for her offering when a large television remote fell out and clattered into the aisle. The curious usher bent down to pick it up for her and whispered, “Do you always carry your TV remote to church?”

“No,” she replied, “but my husband refused to come with me this morning, and I figured this was the most evil thing I could legally do to him.”

Is this story familiar to you? Actually, it feels very familiar to me because my mother once did something similar. She used to hide the TV remote from my father so that he might come to church.

As my mother expected, my father—who struggled with alcohol at that time—would sometimes come to church looking for the remote and asking my mother where she had hidden it. My siblings felt embarrassed when he came to church in that condition, but my mother believed it was the only way she could bring him into the presence of God. My mother prayed faithfully and trusted that one day my father would come to church and become a faithful Christian. And he finally did.

I know it was not because of the TV remote. But through that small thing, my mother was trying to open a door for God to work in my father’s life.

What would you do if someone you loved refused to come to church? Sometimes God can use even the smallest things to begin a great transformation.

Today, I would like to talk about how “Small Things Become Big Things.” In other words, small things can shape our future and make a significant difference in our lives. When you hear this, what comes to your mind? Perhaps you think of a mustard seed. Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches” (Matthew 13:31–32).

Yes, our faith often begins with small things: a baptism, a confirmation, attending worship, offering a prayer, reading the scripture, serving the church, or helping our community. These small acts of faith may seem insignificant at first, but God can use them to grow something much greater in our lives and in the lives of others.

In today’s Scripture reading, we hear about Esau and Jacob, the twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah. Just as Abraham and Sarah experienced difficulties in having a child, Isaac and Rebekah also faced a long season of waiting. Did you notice that Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, and for about twenty years, they remained childless?

Isaac prayed to the Lord, and God answered his prayer. Rebekah conceived as an answer to Isaac’s prayer (v. 21). Rebekah also knew that this child was a gift of God’s grace. So, when she experienced a struggle within her womb, she went to inquire of the Lord and prayed to God. The Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples born of you shall be divided; one shall be stronger than the other, the elder shall serve the younger.”

This is the beginning of the story of the twins, Esau and Jacob. Before they were born, the Lord already knew them and had a purpose for their lives. However, this should not be understood as a kind of fatalism, as if everything is simply predetermined and human choices do not matter. Rather, this passage reveals the greatness of Almighty God—God’s knowledge, God’s purpose, and God’s loving care for each of us even before we are born.

It is like God said to Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5). It is also like Jesus said, “Even the hairs of your head are all counted” (Matthew 10:30). This reminds us of God’s deep love and grace—the God who knows us completely and faithfully cares for us throughout our lives.

Esau and Jacob are born and grew up in different shapes and personalities. Esau was red, and all his body was like a hairy mantle (V.26). He was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a quiet man, living in a tent (v. 27). Jacob seemed to enjoy cooking instead of hunting (v.29). The Scripture says, “Isaac loved Esau because he was fond of the game, but Rebekah loved Jacob” (v.28). Even though they were together from the same mom and dad, they are very different. They perhaps live in their nature characters as an indoor versus outdoor person.

One thing we should not overlook is what happens in verses 29 through 34. As we know, Esau enjoyed hunting, while Jacob enjoyed cooking. Esau perhaps appreciated Jacob’s famous stew. After returning home from a hunting trip, he must have been hungry and exhausted. So, Esau asked Jacob for some of the stew. However, Jacob saw this as an opportunity to make a deal. He offered the stew in exchange for Esau’s birthright. Esau said, “I am about to die; what use is my birthright to me?” Finally, Esau swore an oath to Jacob and gave away his birthright.

This moment reveals that Esau did not truly value the blessing of his birthright. This small decision revealed something much deeper about his character. Of course, God had already spoken about the future of Jacob and Esau before they were born. However, Esau’s choice was still his own responsibility. What Esau exchanged for a single meal was not merely his birthright—it revealed the condition of his heart and the value he placed on God’s blessing.

Israelite society was patriarchal, and the birthright of the firstborn son was very significant. It represented not only a special blessing but also power, responsibility, and authority within the family. The Israelites regarded the firstborn son’s birthright as one of God’s greatest blessings.

Jacob understood the value of the birthright, but Esau did not care about it. The Letter to the Hebrews says, “Esau was an immoral and godless person, who sold his birthright for a single meal” (Hebrews 12:16). Esau’s small decision changed the direction of his destiny. While Jacob became the successor of Isaac and the father of the twelve tribes of Israel, Esau became the ancestor of the Edomites.

The birthright was not something Esau earned through his own effort; it was a gift and blessing given by God. Therefore, Esau’s problem was not simply that he gave away a possession. His deeper problem was that he failed to recognize and value God’s grace.

Think about ourselves as Christians. We are saved in Jesus Christ by the grace of God, not by our own works. As children of God, we have received spiritual blessings, rights, and privileges. However, these blessings always come with responsibilities. As Christians, while we have received God’s greatest gift of salvation, we are also called to love God and love our neighbors. Sometimes we forget that we are blessed by God not only for ourselves, but also so that God can bless others through us.

Even small things we do can become great things in God’s hands. The coins we collect through programs like Moolah for Milk or UNICEF, and Operation Christmas shoe boxes may seem small, but they can make a meaningful difference in the lives of many children.

Faith is not always expressed through great achievements or extraordinary moments. Sometimes faith is lived out through small acts of daily obedience—caring for our family members, encouraging our church members, serving those in need, and loving our neighbors in our community.

What we receive so naturally by the grace of God may actually be deeply significant for our lives and our future. Let us not overlook God’s gifts around us: the fresh air we breathe, the water we drink, the beauty of creation, and the people God places in our lives.

Like Esau, we can easily overlook something precious because it seems ordinary. But Jesus reminds us, “You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things” (Matthew 25:23).

May we learn to recognize God’s grace in the small things, remain faithful in our daily choices, and trust that God can use even our smallest acts of love and obedience to create something great for His kingdom.

Thanks be to God. Amen!