my weekly pilgrimage

Theme: #when Christians fall inlove..
Text: Genesis 29:20
Audience: Youth
Intro:
A. "made in china" ba yung relationship nyu? un bang tipong pinatulan mu nlng kahit hindi mu namn gaanung kailangan.. binili mu kasi mura, madaling makuha, at sa kadahilanang gusto mu lng ng kakaiba o bago??(need for novelty) ok pa sa simula, pero di na lingid sa yung isip na ito'y di pangmatagalan.. ito ma'y masisira o mawala, di ka rin nman manghihinayang.. mura na at parang hindi rin nag a-out of stocks.. mabilis pa makakita ng pamalit..
B. ganun pa man, mas maganda pa rin yung original/true love.. mas matibay at mas maasahan.. gen. 29: 20 gives us a precis of Jacob's true love for Rachel.. and it also shows us how to express our love without the fear of losing our Christian identity.. maraming mga lessons tayo na makukuha sa love story ni Jacob at ni Rachel.. but let's try pondering  on the selected passage only..

there are three important things we can learn from the text.. R. E. D.

Body:
A. Respects Culture

"So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel.."
1. it was part of their culture at that time that a man would present a dowry to the parents of the woman he is going to marry..
-some would give material properties, livestocks, crops, or poultry products

2. si Jacob, walang-wala talaga .. di naman mayaman.. di rin naman ganun ka kisig tulad ni Esau.. dala-dala niya lang sa kanyang paglalakbay ay ang pagpapala lng ng kanyang ama.. (at ito'y parang "illegally-acquired" pa)  so he offered his service instead of material dowry.. (deal between Jacob and Mr. White) white="laban" in hebrew
-it's not that easy, but because of his love for Rachel he willingly and respectfully submit to their culture/tradition
3. the youth nowadays pay only a little concern for their culture... "What is Trending/Fab/Uso?" instead of "what does our culture says".. giving respect to tradition does not make one socially inept, matanda, or a KillJoy.. totoo rin nman na merong mga traditions na obsolete na sa mkabagong panahon natin ngayun.. pero hindi naman lahat..
-mabilis ang mga pagbabago sa atin ngayun... pwedi'ng ibang uso ngayun.. iba na rin bukas.. sometimes lahat ay parang gusto nating baguhin.. gusto nating tularan at gayahin ang iba hanggang sa makalimutan natin kung sino at ano talaga tayo.. -sabi pa ni Jose Rizal, "ang taong di marunong magsalita ng sariling wika, ay mabaho pa kaysa malansang isda." isn't it a shame sa iba who've gone somewhere/abroad na sa loob ng mga ilang months pa lamng ay kung umasta parang iba at kung sinu na? well, belib rin naman tayo sa mga taong maski matagal na nga sa ibang place/abroad ay still naka-apak pa rin ang mga paa sa lupa't di pa rin nakakalimut ng mga sariling atin..
4. anu -anu ba ang mga pamamaraan ng panliligaw ngayun? text, YM, twitter, bbm, chat, fb, e-mail, etc.,?? talagang makabago na nga.. pati ang hinihingan ng advice hindi na ang mga nanay at tatay.. c google, ibat-ibang AI, at c simsimi na???
-its ok to have fun and explore our technologies and maximizing their potentials for our entertainment and convenience, but we must be on our guard not to "wander" too far to the extent of losing track of our Christian principles..
5. we must learn from the mistakes of the Israelites when they deviate from their laws/tradition.. they're not permitted to marry a partner of different faith.. but still they disobeyed this law resulting to religious-synchretism.. (particularly, ang paghahalo ng ibang paganistic practices at ng kanilang *YAHVEHstic culture)*kultura base sa kanilang pananampalataya kay YAHWEH.. as a result, our God YHWH, condemned them..
6. giving respect sa culture is not about the culture itself.. its about the person.. nabuo rin nman yang mga kultura't traditions sa kadahilanang gusto nating maging maayos ang pakikitungo natin sa iba at sa paligid natin..
7. and we highly promote our Filipino culture also because it is founded on respect, love, family values and primarily on Christian faith..
8. By saying respect for culture, we don’t mean na mag aasta tayong tradisyunal at de-numero lahat ng mga courtship ways.. it only mean na hindi rascal(meaning well-manered andbeing a gentleman)..  we should always put in our minds that God hears our every conversation.. He sees where we are and what we do.. he can read our texts, the messages in our chatbox.. our dates.. etc(that’s what His powers can do- get over it..=P)
9. Colossians 3:17.. “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus”

B. Endures the test of Time
 "but they seemed like only a few days to him..”
1. It's really amazing how Jacob waited for seven years just to marry the woman of his dream

- if patience is a virtue, talagang napaka virtuous na talaga ni Jacob.. (Jac, ikaw na)
- Hamakin mu, 7 years yun.. di basta-basta yun.. “eh, bahala na, parang ilang araw lng nman yan, basta para sa pinakamamahal kung c Rachel..”, sabi pa ni Jacob..

2. that is true love in action… true love waits..
pero ngayun, ang bilis-bilis.. magpa-load ka ng 10 pesos na load, di pa nauubos yung load mu sinagot ka na.. nadadala ang iba sa pera… nadadala ang iba sa artistahing mga looks.. (di bali nang mahirap, walang pinag-aralan, at walang alam sa buhay basta’t mukhang bida lng ng city hunter ang looks fyts na..buti pa talagang mga kalbo, iwas sa mga tukso..=P) sa mga hindi rin nmang gaanung good looking, di rin ma-pera, “suicidal instincts” lng ang kanilang pang tapat.. “tatalon ako sa 143rd flr kung di mu ku sasagutin..”
 -“type kita.. type rin kita.. ok.. pwedi bang tayo na?..
3. Uu nga nman, bakit ba nagmamadali ang isang tao? Bakit ba nagmamadali ang iba na magka GF/BF?? This a perplexing question that even experience itself don’t have a clear answer.. (or maybe we don’t have enough vocabulary of thoughts from our experiences to answer this question??? Hhmmm Wag na lng..) its better to ask the Wisdom of God to guide us.. in that way, you don’t have to suffer being heart-broken before you learn your lessons..
C. Determined by Genuine Love
"because of his love for her."

1. Pwedi rin namang mghanap ng iba c Jacob, ngunit malakas talaga ang tama niya kay Rachel.. sabi pa ng kanta,”umulan, bumagyo, ayos lng..” ganun ka tindi..
-na heart-broken rin c Jacob.. nag serve na sya kay Laban ng 7 years para makuha niyang kabiyak c Rachel.. ngunit di pa pala pweding c Rachel, according sa culture nila dapat talagang mauunang mag asawa ang pinakamatandang anak bago ang mas nakababata.. ibang ineexpect niyang babae sa “loob ng belo”.. sa halip na masihayan, sya’y nagulat at nanghinayang.. ngunit di sya pinaghinaan ng loob.. and so he served Laban for another 7 years to get Rachel!
2. Sa atin ngayun, 1day lng na hindi mkatext ang lalaki parang inis na inis na c babae.. dramas like: text bombing/flooding sa inbox ni sweetheart, at saka magtampo na di nirereplyan kahit alam nila na may ginagawa at busy yung partner nila.. kasi dapat talagang mag stop yung ikot ng mundo pag syay humihingi na ng attention..
3. Ang genuine love ay di self-serving… nag hahanap ka ng partner so that your partner will also feel and experience being loved by you..
4. Genuine and authentic love does not only endures but also passes all tests.. kaya nga importanti talaga na makilala mu ng husto ang magiging partner mo.. tinatanong talaga natin whether “totoong pag-ibig naba ito o puppy love pa lng”.. may stages nman yung ating relationship, di  ba? (love, courtship, then marriage) hindi tayo pweding mag skip sa courtship stage.. sa courtship stage kasi natin kinikilala at kinikilatis yung katauhan at kabuuhan ng magiging partner natin..
5. Sa huli tayo rin naman ang kawawa sa mga pagkakamali natin..
6. Rachel is also very commendable for her love towards Jacob also.. Jacob married her sister but because the love between her and Jacob is real she did not allow the imperfections to stand in their way..  (bahala nang second-hand ka Jac, what’s important is that your original/authentic..)

Conclusion:

when a Christian falls inlove

A. he/she respects the person for all he/she is.. he respects her.. not rascal in expressing his love..
B. he/she can wait for the right time.. always seeks the time table of God..
C. loves his/her partner genuinely beyond imperfections..