The Sin That Splits Families

Genesis 27:1-8

Isaac Blesses Jacob

¹When Isaac was old and his eyes were dim so that he could not see, he called Esau his older son and said to him, “My son”; and he answered, “Here I am.” ²He said, “Behold, I am old; I do not know the day of my death. ³Now then, take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me, ⁴and prepare for me delicious food, such as I love, and bring it to me so that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die.”

⁵Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau went to the field to hunt for game and bring it, ⁶Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “I heard your father speak to your brother Esau, 7‘Bring me game and prepare for me delicious food, that I may eat it and bless you before the LORD before I die.’ ⁸Now therefore, my son, obey my voice as I command you.

(ESV)

Thought:
There is this sin that continued to plague all the patriarches, Abraham, Isaac and also Jacob. Abraham continued to hold on to the prospect of Ishmael receiving the inheritance. Isaac appeared to love Esau more than Jacob, Jacob would come to love his son Joseph more than all his other sons. Rebekah had the same fault, she took the promise given to her about Jacob, but then allowed Satan to work in her and sow discord among their family. You can see she loved Jacob more than Esau.

Two parents, each with their own favourite and it doesn’t go well, it leads to the other wanting to kill the other. But all because of Rebekah’s favouritism. James 2:1-13 speaks strongly against the sin of favouritism, particularly in the church, showing favour to those who a richer, more powerful, more closely related, leads to you not being favoured before God but coming under his punishment.

God shows that he has no favourites in his kingdom, even those he has chosen to be part of his family, are these because of no reason in and of themselves, if anything he has picked the worst children to be adopted into his family. Just as God is in no way swayed by the appearance of others, so should we.

Jesus came down and spent time among sinners and tax collectors, the poor and the marginalised. Why? Because he knew the truth, they were no more dirty or sinful than those who were rich and powerful, those who were supposedly moral and righteous, all of them had fallen short of God’s standard. All of them deserved wrath, but also all of them had been made in the image of God, they were his creation and therefore he loved them all.

Favouritism is refusing to acknowledge the truly sinful state of all people regardless of race, gender, wealth, or position in society, and also refusing to see that all people are deserving of dignity as they are all made in the image of God. Favouritism will sow discord in our families, our church, and our nation, if we allow it to. But if we would open our eyes, seeing even those we love the most as no better or more deserving of anything than those who irritate us the most. The devil won’t be able to gain a foothold in our hearts, and even when he does, we repent and turn to him who is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Reflection:
Favouritism is subtle, and it often hides in the way we treat the people closest to us. Genesis 27 warns us that even small preferences can grow into division if left unchecked. This passage invites us to examine our hearts honestly: where do we elevate some and overlook others? God calls us to see every person with equal dignity, and to pursue relationships marked by humility, fairness, and repentance when we fail.

Prayer:
Lord, guard my heart from favouritism. Help me see every person as You see them—equally sinful, equally loved, equally made in Your image. Where I have shown partiality, forgive me and heal the harm it has caused. Teach me to walk in humility, honouring all people with the dignity You have given them. Keep my heart free from division and full of Your grace. Amen.