Chapter 24 is actually introduced at the end of chapter 22 where after the story of the sacrifice of Isaac we read this odd genealogy of Abraham’s brother Nahor and his wife Milcah. Abraham did not want Isaac to marry a Canaanite woman. He sends his servant (possibly Eliezer) back to his homeland with ten camels laden with gifts for the future bride and her family.

The servant arrives in the city where Nahor’s family lives and prays to Abraham’s God to show him who is to become Isaac’s wife. He asks that this woman offer him a drink of water and to water the camels also. While he is still praying, Rebekah, Nahor’s granddaughter comes to the well and does just as the servant prayed. He asks Rebekah if he might be able to stay at her house. She agrees.

Nahor is apparently dead because there is no mention of him, rather his wife Milcah and son Laban deal with the servant. They agree to allow Rebekah to marry Isaac. At first they want to delay her leaving but finally ask her if she is willing to go and Rebekah agrees. Isaac and Rebekah meet each other and become husband and wife.

As Genesis 25 opens, Abraham takes another wife and has many sons. While he gives to his sons during his lifetime and sets them up in places to the east of his home, upon his death Isaac receives all of his father’s estate. Both Ishmael and Isaac bury Abraham with Sarah. Isaac settles in Beer-lahai-roi, which ironically is the place named by Hagar after God promised that he would take care of Ishmael in Chapter 16.

Rebekah is barren (a common occurrence in the women God chooses to use for His purposes), so Isaac prays that God bless her with a child. God grants his prayer and Rebekah becomes pregnant with twins. The twins do not get along even in the womb. Rebekah asks God for some relief and God tells her that her twins represent two nations and that the younger of her sons will prevail over the elder. The twins are born with the younger, Jacob, grabbing at the heel of the elder, Esau.

Jacob loves Esau but Rebekah loves Jacob. After they grow up, the two men have an encounter. Esau comes in from the field famished. Jacob is cooking lentil stew. Esau wants some of the stew, but Jacob will not give it to him unless Esau gives up his birthright. He must have been really hungry because he agrees to Jacob’s demand. Esau gets his meal and Jacob gets the inheritance.

All of us are prone to short-sighted thinking. We are so concerned with our own needs and desires that we don’t consider the long-term ramifications of our decisions. We may regret our thoughtlessness but we have to live with the consequences.

Matthew 9 contains several encounters between Jesus and several religious leaders.  In the first encounter Jesus is approached by some people carrying a man who is paralyzed. He says to the man that his sins are forgiven. Some scribes take offense to this and accuse Jesus of blasphemy. Jesus responds to them by proving that he has the authority to forgive sins by healing the man. It doesn’t make sense to us that Jesus is forgiving sins by healing the man. But, we have to remember that in Jesus’ day illness was equated with sin. People were struck by illness, especially conditions like paralysis, blindness, and the like either because of their sin or the sin of their parents.  So, in a sense, if Jesus forgives them of their sins, he heals them, and conversely, if he heals them, he is forgiving them of their sins. Either way, he is doing what only God can do.

Next Jesus meets Matthew, who as a tax collector is considered to be a sinner. He calls on Matthew to follow him and Matthew responds. Jesus has dinner at his house with Matthew’s friends, also sinners. Some Pharisees criticize Jesus for doing this. Jesus responds to their criticism by stating that a doctor is needed by people who are sick, not those who are well. He paraphrases Hosea 6:6, speaking to them about how their priorities are in the wrong place by concentrating on receiving sacrifices and making people work for forgiveness, instead of offering mercy (“steadfast love” in Hosea), which is what God desires.

Then some disciples of John the Baptist come and question the way Jesus practices his faith. They concentrate on the pious practice of fasting and Jesus doesn’t. Jesus responds basically by saying that he is doing something new and the old practices no longer apply.

One of the leaders of a synagogue knows that Jesus can heal and Jesus tp heal his daughter who has just died. While Jesus is going to her a woman who has been bleeding for twelve years touches his cloak and Jesus heals her. Jesus brings the girl back to life and as Jesus leaves the house he meets two blind men whom he heals. Next, Jesus meets a person who has been made mute by a demon. Jesus casts the demon out. The Pharisees question by whose authority Jesus can do such things, saying that it must be by the ruler of the demons.   Jesus answers these accusations later.