Genesis 29:13-18: a reflection

13When Laban heard the news of Jacob, his sister’s son, he ran to meet Jacob, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things. 14Laban said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh.” Jacob stayed with him for a month. 15Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what will your wages be?” 16Laban had two daughters. The name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and attractive. 18Jacob loved Rachel. He said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter.”

When Jacob comes to Laban's household and falls in love with Rachel, he offers to serve seven years for her hand, so willing is his love to labor for her. Jacob loved Rachel, the account says; and he said, I will serve you seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter. Jacob's love for Rachel made him willing to give seven years of labor for her, a long and hard service offered gladly for the sake of love. Love made the prospect of long labor light; what would have been a heavy burden for another was, for love, a glad offering. This shows how love makes willing service and labor light. Love makes long labor light and glad. Jacob gladly offered seven years' service for love. What love serves becomes light rather than burdensome. Love labors gladly for the one it loves.

Notice how love shaped Jacob's willingness to serve. He loved Rachel; and out of that love, he offered to serve seven years for her, a long and demanding service. What might have seemed an impossibly long and hard labor was, for love, a glad offering; Jacob was willing, even eager, to give those years for the one he loved. Love made the hard labor light. This reflects something true about the nature of love. Love makes willing what would otherwise be burdensome; it labors gladly, gives freely, serves willingly, for the sake of the beloved. What would be a heavy burden if done grudgingly or for a mere duty becomes, when done for love, a glad and willing service. This is true in our human loves, and truer still in our love for God. When we truly love God, service to him is not a grudging burden but a glad offering; love makes the labor light, willing, even joyful, because it is offered to the one we love. If our service to God feels only like a heavy, grudging duty, perhaps what is lacking is love; for love makes service light and glad. We do well to let love, both for God and for others, make our service willing and glad, rather than a grudging burden. Love makes service willing, glad, even light. What is a burden when grudging becomes glad when done for love. Let love make your service to God and others willing and glad. If service feels only like a heavy burden, seek the love that makes it light.

That is worth taking to heart, for love makes willing service and labor light and glad, as Jacob gladly offered seven years' service for the love of Rachel. We can experience service, to God or others, as a heavy, grudging burden; but Jacob's love made a long, hard service a glad offering. Love makes labor light. Let love, for God and for others, make your service willing and glad, rather than a grudging burden; and if it feels only heavy, seek the love that makes it light. Let love, both for God and for others, make your service willing and glad rather than a grudging burden, as Jacob, coming to Laban's household and falling in love with Rachel, offered to serve seven years for her hand, so willing was his love to labor for her; for Jacob's love for Rachel made him willing to give seven years of labor, a long and hard service offered gladly for the sake of love, so that love made the prospect of long labor light, and what would have been a heavy burden for another was for love a glad offering, which reflects something true about the nature of love, that love makes willing what would otherwise be burdensome, laboring gladly, giving freely, and serving willingly for the sake of the beloved, so that what would be a heavy burden if done grudgingly or for mere duty becomes when done for love a glad and willing service, which is true in our human loves and truer still in our love for God, since when we truly love God service to him is not a grudging burden but a glad offering, love making the labor light and even joyful because it is offered to the one we love, so that if our service to God feels only like a heavy grudging duty perhaps what is lacking is love, and we do well to let love make our service willing and glad.

Lord, when Jacob comes to Laban's household and falls in love with Rachel, he offers to serve seven years for her hand, so willing is his love to labor for her. Jacob loved Rachel, the account says; and he said, I will serve you seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter. Jacob's love for Rachel made him willing to give seven years of labor for her, a long and hard service offered gladly for the sake of love. Love made the prospect of long labor light; what would have been a heavy burden for another was, for love, a glad offering. This shows how love makes willing service and labor light. Show me how love shaped Jacob's willingness to serve. He loved Rachel; and out of that love, he offered to serve seven years for her. What might have seemed an impossibly long labor was, for love, a glad offering; Jacob was willing, even eager, to give those years for the one he loved. Love made the hard labor light. This reflects something true about the nature of love. Love makes willing what would otherwise be burdensome; it labors gladly, serves willingly, for the sake of the beloved. What would be a heavy burden if done grudgingly becomes, when done for love, a glad service. This is true in my human loves, and truer still in my love for you. When I truly love you, service to you is not a grudging burden but a glad offering; love makes the labor light, willing, even joyful, because it is offered to you, whom I love. If my service to you feels only like a heavy, grudging duty, perhaps what is lacking is love; for love makes service light and glad. Take that to my heart, for love makes willing service and labor light and glad. Keep me from serving you or others as a grudging burden; help me let love, for you and for others, make my service willing and glad, Lord, and if it feels only heavy, deepen my love for you, which makes even long labor light, as Jacob's love made seven years' service a glad offering.