From the Book of Genesis, we hear the next part of the story of the people whom God has chosen and who have, in turn, chosen to follow God. Like most relationships, this relationship is complicated to say the least. On the run from a serious family rift, he has helped cause; Jacob directly encounters God for the first time in a vision that is both unforgettable and profoundly affirming. From the Gospel of Matthew we hear another agriculturally rooted parable. The topic is the bad growing and flourishing alongside the good. How have you experienced God’s blessing? What do you do to remember God’s personal interest in and care for you? How do you reconcile the good in life alongside the bad?