阅读经文 

我们活在一个流动性日益增强的世界。兄弟姐妹，父母和孩子往往生活在各个不同的地方。这是因为，有时我们上完大学就留在那里，或者我们搬到一个地方开始新的工作。但有时候，家人也会因为伤害和心痛而分道扬镳。 

以扫和雅各的关系很不稳定。以扫曾一度想杀害他的弟弟。（创 27:41）尽管他们和好了，也一起经历了父亲过世的痛苦，（创 33:4-5；35:29）圣经对他们后裔之间争斗的描述(参民 20:14-21)表明，兄弟之间的关系仍然有些紧张。所以他们分道扬镳也就不足为奇了。 

定居在不同的地方使雅各和以扫都能享受物质上的繁荣。但以扫离开他的兄弟有一层更重要的信息，以扫“娶迦南的女子为妻”，表明他对雅各的神的矛盾心理。以扫离开的真正可悲之处不是他远离了他兄弟，而是远离了神。 

我们变动的社会使得维持家庭关系充满挑战。但更重要的是，我们需要帮助彼此寻求神在耶稣基督里的救恩。愿我们彼此鼓励，绝不离弃这一祝福。

We live in an increasingly mobile world today. Brothers and sisters, parents and children often live in very different places. This can happen because we settle in a place after attending college there. Or perhaps we move to start a new job. But sometimes families go in different directions because of hurt and heartache. 

Esau and Jacob had had a rocky relationship. At one point, Esau had wanted to kill his younger brother. (Genesis 27:41)Although they had reconciled and joined together in grief over their father's death ,(Genesis 33:4-5; 35:29) the Bible's portrayal of the rivalry between their descendants (see Numbers 20:14-21) suggests that the brothers' relationship remained somewhat strained. So it's not surprising that they would go separate ways. 

Settling in different places allowed both Jacob and Esau to enjoy material prosperity. But Esau moved away from his brother in another, more crucial way. By taking his wives "from the women of Canaan," Esau signaled his ambivalence toward Jacob's God. The real tragedy of Esau's move is not the distance from his brother but his distance from God. 

Our mobile society offers challenges to maintaining family relationships. But even more important is the need to help one another seek God's saving grace in Jesus Christ. May we encourage one another never to move away from that blessing.