Once upon a time there were two brothers named Jacob and Esau, the sons of a man named Isaac. In those days, the oldest son…Esau, in this case, received the birthright and the blessing of the father, taking over the family wealth. Esau was the hunter of the family, his father’s favorite, while Jacob was the pride of his mother.

One day Esau came in from an unsuccessful hunt and was so hungry that he gave Jacob his birthright, just to get a bowl of stew that Jacob had cooked.

Later, as the father, Isaac was nearing death, he asked Esau to take bow and arrow and bring him his favorite dish. But Mom helped Jacob trick his father, and after a fine meal prepared as part of the trickery, Isaac gave his blessing…to the wrong son!

When Esau realized how he had not only given away his birthright, but also the blessing that goes to the oldest son, he pleaded with his father, but it was too late. What was done could not be rescinded.

And young people are still making this mistake today, even though the terms “birthright” and “blessing” don’t have the legality and meaning they did in the days of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Today, young people trade away their future…perhaps a business built over the years by his or her parents, spending high school and college days in the “fun” of drugs, drinking, and other temporary things, giving away the permanence of reputation, future family, and even Heaven, for “a bowl of stew,” as it were.

This true story of Jacob and Esau, the forefathers of the Israelites and the Arabs, see the two fighting each other down through history. And it all began in the 25th through the 27th chapters of the book of Genesis in the Bible.

And the human nature of it all continues. The “bowl of stew” can be any temptation.

Adultery, alcohol, drugs, gambling, embezzling, or any of the many ways of taking the wrong road are still situated beside the broad road that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13).

Don’t trade your future for a bowl of stew. Give Christ a chance.