Jacob's vision delighted the Hebrews. It told them that God was hearing their prayers, and sending down answers to their prayers.

Monday, 7/6/15

Today we have St. Matthew’s version of Jesus bringing a twelve-year-old girl back to life. About a week ago we had St. Mark’s telling us the same story, and there we  loved the way Mark gave us the actual words spoken by Jesus, Taking the child by the hand, he said, “Talitha koum”, or “Little girl, get up!”

Let’s look at Jacob’s vision of angels going up and down a ladder to heaven. For the Hebrews that vision was more revolutionary than you might imagine.

In the “Acts of the Apostles” we read where Paul said, “God is not far from, any of us, for in him we live, and move, and have our being.” And, that is the understanding that we all grew up with. But, the Old Testament people had no such notion.

Most Primitives had legends similar to that of the disobedience of Adam and Eve. Their belief, and the belief of the Hebrews, was that God was so disappointed with mankind that he shut himself away in his Third Heaven. 

Jacob’s vision of angels on the ladder was a great joy to the Hebrews. They hadn’t come to our belief that God is everywhere, but it was wonderful for them to find that God was listening to their prayers, and sending down answers.