Wrestling With God

Genesis 25:29-34

²⁹Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was famished. ³⁰Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stuff, for I am famished!” (Therefore he was called Edom.) ³¹Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.” ³²Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” ³³Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. ³⁴Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank, and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

Comedian Chris Farley had a skit on Saturday Night Live called, "The Chris Farley Show." In the skit, he would interview actors, but instead of asking them about upcoming movies, or allowing them to share projects they were working on, he would ask inappropriate questions. He was nervous, and would ask if the interviewee remembered a particular scene from a previous movie, saying, "That was awesome!"  He then would realize how badly the interview was going, would hit himself on the head, and would call himself an idiot. When I read the story of Jacob swindling Esau out of his birthright, I imagine Esau as Chris Farley on the Chris Farley Show.

Jacob and Esau were constantly at odds.  Jacob was loved by his mother, while Esau was loved by his father.  Each tried to outdo the other.  It got so bad that at one point Jacob had to run away because Esau planned to kill him!  Jacob went to stay with his Uncle Laban, who was about has dubious as Jacob!  Jacob lived with Laban's family for 20 years, marrying his two daughters and making him a very rich man.  However, Laban and Jacob, like Esau and Jacob, were constantly trying to deceive the other for personal gain.  Jacob came to a point where he knew he had to leave, lest Laban get the other hand and Jacob loose everything.  But where was there to go?

Jacob nervously decided to take his wives and children and return home to Esau. As he drew near, he sent servants with troves of gifts to try to soften his brother.  However, the servants said Esau would not receive the gifts and that he and 400 men were coming to greet Jacob.  Jacob divided his children among their mothers and sent them a ways off in an effort to keep them safe. As he waited, a man wrestled with him through the night, and in the morning, Jacob had the upper hand.  Jacob demanded a blessing from the stranger. The man asked Jacob's name.  When Jacob responded, the stranger revealed his true identity by saying, "You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed (Genesis 32:28)."

In the morning, Esau came to greet Jacob.  Esau welcomed his brother with open arms and without a grudge. Esau refused the appeasement gifts, saying that he already had enough. Being reunited with his brother was all the gift he needed.

Jacob has two encounters with God throughout the story. The first is when he is running away from Esau, and the second is on the eve of the brothers being reunited. At no other point does Jacob pray to God, talk to God, or even make reference to God. Yet God changed his name to Israel, making him the father of the twelve tribes of Israel. You see, God does not choose perfect or pious people to do God's work. If God only used perfect or pious people, there would be no one for God to use. No matter your shortcomings, your sins, your flaws, God can use you. You just have to be open with God. You may even have to wrestle with God. In that wrestling, God makes you stronger and better able to do God's work.

Hear more about Jacob, Esau and Laban this Sunday in church.