"Sharing Your Story - BC/AD" II

Genesis 32-33

BACKGROUND

Esau and Jacob were twins. Esau (whose name may mean "rehead")was the first born and Jacob (meaning "grabber" or "trickster")was grabbing on to Esau's foot. Esau was a virile man's man while Jacob was a mama's boy. At first Esau looked like he would take after dear old dad, Isaac, who was not the brightest of the litter. I can picture him growing up with his name meaning laughter and how many times people might have laughed at him rather than with him. Rebekah on the other hand was a manipulator on behalf of Jacob and Jacob grew up to be "the great manipulator." Jacob cheated his brother out of his birthright twice and was given the rights of the firstborn even though he was second (a little bit of "the last shall be first and the first shall be last"). Jacob then runs for fear of his life. Esau said to him, "They don't call you Jacob (grabber, trickster) for nothing." But eventually Esau becomes very successful in his own right, in fact, more successful than swindler Jacob. Esau even has his own small malitia that he travels with. When Jacob hears that Esau is on his way to see him he fears the worst. In that fear and panic, our scripture lesson takes place. This is my favorite Old Testament story.

Jacob has it all planned, the speech, the placating of Esau by letting all the women and children pass by him first, but Esau has moved on from his hatred. Jacob doesn't know that. Looking at the possibility of his own mortality, he was a wrestling match with a man all through the night. But the match is really a wrestling match with God, really a wrestling match with himself. He has been a liar and a swindler all his life and his life is crashing around him. Finally, the wrestling match ends with the man putting Jacob's hip out of joint. Jacob "the grabber" refuses to let go until the man blesses him. The man accomodates by giving him a new name, Israel (meaning "he who struggles with God")and tells him he has wrestled with God and won (interestingly by losing). That is one of the stories of Will Cotton's life. He wrestles with God and wins by losing (every time!) My guess is that it is part of your story as well. We win when we finally "surrender all", when we "let go and let God." In the words of Jesus we lose in order to find and die in order to live - paradoxical but absolutely true.

Jacob's new name is important, because it becomes also the name of a great nation who throughout its history has been a struggle with God. When calls the Church "the new Israel", I think about what that means. As we approach ministry in this 21st century, we seem to be once again like Jacob at the Jabbok River. Who have we been as individual Christians and together as the Church? And who will we be from now on?

The most important scene in this story is often ignored. When Jacob finally meets Esau, Esau asks, "Why the big parade ahead of you? You had nothing to fear. Look how I have been blessed." Esau the offended embraces the offender and abuser and Jacob looks at his twin brother and says, "I see in you Peniel (meaning 'the face of God')." Jacob builds an altar there and calls it Peniel. Jacob sees the face of God in the brother he has wronged. Now that's powerful. Do you know what it's like to be forgiven by someone? Have you given that gift to someone else? Jesus taught us, "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." When we do that for each other, we really show each other Peniel, "the face of God." Give that gift to someone you love or don't love this week. See you tomorrow.