Jacob wrestling with the angel

This is based on today’s Genesis reading about Jacob wrestling with the Angel.   An interesting story… a very interesting story I think.  I’ve been intrigued by this story for years.   There’s a deep truth here, told in story form.  But to understand this story better, we have to go back a ways… we have to go back many decades before the story we have here this morning.  

Years, decades, earlier Jacob, about to enter the young adult phase of his life, the time of life where most young people go off to college, or move away to start working, well, Jacob with the help of his mother, conspired and carried out a plan to swindle his older brother out of his “birthright”.

The two brothers in the family – there may have been more siblings, but these two are the only ones mentioned – were actually twins.  Fraternal twins.   Essau was born first, with Jacob – as the story goes – reaching for his heel as they were being born.  Reaching for his older brothers heel… reaching for his older brother.   He indeed reaches for his older brother, once to steal from him, and once to make amends.     

But these two brothers could not have been more different.     Essau grew to be the taller and stronger of the two.  He was robust and healthy and vigorous.   He was the more out-doorsie, the one who faced physical challenges with confidence and ease.    Their father, Isaac, was very pleased with a son like this.   He could ride horses well (we assume), live in the woods, hunt, fish, and still come out ahead.  

Jacob, on the other hand was very much NOT these things.   In our world, he would have been more disposed towards computers, and reading science and math, and doing experiments with chemicals and electricity.   Not caring much for the gifts of the elements such as rain or sunshine or cold or heat, or any combination thereof, he avoided the outdoors, preferring the comforts of whatever degree of civilization they had at the time.  

The thing about this family is it was pretty dysfunctional.   As I said, Isaac, their father, was more inclined towards his oldest son.  He showered him with attention and praised him more freely than he did his youngest.   That’s not necessarily dysfunctional in itself, except that these dynamics ultimately played themselves out in the pivotal story of the giving away of the birthright. 

The tradition was that the family “Birthright” would be given, bestowed, blessed… towards the oldest son just prior to the death of the father.   

We move forward now… Years have passed and the father, Isaac is old and sick, bed-ridden, he’s not very well at all… In fact he’s dying.   Now comes the time to bestow the birth-right… imparted with a blessing.   For a child, any child, during any era of human existence… including today… adult or not, to be blessed by ones  parents is a profoundly meaningful thing.  It evokes depth of heart and spirit.   It acknowledges the love of family that goes deeper than feeling: “You are my child… and I love you deeply.   I rest my blessing on you”.   What that says about the relationship of parent to child is beyond the words of the blessing… it is a Mythic event.  It is an event that speaks a deep truth, a truth deeper than words can convey by themselves.    

Jacob’s mother knew her husband was very ill, and couldn’t see well either.  So, she conspired a plan to have HER favorite son, Jacob, receive the blessing and inherit the birthright that was, by custom and tradition, to go to the eldest son.   So, she picked a time when Essau was away in the woods hunting.    She had Jacob quickly dress and prepare himself to look like Essau.   Then she told old Isaac that Essau was ready for the blessing.   This must have brought a smile to the old man’s face.   “Ah, my oldest, my favorite… yes… I am ready too.”  

Who knows what Isaac might have said to his son.   He must have spoken words that might not have come as a surprise to Jacob, but they might have hurt to hear none-the-less.   Then old Isaac might have placed his hands on his son’s head, and bestowed the blessing – transferring the birthright to Jacob.  

Jacob stepped out of the tent, shaken perhaps, maybe knowing what he did wasn’t right after all.   But his mother had already packed his bags, telling him he needed to leave right away.  His older brother would be coming back very soon… and she had a fear that when Esau returned he would find out what had happened, and he would kill Isaac – and at the loss of her favorite son, she too would die… of a broken heart.   

So Jacob left – and had adventures.  He went places and saw things.  He eventually married – two sisters actually – that’s a story in itself.   Decades passed and he became a prosperous sheep and goat herder… owning land and things, with many servants and children.   But he never saw his mother again… nor his brother.    What might this have done in his heart, in his soul?   Was he ultimately regretful of tricking his brother, back when they were younger?   Did he live with guilt for all these decades?  

And now we come to the story of this morning.   He’d heard his brother owned some land across the river.  His brother – he was torn.   “Should I try and see him?   Should I just leave things as they’ve been?”   These demons had been following him for decades… the demons of guilt and shame, regret.  The desire to make things right grew stronger every year.   Maybe he knew he couldn’t die without having at least tried to make things right with his older brother.  

So in the tradition of the 12 steps, he decided to make amends.   In spite of it being extremely hard… it was indeed the only choice he had left.   It was time.     So he had his servants pack everything… everything!   He ordered his shepherds to move the sheep and goats, he has his wives and children gather all their belongings as well.    And he moved all towards the river.  

This river became for him more than just a physical boundary… it was also a psychological and moral one.   Once he crossed, there was no going back.   He sent everything and everyone across the river.   He could have gone first, and led the way, but he didn’t.    All finally were moving to the other side… moving without him towards his brother.  He still remained on the other bank.    And finally night fell.  

It’s usually at night that our demons find us.   We can mostly our-run them during the day; their voices drowned out by all the daily activities of life.   But it’s at night, when all the activities cease, and the noise settles… that’s when the memories and voices are loudest.    And here he found himself… in the dark… he knew they would be coming.   It was just a matter of time...  but this time he would face them.   

And they did come.  The story says a man came and started wrestling with him.   If you didn’t know anything about human psychology, or what guilt and regret can do, you might read this and think “how strange!”  But it’s not strange at all.    I used to wonder about this too.   But not anymore.   He’s brave.   He’s facing his fears.   Most of us would never choose to actually see, much less fight, our inner demons.  

But this bravery was not without its price!   The story says they wrestled until almost dawn.   Have you ever had a long night like that?   Struggling and dealing with something… so much so that the hours seemed like minutes?     Finally almost dawn.   Jacob is almost about to win this struggle.    But the man… the memories… the angel that had been trying to get his attention all these years… did something to his hip.  He wrenched it out of its socket…  or…   he pinched his sciatic nerve.    We don’t know exactly… but either way, Jacob was hurt.  He would bear this injury for the rest of his life.   But to him it became a badge of honor… a badge that reminded him he’d faced what he needed to face.      

 But regardless, Jacob still pinned his challenger – who asks to be released.   Dawn was coming…. and he needed to go.   Jacob said he would not let his challenger go free unless this nameless, faceless being blessed him.   In order to do this, the nameless one needed to know Jacob’s name.   “My name is Jacob”, he told him.   But the nameless one changed his name… “You are no longer Jacob… you are now called Israel.   You have fought with divine things and with human things, and you have prevailed.”

I’m reminded of the scene in the Forest Gump movie where Lt. Dan is up on the mast on Forest’s shrimp boat.   They are out in a storm… a violent storm!   And Lt. Dan is battling the elements… battling God… “Is this all you’ve got?!”, he’d yell, with his fist raised to the dark, turbulent, night sky.    And hours later… in the calm of the morning light, as they come into port… after the storm… everything had been destroyed, ravaged…. everything…  except that little boat they were on.   And there was peace on that boat finally.

Sometimes we fight God… sometimes we have to.      Sometimes we have to get the words out…   and God’s the only one left listening.   Or maybe sometimes God is the only one that can handle the words we have to say.   Maybe they’ve been in us so long, they’ve become twisted and sharp and dangerous to other humans… even to ourselves.    And maybe we have to name them… as they come out.   

Jacob asked the challenger his/its name.   In the story, this being never reveals its name… still nameless, shrouded by night and mist.   But he gets a blessing instead….  a legitimate blessing this time.  

Jacob had done what he remembered his brother might have done – he faced his challenger head-on.  He overpowered it using strength and courage.    And he got a blessing… a blessing like his older brother should have gotten so many decades earlier – one given without the mantle of deceit over it.  

Jacob knew something had happened that night… something powerful.  Something bigger than he had ever expected.   He had faced his challenger… his demons…. his angels… his own guilt.   He had grappled with it all night.  It almost won, but in the end he was indeed blessed….   Tired, and spent… but blessed.   A blessing of depth, a blessing of life.   Do we even know how to define this kind of blessing?   Do we have words for this kind of thing?   It was a blessing… but so much more!

He was ready to see his brother again… finally.    He was no longer the brother Essau knew.   He was changed.   He was Israel now.   Something had broken in him…and something had been healed, restored… blessed finally.    And the sun rose again.   He was ready to see his brother.

I remember once talking about a movie – “Phenomenon”, with John Travolta playing a man who somehow gains some supernatural powers, powers used to heal and bless.   And these powers were indeed supernatural, quite phenomenal.   In the end, though, medical professionals determined that these powers were produced by a devastating, malignant… and inoperable tumor.    The other pastor and myself talked about how inspiring the movie was, infused with the sacred… with a deeper meaning to tell the audience.    But the discussion ended with the other pastor lamenting that this holy and sacred journey the man in the movie travelled was unfortunately not very legitimate at all.    It was all cause by “just a tumor!”  It struck how once we can explain an element of the Sacred Mystery… it’s no longer sacred.    

Like this story of Jacob… the story of Jacob becoming Israel.   It’s just a story.   Just a story about one man.  One story of his life...  one of many.    But this story speaks to any of us – if we live long enough to have a story like this.   Well, maybe our story might not be exactly like this… but the thing is, this story doesn’t have to be exactly like ours to make sense.    

Ah, the power of Myth.   Myth with a capital M…. Myth that tells a story… a story that we can see ourselves in, deeply and frankly.    Myth is truth… truth of the human experience in general, and perhaps even our story in specific. 

Do you know anyone with a struggle like Jacobs?   It’s easier to see this in some people more than others… Or maybe this story reflects ours in some way… but we have to be quiet enough to hear the angels calling us out.   We have to be alone, prepared to hear what they have to say… usually in the darkness. 

And may you be blessed like Jacob… with a blessing of depth… of new life!

Amen!