The God who wrestles with people…and loses.

Last week we talked about the relationship between Jacob and Esau as part of our series, “All the things you should have learned in Sunday school.” In short, Jacob tricked Esau several times, in some pretty major ways, and ended up having to run for his life. Jacob’s life, from here, is a mixed bag. Here are some highlights:

- Jacob left his family and found some relatives to live with and work for. He was repeatedly deceived (by Laban). Jacob worked for 7 years to gain the privilege of marrying one of Laban’s daughters- but Laban tricked Jacob into marrying a different daughter instead. Jacob then worked for 7 more years to marry the daughter he originally set out to marry.

- Jacob eventually marries both sisters and his wives stay in open competition with each other for Jacob’s affections and over the bearing of children- they are hostile towards one another and play a continuous game of one-ups-man-ship.

- Jacob does right by Laban- working with honesty and integrity. He was tricked out of his rightful payment for his hard work- but he found a clever way to build his own fortune (made out of goats) anyway. Jacob is then, once again, sent away. He heads home and prepares to meet Esau.

- He sets up camp at a particular place- knowing Esau has done the same, nearby. Jacob is afraid. This brings us to the passage for today.

Click here to read about Jacob wrestling with God.

This story is strange. Jacob, fearing for his life as he approaches his homeland and Esau (who he wronged), sends his family ahead and stays behind. Perhaps he stays back to think or to plan, or to prepare, or to pray. It’s not clear what he intends to do.

Jacob then spends all night wrestling with a man-like figure that might actually be a god-like figure. It’s not totally clear if Jacob is wrestling with a man, an angel, or God himself. At first, it simply says Jacob wrestles a man, though by the end Jacob seems to think it’s God that he sees face-to-face.

The story, strange as it may be, brings us full circle. Jacob- who originally stole the blessings his father intended for his brother, will not let go of the man/god/angel until he receives a blessing. Jacob, perhaps at long last, is fighting for something that, as a younger man, he was content to simply steal or take. The man/god/angel blesses Jacob with a new name, Israel, which becomes the name of God’s people as a whole. This name reflects Jacob’s ability to wrestle with both God and man, and win.

What should we say about all this? What are our takeaways?

If we were writing for children we might say, Jacob finally learned the importance of hard work and was blessed for it. There may be some truth to this (he did learn hard work)- but the blessing that the figure gives Jacob does not fundamentally change anything about the blessings he received up to this point. This story doesn’t question their legitimacy or undermine Isaac's blessings in any way. It’s simply one more blessing added on. Jacob, in addition to being the new godfather of God’s people by virtue of receiving his father’s blessing, is now also a fighter.

But what is he fighting for? He hung back while everyone else went on. He thinks the end is near. He’s fighting for this blessing- he’s fighting with the hope that someone will take care of him because he can’t take care of himself. He doesn’t all of a sudden become strong. He’s fighting because he knows he’s weak- and he knows he needs help.

What does this teach us about God?

Well, we might have some questions. What kind of God wrestles a man and loses? That’s pretty odd. What kind of God wrestles with a man and respects the fact that the man was willing to wrestle him? Aren’t gods supposed to be angry and domineering? Aren’t they supposed to destroy humans who fight back, who refuse to stay in their place, and so on and so on? Isn’t that what gods do? They demonstrate their power.

Well…perhaps. But not this God. Not the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This is a God who values a negotiation, a spirited debate, or even a wrestling match. This is the type of God who wants to see humans stand up for themselves and step into their own, so to speak. This is a God who values both give and take. Not merely one or the other.

The Jewish religion has carried on this tradition far better than the Christian one. The tradition of spirited and lively debate not only with the text itself but with God himself. Did you know you’re allowed to wrestle? You’re allowed to be afraid? You’re allowed to not know what comes next? And you’re allowed to fight over it.

Did you know that you’re allowed to be weak and you’re allowed to need help and you’re allowed to ask for it? And, just by virtue of being born, you deserve to receive it. You deserve to receive help- whether it comes from God, or an angel, or a person.

You don’t deserve more punishment. You deserve more help.