The Wrestler

Jacob was a born wrestler. Literally. Much to the distress of his mother, he spent his time in the womb struggling with his brother. Despite his best efforts, he was born in second place, his hand still grasping his brother’s heel, clinging to a birthright that wasn’t his. Jacob means “takes by the heel,” an idiomatic way of saying, “he cheats” (Gen. 25:22-26). I can imagine his mother, Rebekah, thinking Awww! What a cute little cheater! But what is adorable in a baby, is not so cute in a grown man.

As he grew, it became clear that Jacob was never going to win any physical battles with his swarthy older twin. But there is more than one way to wrestle. The cleverer of the two, Jacob outwitted his brother to gain the birthright and, at the urging of his mother, deceived his blind father to steal his brother’s blessing. Jacob got what he wanted, but his wrestling tore his family apart. Esau, furious over his losses, plotted to kill his brother. No match for the physical threat, Jacob fled hundreds of miles to Mesopotamia to work for his mother’s brother, Laban. He would never lay eyes on his mother again.

While he was away Jacob got a taste of his own medicine. In, Laban, Jacob had met his match. He found out how it felt to be cheated, and cheated, and cheated. But he also learned that no one could cheat him out of God’s blessing now that it had been given. Jacob arrived at Laban’s house with nothing. Twenty years later, despite Laban’s constant cheating, Jacob had acquired a large family and vast wealth. And when “Jacob saw that Laban did not regard him with favor as before. Then the Lord said to Jacob, ‘Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.’” (Gen 31:2-3).

Jacob packed up his family and his herds and headed home. And his conscience began to wrestle. He sent word ahead to Esau that he was on his way and concocted a scheme to appease his brother for his stolen blessing (32:1-3). When his messengers returned with the news that Esau was coming with 400 men to meet him, Jacob’s conscience assumed the worst. Terrified (32:6-7), he cried out to God for protection, reminded Him of His promises, and praised Him for His steadfast love (32:9-12). Then he sent his family and a series of lavish gifts on ahead.

“And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, ‘Let me go, for the day has broken.’ But Jacob said, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’ And he said to him, ‘What is your name?’ And he said, ‘Jacob.’ Then he said, ‘Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed’ Then Jacob asked him, ‘Please tell me your name.’ But he said, ‘Why is it that you ask my name?’ And there he blessed him.” (Gen. 32:24-29).

Israel, means “wrestles with God.” Jacob had spent his life wrestling men, but that night he found himself wrestling with God. And the new day dawned on a new man with a new name and a new outlook on life. For the rest of his life, with every limping step he would be reminded of one thing: the real struggle in life is not with flesh and blood. 

And the same is true for us. We are tempted to wrestle the people around us as if they held the keys to God’s blessings. We waste our energy and run roughshod over our relationships when what we really need is to grab hold of Christ and refuse to let go.  

This article was originally published here.