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Genesis: Stories of Faith

“Wrastling!”

Genesis 32:22-31

The Reverend Chris Adams

July 31, 2011

Let those who have sons or grandsons hear... (especially the men).

Your sons want to know that they have what it takes to become a man one day.  No matter how young or old they are, if they admire the men in their life, their father or grandfather or even an older brother, they want to know that someday they too can grow up and be a man.

Now there are lots of ways that this can happen.  Putting a good swing on a baseball or a golf ball, maybe a game of chess works for this.  Even playing an instrument or singing in a choir, or building a campfire works.  But in my judgment, nothing works better for such an occasion as... get ready for it... wrastling.

Now you notice I didn’t say wrestling, no that is a serious skill set of moves and strategy.  That is Greco-Roman or Freestyle, that is Olympic type stuff.  I guess that would work too, but that’s not what I am talking about.

I am talking about “wrastling!”  For young men, with their fathers or grandfathers, and especially with older brothers, “wrastling” is that ancient form of expression designed to let young men know they have what it takes to become a man.

It usually works something like this.  You come home, enter the house, and notice that your elder male is occupied with something that makes them particularly vulnerable.  Maybe they are taking a nap on the sofa, or fixing something under the kitchen sink with both hands occupied, and if you are the underdog younger male, you figure “This is my chance!”

So with all the courage you can muster, and usually a great whoop and a holler, you make your attack.  You jump on dad, or granddad, or brother and try your best to get a hold on them.  You have the element of surprise, and so you can usually get started anyway.  There ensues a great struggle, and depending on how big you are, things get broken, but the “wrastling” goes on even in the midst of mom’s favorite broken vase.

That is until both of you are tired, or somebody overpowers the other.  It’s an ancient ritual, spanning the generations.  Even in my own house, if I get even near the floor, Superfly-Jose is ready to spring at a moment’s notice.

Now ladies, I know this is kind of stupid to you, but this is how men get to know one another, at least as children.  When we get older, we get to know one another by beating our brains out on a softball field or golf course, or with a fishing rod.  It’s why dug-outs smell like Ben Gay and golf scores are tabulated with handicaps.  It’s like “wrastling” for adults.

But here’s the thing.  It’s not even about who wins.  That’s not really all that important.  It’s about the struggle, and it’s about how the man handles himself in the midst of that struggle.  Will he quit?  Will he boast or brag if he does win?  Will he be generous even if he loses?  These are the questions of the struggle.

That’s really what all this is about.  It’s about getting to know the other person and who they are.  It can’t be done with just conversation or exchanging emails.  There has to be an investment.  There has to be some exchange of sweat, and an occasional carpet-burn.  Dad’s can just get to know their sons, and sons their dads without some “wrastling” once in a while.

It’s an ancient tradition.  Again, let those with sons or grandsons, or even little brothers hear and understand...

You see, that’s what’s going on here with Jacob and his Father in heaven in today’s story.  Oh, I know it says that once Jacob had moved all his family and possesions to the other side of the Jabbok, he “wrestled” with God, but it really ought to say that they “wrastled.”  Because that is what is going on.

Look at the background for this story.  Just before this in Chapter 32, Jacob is facing the prospect of seeing his brother Esau again, for the first time since he took his birthright.  Jacob is figuring that Esau is going to be ready to seek his revenge, and while that doesn’t happen in the end, Jacob doesn’t know that at this point.

In fact, he has separated his whole group, his whole clan up into smaller groups to protect them from Esau and the approaching four hundred men.  The last of the groups are his wives and his children.  He gets them to safety and then he waits all alone in case Esau comes earlier than expected.

As he waits, we might imagine the anxiety of Jacob.  He is facing his brother.  He is now a father himself with great responsibility for the others in his charge.  Maybe he wonders, “Do I have what it takes for this?”  “Am I enough of a man?”

Jacob needs a little “wrastling.”  He needs to prove himself and God, his father, shows up to oblige.  It’s an amazing story from that point.

The two of them “wrastle” all night long; all night.  Only when the second man, who I believe is a combination of Jacob’s own anxiety and the Almighty God himself, realizes that Jacob will not give up, he strikes him on the hip socket to get him to let go...

Jacob demands a blessing from his adversary...

They exchange names, which in the ancient world means they are still swapping control over one another...  who will win?

In the end, Jacob gets his blessing from God...

In the end, Jacob it seems does have what it takes to be a man, to strive with God and with himself, and with others and to prevail.  Jacob receives his blessing in the relationship he shares with God.

You see, my friends, our God is not an impersonal deity.  God is not like some think, a sort of holy vending machine, you put your money or your prayer in the slot and out comes the blessings, or even the curses if you don’t do it right.  That’s not God.  That’s not what this story of faith teaches us about the nature and character of Almighty God.

Instead, our God is a God of the intimate.  God is personal and relational.  You can’t just get to know God with an occasional wink and a nod.  You can’t just send God an email, or even forward one about God.  God is not known when you put a bumper sticker on your car that says, “In God We Trust.”  You have to actually get to know God in trust.

God is known in exchanging a little sweat, in a bit of struggle and anxiety.  Sometimes we have to “wrastle” with God a bit.  That’s really how we get to know God, and by the way, how we get to know ourselves too.  That’s how we get to know that we have what it takes to carry the image of God inside our lives and our hearts.

By the way this works for men as well as women.  Boys and girls too get to know God in the struggles of everyday life with God.  Everybody it seems might have to do a little “wrastling” with God from time to time.

Again, let those with ears hear...

My friends, if this story of faith is true, and I think it is, then let me tell you what I think is at stake.  If discovering God face to face comes in struggle, then that has great meaning for our expectations about faith.

You see lots of people think that when things are at peace and everything is okay, then they are closest to God.  They think that when they are suffering or struggling, then maybe God is far away.  Sometimes we even hear people wonder what they might have done wrong to deserve such struggle in life.

But if our God is a God of the intimate, relational struggle like God is here with Jacob, then surely God is closest when we need God the most in the midst of that struggle.  Isn’t that when God shows up for Jacob, when Jacob is anxious and wondering about his own worth and ability.  When Jacob doubts God’s image in his own life, then God shows up for a little “wrastling.” 

The message is clear.  Jacob is worthy of a blessing because of the struggle.  God is in the midst of the struggle, not on the other side of it.  It is only in intimate relationship with God that Jacob is able to discover his own image in the image of God.

So our message today is for those that find themselves struggling a bit; or maybe even a whole lot.  Our message today is for the one that needs yet another chemo treatment, or the single mom that finds herself and her children homeless.  Today we offer this message to the unemployed, the underemployed, and those struggling with a mountain of debt.  It’s for the tired and the weak and young.  It’s for you and it’s for me.

It’s for our community too, and our nation.  Some might think that a shrinking denomination with less resources and less influence than it once had would be without the presence of God.  But this story would argue the opposite.  Perhaps God is with us as Presbyterians now more than ever.  Some might think that our nation, with all it’s financial issues and it’s politics might be without the presence of God.  But this story of Jacob and a little “wrastling” would argue the opposite. 

Hey, maybe that’s it.  Maybe that’s what our politicians need to do in order to solve this whole debt problem.  Let’s have a grand Capital Hill “wrastling” match, that would separate the men from the boys... right?  Some would argue it’s already started... 

Seriously, if you find yourself in the struggle, know this.  God is with you.  God is not standing on the other side of the Jabbok waiting for you to conquer your struggle.  God is intimately involved, even “wrastling” right along with you.  God is with you.

So don’t give up!  Hold on!  Never quit!  Be relentless in pursuing your blessing from God!  Call on God’s name, and never let go of that name for hope and grace and life.  It is a blessing to be in the struggle with our Almighty God.  That’s how we know God best.

Finally, know that doesn’t mean, by the way, that everything is going to turn out just fine.  You might still end up with some wounds and some scars from your struggles.  Remember, Jacob limps from this day forward.  He is scarred from his struggles with God.

But Jacob saw God face to face.  Jacob came to know God is a special way, and the good news of this story is that we can too.

So the next time you find yourself struggling, and you figure even God would have his hands full with all your problems.  With a great whoop and a holler, jump on God for a blessing and hold on until you get one.  In the name of Jacob, and in the name of Jesus Christ, don’t ever let go.

Let those with ears hear...

Amen.