When we were young, my brother and I would wrestle.  He was five years older, so I usually came out on the short end of the stick.  When he pinned me into an immobile position or when the pain became too great I would cry, “Uncle!”

 

It was much more satisfying to wrestle with my neighbor friend who was about my age – though he knew a lot more moves from wrestling his three older brothers and one younger brother.  Despite that advantage we normally wrestled to a draw – rarely having to cry, “Uncle!”

 

The phrase, “cry uncle,” supposedly dates back to the days of the Roman Empire. When young children of that era were attacked by bullies, they wouldn’t be set free until they uttered “Patrue, mi Patruissimo,” or “Uncle, my best Uncle.” At that time, the brother of one’s father was accorded almost the same level of status and power as one’s dad, so declaring the bully to be your “Best Uncle” was tantamount to granting him a title of respect.

 

It’s actually pretty sad that bullies wield that kind of power, using physical force, slanderous words, or bribery, to elevate themselves up to an imaginary status.  That kind of coercion and intimidation cannot be deemed as legitimate wrestling. 

 

Enter Jacob – who sort of encompassed legitimate wrestling etiquette and bullying (or coercive) tendencies.  Even while his mother, Rebecca, was carrying Jacob & his twin in her womb, she could feel them wrestling.  Then upon birth, Jacob had his brother by the heel.  What was that all about?  A power play as if to displace Esau from being the first-born?  Later we learn that Jacob tricked his Esau in to getting their father’s birthright blessing.  Obviously, this evolved into a major family feud, to the point where Esau vowed to kill Jacob.

 

The climax of this feud took place at the Jabbok River, with Jacob doing everything he could to appease Esau in order to survive. But, before the approaching encounter could take place, Jacob spends the night wrestling with a stranger (later presumed to God) on the bank of the river. (Genesis 22:22-32)

 

Before we go further with this familiar story, lets reflect a bit more on Jacob’s life – a life that was filled with internal wrestling as he considered important life decisions.  He wrestled with his personal relationships – finding favorites among his wives and children. He wrestled with an obsession with power and pride. He wrestled with forgiveness issues. He wrestled with fear of failure. 

 

Ultimately, he wrestled and struggled with his faith.  I suspect we as people of God are not much different.

 

There is a myth inferring that believers in God should be immune to struggles.   People think that their faith will vault them above the troubles of the world, as if a protective veil insulates them from harm’s way.  But throughout history God has sent his prophets and teachers to engage his people in wrestling matches when it comes to faith.  We need to keep this in mind.  Following God’s calling is always more of a wrestling match than a ride on a paraglider.

 

As a church we struggle with how to best express our ministry.  How can we best educate our children with the stories of the Bible?  We struggle with who will teach these stories.  How can our church best respond to hunger needs in our community and in the world?  How can our church be an inviting, hospitable environment, a place of sanctuary for a community searching for spiritual direction and solace?  How can our worship be dynamic and nourishing so as to provide an avenue of praise for what God has done?  How do we respond when controversial issues like war, or immigration, or global warming, or government corruption demand our attention?

 

 

Do we take flight?  Do we run and find greener pastures somewhere else?  We know people who have left this church because they did not want to wrestle with urgent humanitarian issues – thinking it was too political to speak a gospel truth.

 

 

The truth is, when we are not struggling and wrestling with issues of faith and life we are in danger of losing focus.  Think about ancient Israel.  Whenever Israel reached a position of power and security there was always a danger of giving up the wrestling match.  There was always a danger of coasting along, having little regard for others, and assuming that God was “on our side.” 

 

 

Our text seems to suggest today, though, that if we cease to wrestle with God and with life, then we have already given up and have been pinned to the earth by another power; be it prosperity, dependence on military power, or a desire to deny that there is a world out there beyond our borders.

 

 

As a church and as country we are wrestling with issues that definitely affect humanity and definitely involve our faithful responses as the people of God.

 

 

But let’s get back to Jacob.  What did he do after the all-night wrestling match?  It seemed to end in a draw, but no, Jacob would not let his opponent go until he received a blessing.  Jacob understood that the wrestling match was perhaps a way to refocus his life and his priorities. 

 

 

In the next chapter, Jacob offers gifts to the brother he had previously tricked and defeated.  Of more significance, Jacob recognizes the face of God, not in some other mysterious wrestling match, but in the face of his weaker and less wise brother.  In recognizing God in the face of his brother, he lives! (Likewise, in the parable of the unjust judge and the widow, we see how the judge is changed and is finally a blessing to the poor woman).

 

 

Our God is about giving birthrights to all of humanity – birthrights of satisfied hunger, dignity, a peaceful existence, adequate shelter.  When those birthrights have been stolen he hopes his people will wrestle with the issues long enough to afford solutions.

 

 

Jacob was blessed to be a blessing not a hindrance.  Like the old saying goes he was to be part of God’s solution, not part of the problem.

And so we ask to questions:  What birthrights have we stolen from others?  How has this affected us? And, how have we been wrestling lately?  Will our wrestling bring about blessing to others? Or will we prematurely cry “Uncle!”

 

Our prayer is we will not succumb, even if our hip gets knocked out of joint once in a while.  We prayer our wrestling will be a blessing.

 

 

AMEN