Loving God, you remain faithful even when we begin to lose heart. Help us to know and experience your deep love for us, and teach us to trust you for all that is needed; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Jacob’s life was in far more turmoil than we might gather at first from today’s reading from Genesis. He is travelling, to be sure – in the process of crossing the river Jabbok. However, he has just left behind one stressful situation and is heading towards another one. Both situations involve his relatives. Jacob has just left behind his uncle Laban, who, over the course of 20 years, had changed Jacob’s wages many times, and had often reneged on his promises. Jacob had served seven years in order to be able to marry Laban’s daughter Rachel, only to be given Leah as a wife at the time of the wedding. After serving another seven years in order to marry Rachel, Jacob wants to return to his home in the land of Canaan. Jacob flees without his uncle’s knowledge, then has a confrontation with him several days later, and then finally is sent off after making a covenant with Laban (Gen. 31).

Meanwhile, Jacob is travelling toward his brother Esau, who was ready to kill Jacob the last time that they were anywhere close to each other. Jacob cannot return home without first encountering his brother. And so Jacob sends messengers on ahead of him, and presents on ahead of him, and his wives and his children on ahead of him.... He has no idea how Esau will receive him, or even if he might still be angry enough to kill him.

Now, given all these things that are going on in Jacob’s life, is it any wonder that he might end up spending the night wrestling with God? Have any of you ever wrestled with God? Was your life going smoothly at the time? (Not likely!) The reasons for such a tug-of-war can be many, and in Jacob’s case it needs to be said that he was not entirely innocent in these matters. He had used deception in order to steal both the birth right and the blessing from his brother Esau, so at least some of the stress in Jacob’s life is self-inflicted.

Thus, when Jacob has this wrestling match, there are at least a couple of things that are going on. First of all, Jacob is probably facing some very real fears about where he is going and what the future is going to hold. At the same time, he has a need to face up to some of the things that he has done and to get back into a right relationship with God.

As it turns out, there are at least three results from this wrestling match. Jacob ends up with a blessing, a new name, and a limp. The blessing would seem to indicate that Jacob’s relationship with God has been restored. Jacob has seen God face to face, and not only has he survived to tell the tale, but he has been blessed (Gen. 32:30). As for the new name, how many of you knew before that Israel was actually a person? The name “Israel” has at least a couple of possible meanings. It can mean either “he who strives with God” or “God rules.” This is quite a change from Jacob, which means either, “he supplants” or “he takes by the heel.” Now, as for the limp, it seems to be an enduring reminder for Jacob of this encounter. Even though Jacob is very strong and is attributed almost Herculean strength (Gen. 28:18; 29:10), God is ultimately stronger and worthy of worship and praise.

Today, of course, it strikes me that perhaps we could say that we receive a blessing, a new name, and a limp in baptism! For Jacob, the blessing was a sign of his restored relationship with God. Well, baptism is all about our restored relationship with God which happens through Jesus Christ. In baptism, we do not wrestle for our own blessing, but Jesus has done the impossible work for us, wiping out the power of sin, death and the devil. In baptism we are put into a right relationship with God, and we are blessed – a blessing that is to be claimed by us time and again through our faith in Jesus Christ.

At the same time, we also receive a new name in baptism. Of course, when somebody is baptized, their given names are used, which will be different for each person and which identify them both to God and to others. God says to us through the Scriptures: “I have called you by name, you are mine” (Isa. 43:1). At the same time, it is in baptism that we receive God’s family name – or perhaps we could say the name of “Christian.” Surnames are not used in baptism because they are simply not as important in the family of God. Remember: You have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever.

Now, as for receiving a limp, that may be a little more difficult for us to make the connection. However, when you think about it, the limp was a reminder for Jacob of his mortality. It was a reminder for him that God is the one with ultimate power and strength. In baptism, we, too, are reminded that we are born children of a fallen humanity. Until God intervenes, we are frail and sinful. In baptism, we are reminded of human nature, and we are reminded of the power and the grace of God.

We are reminded of these things, and yet, we seem to forget so easily. There are times when people who have been wrestling with God feel as if there is no end in sight and are tempted to give up altogether. There are times when we come to God with the same prayer over and over again and feel as if nothing is happening. There are times when we lose heart and our faith begins to slip away.

Jesus knew this when he told the parable about the widow and the unjust judge (Lk. 18:1-8). He knew that there would be times when people would be fearful and would wonder if God was really there or not. And so Jesus says, “Look! Here is this judge who really doesn’t care about anybody and has no respect for God, either. Normally he would only respond to bribes, but here’s this poor widow who keeps pestering him day after day to grant her justice against her opponent. This judge actually grants her request, simply because she keeps bothering him.” Jesus concludes, “And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night?” (Lk. 18:7).

Do you see what this parable is saying? Our God – unlike the judge in the parable – actually cares about us and even loves us! Our God created us and redeemed us and has put his Spirit within us. Our God does not ignore the pleas of his children and does not refuse to do justice. When we wrestle with God, something good comes out of it. When we bring our prayers to God, they are always heard and answered. And yet, Jesus knew that people might lose faith (Lk. 18:8).

And so, some questions to ask when it seems as though our prayers are being ignored: Do we expect God to jump to our tune, or are we open to whatever God sees is best for us? Do we pray for God’s timing or insist on our own schedule? Are we open to God’s wisdom, or do we presume that we know what is best? Do we acknowledge that prayers can be answered in many different ways, or will we accept only one answer? Are we open to what God has to teach us? Do we believe the promises of the Scriptures?

I would like to leave you with two of those promises today – promises that are especially for those times when we are wrestling with God and seeking justice. The first comes from Romans 8:28: “All things work together for good for those who love God.” The second promise comes from today’s psalm, given to all those who look to God for their help. “The Lord will preserve you from all evil; and will keep your life. The Lord will watch over your going out and your coming in, from this time forth forevermore” (Ps. 121:7-8). Amen.

Lectionary 29(C) Genesis 32:22-31
October 21, 2007 Luke 18:1-8
St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church Psalm 121
Pastor Lynne Hutchison Moore

© 2007 Lynne Hutchison Moore All Rights Reserved