Genesis 25: 19-34                           The Rev. Dr. Patricia Ramsden

The Family Feud                           7/10/11

 

         This story has it all --- and then some.  It begins with a father still suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from an incident in his childhood when his father held a knife to his throat.  Then there are the twin sons who despise each other --- the youngest deceiving his old, dying, blind father into believing he is the favored one, the eldest son, stealing the inheritance right from under his brother. 

         Next comes the betrayal of a wedding night when the groom discovers he has married not his beloved but her unattractive, unloved older sister; and, as if that is not enough, there is a night long wrestling match with an angel of God worthy of the best the World wide wrestling federation has to offer on any Saturday night, culminating in the birth of a nation.  Who could ask for anything more?  And no, this isn’t a new hit tv drama or a top rated reality show.  It’s the story of the birth of the people of God.  And God uses it all. 

         Against all expectations, God uses these flawed human beings to create a holy nation saving them, saving us, in spite of ourselves.  But let’s begin at the beginning.

         Isaac was Abraham and Sarah’s beloved son --- the son it looked like they would never have, and yet in service to God Abraham was willing to sacrifice even Isaac in worship when at the last minute God stayed Abraham’s hand and Isaac was saved.  We really don’t hear much more about Isaac until he marries Rebecca.  It was an arranged marriage but they seemed very happy --- except for one thing.  Rebecca was barren. 

         Both she and Isaac prayed for a child and the Lord answered their prayers with the gift of twins.  But the pregnancy was far from easy.  In fact, the Hebrew is translated as the children were “crushing” each other in her womb so violent were their struggles, until Rebecca finally cried out, “If it is like this, why in the world am I alive?” 

         Those two boys would spend their lifetimes “crushing” each other.  Indeed God Himself told Rebecca, “You do not have two children in your womb but the beginnings of two nations and they will always be at each other’s throats.” 

         And so they were born fighting and jostling for power and position:  Esau first and then Jacob grasping Esau’s heel.  They may have been twins --- but they were not identical.  You’ve seen it before: two children born of the same parents, raised in the same household, but absolutely nothing alike. 

         Esau was his father’s favorite.  He was the rugged outdoors type and loved nothing more than to go hunting.  He had quick, strong emotions and was the kind that acted first and thought afterward.  With Esau, what you saw was what you got.  He was open and straightforward and yes, more than a little gullible. 

        

         Jacob, on the other hand, was a mamma’s boy.  He was quiet, a thinker, a planner, a man of the spirit.  He was a herdsman and a farmer.  Jacob was cunning and he knew what he wanted and was willing to do what it took to get it.  Some might say he was even a manipulative con artist, playing his victims like suckers.   It might have been easy to underestimate him, but that would have been a mistake --- a very serious mistake --- a mistake Esau made one fateful afternoon. 

According to the law of the times, as the eldest, Esau was set to inherit it all from his father, including the blessings of God, a blessing and an inheritance Jacob desperately wanted. 

After all, why should the difference of just a few minutes, make him forever second in line?  And hadn’t God Himself declared that Esau would serve him instead of the other way around?  Besides all’s fair in love and war.  OK.  There wasn’t much family love involved, but this was war --- and nothing can be as nasty as a family war.  

So there we have it.  The set up for all that follows.  The boys grow into young men, fighting it out all along the way.  Until one fateful day, Esau comes back from a long day of hunting without catching anything and he is famished.  And there sets Jacob, cooking lentil stew.

“Give me some of that red stuff,”  Esau growls, “I’m starving.” 

“Red stuff?”  Jacob responds.  “Red stuff?? This is one of my best recipes --- a dish fit for a king.  It’d be wasted on the likes of you  ---- besides I thought you were a meat and potatoes man, easy on the potatoes.  What would you want with my stew?”

“I told you, I’m starving.  I’ve been out here since four this morning and its almost dark.  Give me some of that --- now!”

“So, you’d like some stew some?  Some delicious, thick, red stew?  I’ll tell you what… I’ll give you some of the stew you want, if you give me something I want.”

“Like what, little brother?  You’re not man enough to handle most of what I’ve got.”

“That’s right.  I forgot.  Just forget it then.  Excuse me while I dish myself up some stew.  Smells delicious doesn’t it?  It tastes even better.”

“Alright, alright, already.  What do you want?  I’m ready to fall over from hunger here.”

“Not much.  Say, your birthright?”

“Are you crazy?  You expect me to sell off my inheritance for a mess of red stuff? You’re crazier than I thought.” 

“Well, never mind.  Mmm.  This is good. I think it may be the best I’ve ever made.”

“Ok.  Ok.  What good is an inheritance years down the road if I’m not even alive to enjoy it.  I’m starving here.  I’ll give you the birthright --- just hand over the stew.”

“Swear?”

“Swear.”

And that was it.  Poor, impetuous, gullible Esau thought with his stomach instead of his mind and sold his birthright for a pot of bean soup.  He gave up his honor, his status, his economic future because he was hungry --- alright, very hungry. 

But I have to say, if that was all he cared for it, maybe he wasn’t the man for the job, maybe he didn’t have what it would take to carry out the privilege and responsibilities that go with guiding the people of God. 

On the other hand, my sympathies are with him.  How often do I, do we, sell short the responsibilities and privileges of our inheritance as children of God?  How often do we sell our birthright for say an extra hour of sleep, or to be in the “in” crowd, or to stay in our nice, safe comfort zone.  Would any of us sell out  for the next pay raise or to keep our job, our home, our status in the community?  To keep our “perfect” little world looking perfect to anyone on the outside looking in?  Would we, you, me, ever sell out God for a mess of “red stuff”? 

Amen