It Hurts Because It's True: Genesis 25:29-34

God calls us to recognize our failings and then rise above them.  I love how our holy scriptures contain stories of people making mistakes.  It can make the Bible a bit hard to read at times, because we cannot say, “If it’s in the Bible, God approves.”  We always need to be discerning.  Many of the stories are great stories of faith and we are supposed to be motivated by them to imitate the faithful response.  Some of the stories, though, are acts of disgrace to cause us to reflect and make sure we do not act in a similar fashion.

For example, today we have the story of Esau selling his birthright to Jacob.  This is a hard story because both brothers act stupidly.  This means, of course, the story is hard because when I identify with the actions in the story it demonstrates just how stupid my own actions can be.

Esau comes in from the field.  We don’t know if he was hunting or farming, but either way he worked himself to the point of exhaustion.  Perhaps he smelled Jacob’s stew cooking as it wafted through the air.  Either way, he comes inside and becomes overdramatic.  He claims to be at the point of death.  He’s not.  The fact that he’s up and walking around shows he’s got plenty of energy reserves.  He’s just hungry and has lost control of his emotions.  His claim that he’s so near to death his birthright has no value demonstrates how badly he is out of control.  Because he is out of control, he loses all perspective on the value of the bigger picture.  He loses his identity in his emotional response.

While it is easy for me to sit in judgment over Esau, all it really does is make me think about the times my emotional response caused me to lose control.  I’m no better than Esau.  I can be overdramatic as well.  When I am, I’m always on the verge of doing something stupid.

Jacob is no better.  While Jacob comes out the winner of this situation, his actions are not meant to be lifted and praised.  Jacob willingly takes advantage of Esau’s loss of control.  Jacob doesn’t look out for his brother; he uses his brother and looks out for himself.  Jacob is selfish and greedy and has no problem justifying his selfishness.

Again, it is easy to stand in judgment over Jacob.  But I’m just as selfish and just as greedy.  I’ve taken advantage of situations when I should have looked out for my brothers and sisters.

Stories that demonstrate human weakness are some of the hardest stories to read in the Bible because they make us see ourselves and judge ourselves.  Thankfully, God forgives.  Thankfully, God wipes away our sin and invites us back into relationship with Him.  We may have much in common with Jacob and Esau.  God calls us to recognize our failings and then rise above them.