“Whose side are you on?” We tend to choose teams. Yesterday we had an intra-church baseball game between Tallowood en Espanol and our young adults. I was conflicted. I wanted Nestor’s team to win. But I also wanted Shawn Boyd’s team to win. I’m pretty sure I inadvertently told them both, “I hope you win.” They are both my favorites but they could not both win. Complicated, I know.
Isaac and Rebekah chose favorites also. Isaac loved Esau especially because Esau hunted and cooked his favorite food. Esau apparently inherited his father’s strong appetite. So he sold his birthright to his brother Jacob. Jacob stayed around the house, close to his mother Rebekah. Isaac had to remember that God said the older son would serve the younger. Still, he planned to bless Esau with the blessing of the firstborn. But not before he ate his favorite meal. Rebekah schemed against her own husband and invited Jacob to join her.
Whose side are you on? Interpreters of this story either condemn Jacob for defying God’s plan or Rebekah and Jacob for deceiving Isaac. There is plenty of blame to go around. Ultimately, God’s plan prevails. But each person is still responsible for their own behavior. The problem with the story is that we may recognize ourselves in the characters. The selfishness of Isaac, impetuousness of Esau, ambition of Rebekah, and deceitfulness of Jacob plague us all at one time or another.
There are no perfectly functional families in the Bible or in our world. But we should examine our own hearts before the Lord. Do we want what he wants? Are we favoring someone over another in our families? God’s love is not a zero sum. Noone has to lose for us to win. I asked Shawn, “Who won the game?” “It ended in a tie, 1-1,” he answered. Well done. Well done.
