Happy endings are nice when we get them. We do get one here with Jacob and Esau but it is bittersweet.
We definitely see the pecking order for Jacob's wives. In going to meet his possibly hostile brother, the maids and their children go first, then Leah and hers and finally Rachel and Joseph. If Esau decided to kill them, maybe those coming last would have a chance to get away. It would certainly sting to be ranked by your father or spouse in this way if you were at the front!
Esau is gracious in his response. He even runs to embrace his twin brother which may have been undignified for an adult male in that culture. We see Jacob's deference to his older brother which acknowledges his harm of their relationship. He bows to him seven times. Jacob refers to himself as "your servant." He has offered a multitude of gifts.
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Sometimes trust is exemplified
in a willingness to share.
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Esau refuses the gifts at first but then gives his assent. Rather than servant, he calls Jacob "my brother." As Esau seeks to renew the relationship, Jacob doesn't fully trust his graciousness and moves on down his own path. Jacob chooses to dwell away from his brother, keeping their people separate. As Esau becomes ancestor to the Edomites and Jacob to the Israelites, we see the historical origins of these neighboring countries. They have family ties and yet there is a history of rivalry between the two of them.
I believe that Jesus was influenced by this saga to tell one of his most popular parables: the Prodigal Son. We can see many parallels between the two stories although Jesus definitely makes his story his own creation. We see that the elder brother stays while the younger takes his inheritance and goes away. Esau has stayed behind with Isaac. Jacob tricked his father into giving him the blessing and moves away. The prodigal "came to himself" and realized he needed to return home. Jacob wrestles with God and has his own epiphany. One large difference is that the prodigal comes back penniless while Jacob returns as a wealthy man.
Just as Esau runs and embraces his brother and kisses him, so also the father runs to embrace his son and kiss him. The prodigal claims unworthiness to be called a son just as Jacob calls himself "your servant." The father restores the prodigal and even changes the reference from the older brother from "this son of yours" to "this brother of yours." The reconciliation that never fully comes between the twins is due to Jacob. That of the parable is due to the elder brother.
Jacob claiming that Esau's face was like the face of God may have influenced Jesus to tell the story in a way in which the father showed the graciousness and could be seen as God in the parable.
We all have family drama. We know what it is to be hurt by family members. Sometimes, like Jacob, we choose to hold them at arm's length. Maybe because we don't quite trust them. Even though it may be merited, I would hate for us to shape our responses from poor behavior.
Lord, we pray to you that you would forgive our sins, our debts, our trespasses.
We remember that you correlate this with our forgiveness of those who owe us a debt, who have sinned against us, who have trespassed on our lives.
And so let us remember that to forgive another is to set a prisoner free.
And help us to discover that we are that prisoner.
Amen.
Prayer inspired by The Lord's Prayer and a quote from Carrie Ten Boom.
Photo by Ali Eminov via Flickr.com. Used under the Creative Commons license.
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