( Genesis 32:23-32 ) - [ Deutsch ]
Jacob at Jabbok
Twenty long years ago. Since then, he has been on the run because he fears the wrath of his brother Esau. Jacob prospered. But what does it look like inside? He wants to go home, back to the land of his fathers and make a clean table. You have arrived at the Jabbok River. At a point where you can cross the river. On the other side lives his brother Esau. Tomorrow he will meet him.
Jacob is afraid. Because at that time he had cheated him out of the birthright.
Jacob: Night is about to fall. I want to take the animals and all my possessions to the other side of the river first. (Pause)
Dark side: You have brought everything to safety: your family, your animals, your money. You've made it to something. You can be proud of yourself.
Bright side: But how did you come into your possession? You cheated.
Dark side: But the mother supported you. She helped you. It's not your fault alone.
Bright side: you have cheated your brother out of the blessing of the father. He was entitled to it. He is the firstborn. You have stolen the blessing. And with it all your possessions.
Dark side: It was a trade: lentil dish against the birthright.
Bright side: it was not fair trade. You cheated on him. And you know that. You did everything of your own free will.
Dark side: Actually, you can be quiet. You achieved everything you wanted. You are rich, you have many sons and daughters. You can be satisfied.
Bright side: satisfied? Have you forgotten how afraid you are of your brother? Maybe he wants to beat you or even kill you?
Dark side: you are respected all over the country. You've earned your reputation. What used to be doesn't interest anyone anymore anyway.
Bright side: But this only helps you during the day. At night you are torn and unhappy. You feel inside yourself that you have done something wrong. That's not good for you. And you know it.
Jakob: Yes, I know that. It torments me every night.
Dear congregation, also this night. Jacob has prepared words, prepared gifts. Will Esau accept them or fight against him?
A river still separates the brothers from each other.
There is a lot of symbolic meaning in stories where rivers are included. Rivers mark a boundary between places and states. When you cross a river, a new phase in your life's journey begins. And often it is also the case that the person who crosses the river emerges changed and renewed.
Like the newborn children, perhaps.
Jacob is not ready yet. He seeks inner peace.
It sounds familiar to me, this crooked life of Jacob. And maybe you too. These breaks in life where we have to cross rivers.
Jakob has prepared himself well and left nothing to chance. Now he can only wait until dawn. In retrospect, Jacob might say: I had expected everything, but not that a stranger would surprise and attack me. Who was it? A divine being?
I fought him all night, until sunrise. It was a tough fight, but I didn't give up. I felt how hard I was fighting for my place in the world, for my place in God's world.
Yes, it felt like I was fighting with God.
Dear congregation, Jacob fights and struggles for his faith. So did others of whom the Bible recounts.
Letting God challenge me to fight and wrestle with God is a natural part of our faith and spiritual search. In doing so, I come very close to God. And at the end of such an argument, it can feel like our relationship with God is strengthened.
The fight leaves its mark. Jacob is wounded. His hip joint is dislocated. At the same time, this wound marks a turning point in his life. In the Jewish faith, the hip is considered the seat of desire. Jacob is now forced to control his desires and focus more on God.
Jakob is determined and does not let go of the attacker. He realizes that he is wrestling with a divine being and demands a blessing from him. The stranger asks Jacob his name and gives him a new one: Israel, which means one who wrestles with God.
Finally, I received his blessing.
I feel different now, somehow renewed and stronger. But I can't stop thinking about what this struggle really meant. I know I need to keep thinking and praying to understand what this experience means to me. But I also know that from now on I will be different, and I hope that I will live in a new way in the world and in my relationship with God.
God's blessing, dear congregation, goes to all of us. He accompanies and supports us on our journey through life. So that our lives can unfold in good community. When we receive God's blessing, He also gives us an obligation.
Jakob should do better from now on. He will meet his brother tomorrow. And we already know: the two will reconcile.
Dear community, when crooked stories lead to a good ending, then there is a deep peace that fills you.
And yes, it can feel a bit like being reborn. In Jesus Christ, whose resurrection we are celebrating in these weeks, we are already completely reborn. We can accept the responsibility that God has given us humans. Where we become guilty, God gives us new beginnings. He is and remains close to us. Amen