"Conflicts and Blessings" - Genesis 25:19-34" - July 14, 2002

Tommy Smothers always used to say to his brother, "Mom always liked you best!" It was a saying that symbolized a relationship where one brother was superior to the other. Tommy amused us with his stuttering and ignorant statements. He made us laugh and most everyone sided with him since he had the uncanny ability to be more authentic and touch our hearts. Dick Smothers frequently corrected and chastised Tommy because of his ridiculous reasoning. But, in the end the two brothers would find a way to reconcile and sing a song.

Not all of us who have siblings are able to do that. Rather than find common ground and maintain peace, we often hold grudges or remain bitter because of family disputes. There are families who remain in permanent conflict because of the unfairness of a family will. There are those who literally can’t wait to claim their inheritance based on the fact that they are the "rightful heir." Consider the relatives of Howard Hughes who tried for years to claim their rights to the Hughes estate. Family legacies have a way of creating real conflict in the lives of the living.

Even in the church we have disputes because of bequests and gifts that are designated to us following the death of a member. Unfortunately there are times when huge sums of money are left and how to distribute it often divides the congregation. Attorneys and church leaders don’t always agree as to the actual intent of a gift which can create a divisive issue for decades.

Birthrights in Canaan and other Near Eastern countries meant that the first-born son had preferred inheritance and status. He received a double portion of inheritance and was given a seat of honor amongst his brothers (Gen. 43:33) Those records were kept both orally and in writing. Here, for example, we can trace Esau’s birthright through his ancestors; "Abraham’s son was Issac, Issac married Rebekah and she gave birth to twins, Esau and Jacob." (Gen. 25:19-20 par.)

Rather than claim his birthright or use it to any economic, political or religious advantage, Esau sold it to Jacob, his younger brother. He sold it for a mere meal of bread and lentil stew. This historic, traditional and sacred record was given away to satisfy his apparent urgent need for food. What was Esau thinking? Was he famished to the point of starvation or did his birthright have such little significance that he was willing to give it away for almost nothing?

Esau had to live with the consequences of his actions and although he tried to receive his father’s blessing later (Gen: Ch. 27), he was unsuccessful since Jacob tricked him by pretending to be Esau. Ironically, Esau had the opportunity to receive his father’s blessing by hunting for food and making his father a tasty meal. Twice now, for food, Esau has forfeited his rights. There would be no Social Security for him and he also had to marry outside his faith tradition.

Jacob, on the other hand, gets it all; the birthright and his father’s blessing. First, he took advantage of his brother by giving him food when he was vulnerable. And second, he used some trickery to secure his father’s blessing by masquerading as his brother. Issac blesses him by saying, "May God give you of the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and wine. Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you." (Gen. 27:28-29). Jacob then becomes the primary focus of the biblical story, goes on to become Israel, and eventually the father of twelve sons (by four different women)

The controversial birthright seemed to create a new destiny for Jacob, or did it? Perhaps God intervened in the process and predetermined the fate of Israel, making Jacob her divine leader. There is evidence to suggest this theory based on verse 23, where "The Lord said to Rebekah, the elder (brother) shall serve the younger." Or, perhaps it had to do with Jacob’s God-given attributes, his personality and his spirituality. While Esau was a "skillful hunter and hairy," Jacob was a "quiet man, who lived in tents." (vs. 27) In the story we learn he is clever, opportunistic, one who knows what he wants. And for what it’s worth, "Jacob is loved by Rebekah" (vs. 28) suggesting favoritism. Perhaps, as a mother, she has observed some special qualities that helped him find favor with God.

We have a tendency to get legalistic with our religion, loyal to specific traditions and ignoring the fact that history does not always follow a prescribed pattern. "Many of Israel’s great men came to their prominence because God took them out of their inferior natural position: Joseph, Ephraim, Moses, and David were all second or late born. Though Jacob’s acquisition of the birthright is given a legal basis, the story is primarily one of spiritual blessings rather than legal advantages." 1

It has been the practice here at St. Paul’s Church to keep records of all baptisms, confirmations, deaths and marriages. Occasionally a former member or relative will ask the church secretary for a copy of one of these rites of passage from the church records. Just recently, a woman came to the church office to retrieve the baptism record for her son. He is getting married to a woman who is Roman Catholic. The priest who is presiding at their wedding needs to verify that this man was in fact baptized. Although the record is from a Protestant Church, it is recognized as legitimate. The man, though not raised in the Catholic faith, will be eligible to marry into that tradition with his Protestant certificate in hand.

I have also experienced a time when a woman about to reach age 65 needed evidence that she was eligible for Social Security. The government will accept a record of baptism from a local church as long as it is certified to be authentic. I then submitted the record of birth which reads as follows: "Ethel was born this date on the farm of Millie and Robert Anderson." Believe it or not, that record was the only document the woman had to prove her birth. Fortunately it was accepted and she started to receive her Social Security payments.

Although rare, there are times when the sacred rites of passage in the church are used in compassionate ways. Thank God we can occasionally rise above our traditions and policies and serve God rather than a legalistic religion.

I believe that God was very intentional here, breaking the traditional understanding that the firstborn would be the automatic leader of the family. Jacob, who found himself with inferior status, had to resort to crafty measures to secure his position as the next leader of the faith community. Sometimes the only way for the underdog to win is to finesse his/her way through stronger opposition. Does the end justify the means? In this case it appears that it does. On the one hand, it appears that Jacob seizes the opportunity to secure his brothers’ birthright and his father’s blessing. On the other hand, because of his pastoral and leadership skills, he is hand-picked by God to lead the community of faith for the future.

This story overturns traditional customs and understandings and opens the door for new possibilities. In other words, there are times when God works outside the limits that we deem to be normal. God uses a family conflict to keep the faith community moving in a direction that will have quality leadership. Conflict within families is often thought of as a bad thing. People think everyone has to think and act alike, but as this story clearly illustrates, these two brothers were completely different. Also, family conflicts can have far reaching consequences, some religious, some political, some economic and some personal.

The television career of the Smothers Brothers took some twists and turns also. Their first sitcom was canceled. But CBS gave them a second chance by creating a variety show. They packaged their irreverent style into a network variety format that worked. Even though they were competing with "Bonanza" the show captured a large share of a younger audience and became a hit. They ended up in 16th place in the 1966-7 season. Some of the subjects the Smothers Brothers dared to tackle on their show were politics, sex, drugs and religion.

To think that our lives will not encounter twists and turns is to live in a fantasy world. We’re on a journey and what worked in the past will not always work in the future. The lives of Esau and Jacob go in opposite directions but ultimately there is reconciliation. Following years of opposition and hate, the two come back together. "Esau ran to meet him (Jacob), and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept." (Gen. 33:4)

Hopefully we too can rise above our disputes and be reconciled like Jacob and Esau. Or to take it a step further, we can celebrate our diversity and sing in harmony like the Smothers Brothers did.

God is not limited to a prescribed set of parameters. God’s first priority is to keep the faith community together and provide quality spiritual leadership. Faith is not limited to traditional norms. Faith transcends what we know as "normal" and extends beyond our finite understandings of how God works.

1 The Torah, A Modern Commentary, Jewish Publication Society, New York, 1981
pg. 175

Dr. Keith Wagner, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Sidney, Ohio