“In the Ring With God” – Genesis 32:22-31 – October 21, 2007

I have never understood why so many people enjoy studio wrestling. It also surprises me that so many wrestling programs are on television. Apparently there is a real interest in watching grown ups with big muscles knock each other around. Ultimately there is a winner and a loser. I guess some people enjoy this kind of goodguy/badguy competition. Or perhaps there is another reason. Could it be that folks watch wrestling because they vicariously put themselves in the ring? When their man (or woman) wins, they get relief from some issue they are wrestling with. In other words, the wrestlers do the work for them.

To be sure, we all have struggles. We live in a complex world which presents us with daily challenges. Some are trying to succeed. Others are just trying to survive. Maybe the outer, physical struggle is connected to our inner struggles. Can we make it? Will we be winners? Is God for us or against us?

Jacob wrestled with God because he faced an overwhelming struggle. His brother, Esau, was out to get him. He was still carrying the guilt of stealing his brother’s birth rite. He was trying to lead his people to freedom only he was stuck at the River Jabbok. Jacob had to come to grips with his past and at the same time move into the future. So, Jacob spends all night in the ring with God and by morning the match ends. In the process he is transformed.

I believe that this story is here to teach Jacob some important life lessons and to teach us several lessons as well. First, Jacob was alone. He and only he could reconcile with his brother. No one else could be blamed for the fact that he stole Esau’s birth rite. He would have to face him in the very near future. For Jacob, there is no turning back. Thus, his life was in turmoil. The only way it could be resolved was to get in the ring and wrestle.

So often times we find ourselves alone. We face some monumental obstacle or conflict and no one can resolve it but ourselves. One time I received a phone call from our local hospital. A man had died in a car accident and they needed a clergyperson to comfort the family. I went, wondering what I could possibly do to help. When I arrived I was met by the attending emergency room physician. She took me aside and told me what had happened. She said the family was on the way to the hospital and we would meet with them in a private room. I assumed she wanted me to break the bad news. Instead she said that it was her responsibility but she wanted me to be with her because she didn’t want to be alone.

I struggled on my way to the hospital as to what I would say and do. How could I possibly comfort this family? Fortunately I did not have to be the one who broke the news. My job was to simply be with the physician for support.

Jacob had to face his estranged brother but he did not have to face him alone. God was with him every inch of the way. God was with him in the struggle, physically, mentally and spiritually. He would prevail and he was never alone.

God is always with us in our struggles. Sometimes we resist conflict because of the fear of being by ourselves. Sometimes we run or hide. Other times we simply ignore the problem, hoping it will go away. God wants us to get into the ring and wrestle. Yes, it will take energy and hard work. Yes, it will be exhausting and maybe even painful. But, we will not be alone.

The second lesson this story teaches us is that struggling can be painful. In his struggle with God, Jacob became wounded. His hip was put out of joint which can be very painful. Perhaps this was God’s way of humbling Jacob in order to let him know who was really in control. Fortunately, Jacob held on. He did not let go. A little pain and handicap did not keep him from continuing the fight since he was determined to endure.

In 1873, a Belgian Catholic priest named Joseph Damien De Veuster was sent to minister to lepers on the Hawaiian island of Molokai. He arrived in high spirits, hoping to build a friendship with each of the lepers. But, people shunned him at every turn. He built a chapel, began worship services, poured his heart out to the lepers, but all seemed futile. No one responded to his ministry, and after twelve years of struggling, father Damien decided to leave. As he stood in dejection on the dock waiting to board the ship, he looked down at his hands and noticed some mysterious white spots on them. Feeling some numbness, he knew immediately what was happening, he had contracted leprosy.

Father Damien then returned to the leper colony and to his work. Word spread quickly and within hours, hundreds gathered outside his hut, fully identifying with his plight. A bigger surprise came the following Sunday. When he arrived at the chapel, he found it full. Father Damien began to preach from the empathy of love rather than distant theology. From then on his ministry became enormously successful.

The third lesson of the story illustrates that wrestling with God transforms us. Father Damien was willing to stay in the ring and get wounded before he saw any results. Consequently his life changed. This was also true for Jacob. His wrestling match resulted in a complete transformation. After his struggle with God he had both new physical strength and confidence. Even his name changed as God named him Israel. God then blessed him and now Jacob could move forward and meet his brother face to face.

When Jacob went to meet Esau he expected hostility. Instead he was the recipient of grace. His brother forgave him and then the two brothers went their separate ways. His wrestling paid off. Now Israel, (formerly Jacob) could live in peace.

Is not peace what we all hope for? Wouldn’t we rather live our lives without living in fear? By wrestling Jacob endured. His faith became stronger as he engaged God with all his being. This story teaches us that we can’t live our lives alone. We can’t tackle some problem with our own resources. We need others and we need God. Like Jacob, we need to hold on to God since God is the source of our strength and resolve.

In my freshman year in college I tried out for the wrestling team. My dorm resident supervisor encouraged me to give it a try. I only wrestled in intramurals in high school so I had little experience. Practices were grueling. Each night I crashed in my bed, totally exhausted. Much to my amazement I made the varsity team and wrestled in every match that season in the 145 pound weight class. I never won, but that didn’t matter. What I gained from the experience was a lot of respect from my peers. More importantly I acquired the necessary discipline and confidence to work harder in my studies and eventually graduate from college.

By wrestling with God we learn that ultimately God is more powerful. God can transform us, even change our identity. Also, God blesses us, promising us a future and peace of mind. To wrestle with God is to face our fears, meeting conflict head on. It means getting in the ring with the assurance that whatever we face, God will be with us.

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