Wrestling brings opponents closer to one another than any other sport I
can think of. Hands, arms and legs grasp, squeeze and bend the
opponent’s body. Pin his shoulders flat against the floor mat and you
win.
It is unclear what the goal of the wrestling match between Jacob and
the man is in today’s scripture. Reading ahead to verse 32, we learn
that Jacob is an even match for his opponent until the man uses a
maneuver intended to dislocate Jacob’s hip.
Undeterred, even with his hip out of joint, Jacob holds the man. The
man asks to be released, but Jacob tells him, “I will not let you go,
unless you bless me.” The man then reveals his identity and blesses
Jacob, “You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have
striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed.”
Each time we attend our church services, we receive verbal confirmation
of God’s blessing. What Jacob fought and suffered injury to attain, we
receive in a routine fashion. We may not even think about the words of
blessing as we hear them.
Do we cherish God’s gift of blessing even more when we have to wrestle
face to face to receive it? Do we pay more attention to the gifts God
gives then? |