February 4

At first, when Isaac gives Jacob his blessing, it seems like Jacob is the clear winner against Esau. I don’t think there is a winner. I think Jacob and Esau both won in their own ways. Sure, at first Esau was angry at Jacob for taking away his blessing, but when they reunite, Esau is doing just fine on his own with his family. Esau is content with what he has, he tells Jacob “I already have plenty, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself.” Esau was not the winner at first, but eventually, his anger dissipated and he was able to be content with his life. Jacob it seemed was the winner after he received Isaac’s blessing, but I think in reality, he lost a lot of what he had. After Jacob receives the blessing, he is still lost, especially without the guidance of his mom. Jacob won superficially, but he needed more to be content with his life. I think his fear of Esau kept him from fully being content with his life, and I don’t think that constitutes a winner. I believe, Jacob’s opponent really is himself. I don’t think he truly believes in the blessings of God, like Abraham did if he didn’t resolve his problems with Esau. When he wrestles with the man, I think that’s him wrestling with his feelings toward Esau and those years of betrayal. Jacob needed alone time with his thoughts, and when he was wrestling the man, I like to think of it as an interpretation of him going back and forth with himself, seeing the pros and cons of the situation. At the end of the wrestling, Jacob realizes that all he needs is a blessing from God and I believe that blessing took form in him and Esau reuniting. After “the fight,” Jacob realizes that God will be there for him and after that, then I believe he is a winner.