We have been learning Jacob’s story over several weeks – we learned how Jacob struggled with his twin brother Esau even before birth. We learned how as a young adult, Jacob tricked his father and brother, receiving the blessing that would normally have been given to the oldest sibling. We learned how Jacob ran away… met Rachel at a well, fell in love… and then through a series of events married her oldest sister, Leah, and bore twelve children with four women. Now, in this part of the story, Jacob is headed back to his homeland with vast riches and a large family of his own. Maybe he will be able to make things right with Esau after all, but he’s nervous. He’s so anxious that he sends all his family, servants, herds of animals—this giant, visible show of wealth—ahead of him, with words of peace to offer to his brother. And he lays down his weary head for a last night’s rest before he meets his estranged brother face-to-face and someone comes to him when he is alone and wrestles with him all night long. Neither wrestler will yield. Finally, Jacob’s opponent struck him on the hip socket and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint, but Jacob still holds on. The stranger pleads, “Let me go, for the day is breaking,” but Jacob says, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.” The stranger gives Jacob with a new name – Israel – that means “one who struggles with God.” But when Israel asks for the stranger’s name, the stranger doesn’t tell… and this is how Jacob knows who it is. Jacob names the place Peniel—face of God—and realizes that he has experienced something miraculous, to wrestle with God and live. Jacob walks away limping… and blessed.
Rabbi Aron Moss notices these details about the story:
[The name Israel is] even more surprising. If our name is all about prevailing in our struggles, why not call us “the one who prevails,” rather than “the one who struggles”? Isn’t the point that we win…? Why name us after the struggle instead of the victory?
Here is the essence of Judaism: We do believe that goodness prevails, but the happy ending is not our focus. Our focus is the struggle to get there. Regardless of the result, the struggle itself is holy. If you strive for goodness, you’re in, even before you get there. If you’re trying to be better, even if you fall sometimes, you’re on the path. It’s all about the struggle.
That’s why the Torah doesn’t speak about heaven. We believe in the afterlife, but we aren’t preoccupied with it. We focus our energy on the effort to be a good person, the struggle to do the right thing, the battle against our adversaries, both internal and external.
Some religions seek serenity. Some spiritual paths promise peace. Others offer a place in heaven. Judaism embraces the struggle of the here and now. The victory will come. But for the time being, we are here to grapple with G‑d, debate with our fellow humans, and struggle with ourselves, never accepting that the world can’t change, starting with me. That’s [the meaning of this new name,] Israel.[1]
What a moving insight for all of us who struggle at times, or what may seem like all the time—
Our faith as followers of Jesus comes from these roots and from Jewish neighbors in faith… for the time being, in this life, we grapple with God, debate with our fellow humans and struggle with ourselves… and the struggle itself is holy.
For Muslim siblings in faith, the term is jihad. This term has been so misunderstood but it literally means striving, or doing one’s utmost. Within Islam, there are two basic theological understandings of the word: the “greater jihad” is the struggle against the lower self—the struggle to purify one’s heart, do good, avoid evil and make oneself a better person.
In Lutheran Christianity, we believe it is by God’s grace that we are freed from sin and death… and this gives us the freedom to love. This grace and freedom doesn’t mean we don’t struggle, but ideally, we can remember as we move through times of struggle that what we are freed for is to freely give love, forgiveness and compassion to others. That’s how we use any power or blessing we receive—letting it overflow and uplift.
As I think about the struggles that we are facing, I wonder if we can imagine with Jewish siblings that the struggle itself is holy?
I wonder if we can imagine with Muslim siblings that our most important jihad is the struggle within our own hearts?
I wonder if we can imagine God’s Holy Spirit accompanying us through daily struggles… with the goal of breathing life, forgiveness, healing and compassion into and out from us?
I am impressed that after Jacob’s night of wrestling, he never gave up, he held on and never stopped believing there was a blessing there for him. May we also keep holding on, ready to receive blessing, ready to pass on that blessing, ready to notice when the one we’re struggling with is God-in-flesh who loves us so completely and wants good for us.
[1] https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/5752241/jewish/What-Does-Israel-Mean.htm, accessed August 4, 2023
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