Wrestlemania!

^{Below is a bible passage followed by my sermon on the passage, from First Church Ipswich, late July, 2011.}

²⁴And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. ²⁵When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. ²⁶Then he said, "Let me go, for the day has broken." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." ²⁷And he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." ²⁸Then he said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel,^[a] for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed." ²⁹Then Jacob asked him, "Please tell me your name." But he said, "Why is it that you ask my name?" And there he blessed him. ³⁰So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel,^[b] saying, "For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered." ³¹The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.

PLEASE PRAY WITH ME. LORD MAY MY WORDS OPEN HEARTS AND MINDS HERE TODAY. AMEN.

AS HE WAS GROWING UP, MY SON JAMES WAS SURE THAT PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING WAS REAL. HE TRULY BELIEVED THAT MEN COULD BE HIT WITH CHAIRS, DIVE FROM A HEIGHT ON OTHER MEN, BE THROWN OUT OF A RING, SLAMMED INTO POLES AND SHRUG IT OFF TO GO ON AND TAKE MORE ABUSE. WHEN HE WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, HE BEGAN WRESTLING FOR THE SCHOOL TEAM, AND THAT I THINK CHANGED HIS MIND ONCE AND FOR ALL. AND THAT HAPPENS TO US OFTEN IN OUR LIVES DOESN’T IT? WE THINK WE KNOW AND UNDERSTAND WHAT STRUGGLES ARE, BUT WHEN WE ENCOUNTER AN ACTUAL ONE, IT MAKES WHAT WENT BEFORE SEEM LIKE A FAKE SHOW.

WE HAVE THIS STORY OF JACOB, WHO HAS BEEN A BAD BOY. HE HAS PLAYED TRICKS ON HIS BROTHER, SWINDLING HIM OUT OF AN INHERITANCE FOR A BOWL OF STEW. HE HAS IMPERSONATED HIS BROTHER TO GET A BLESSING FROM HIS OWN NEAR-BLIND FATHER. HE HAS HAD TO FLEE DUE TO HIS FAMILYS ANGER. NOW WE FIND HIM, OLDER AND WISER,  RETURNING HOME AFTER 20 LONG YEARS. HE IS ABOUT TO MEET HIS BROTHER, BUT RECIVES WORD THAT HIS BROTHER HAS 400 MEN ALONG WITH HIM. EVEN IF YOU COME FROM A BIG FAMILY LIKE MINE, YOU DON’T SHOW UP WITH 400 ARMED MEN FOR A FAMILY REUNION. SO JACOB IS IN FEAR OF HIS LIFE OVER THIS MEETING. HE SENDS HIS FAMILY OFF, AND HE IS ALONE WHEN HE PRAYS, AND OF COURSE WRESTLES.

BY THE WAY, TWO FUN BIBLE FACTS. THIS IS THE ONLY PLACE IN THE BIBLE THE WORD WRESTLE APPEARS. AND JACOB IS BESIDE THE JABBOK RIVER, AND JABBOK TRANSLATES TO, WRESTLE. YES HE IS ABOUT TO WRESTLE AT THE WRESTLE RIVER.

IT IS A SYMBOLIC AND VERY REAL BATTLE AND ONE THAT YOU AND I HAVE HAD MANY TIMES. LATE AT NIGHT STRUGGLING WITH GOD. TRYING IN MOMENTS OF PAIN AND FEAR TO FIGURE OUT WHAT GODS PURPOSE FOR US IS, WHAT WE ARE SUPPOSE TO DO OR LEARN FROM THE STRUGGLE WE ARE GOING THROUGH. IN THE CHRISTIAN TRADITION, WE OFTEN REFER TO HAVING ‘ A DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL’. THAT CONCEPT OF YOUR SOUL HAVING A DARK, TOUGH NIGHT, GOES BACK TO ARISTOTLE, AND IS MENTIONED BY THOMAS AQUINAS. A 16^TH CENTURY SPANISH POET AND MYSTIC NAMED JOHN OF THE CROSS WROTE A POEM AND NARRATIVE ABOUT IT. HOW WE OFTEN HAVE TO HAVE GREAT STRUGGLES WITHIN US TO GAIN SPIRITUAL ENLIGHTENMENT AND GROWTH. IT IS NOT BY ACCIDENT THAT JACOB HAS A STRUGGLE IN THE DARK OF NIGHT. IT REFELECTS IN SOME WAYS THE EVENING OF QUESTIONING THE CHRIST GOES THROUGH BEFORE HE IS CRUCIFIED, WONDERING ABOUT THE PURPOSE AND PLAN OF HIS LIFE. AND DON’T WE ALL HAVE THE SAME DARK NIGHTS? WHY AM I HERE, WHAT AM I SUPPOSE TO DO, WHY DO I FACE SO MANY CHALLENGES?

AND SO JACOB, ON A NIGHT BEFORE HE KNOWS HE MAY WELL DIE, OR LOSE ALL HE HAS GAINED, HAS A WRESTLING MATCH. GRAPPLING WITH A MAN ALL NIGHT LONG PHYSICALLY FIGHTING JUST AS WE OFTEN MENTALLY FIGHT AGAINST OUR OPPONENTS.

 GOD, FOR I BELIEVE IT IS GOD AND NOT JUST AN ANGEL WRESTLING JACOB, DOESN’T WIN. THE MATCH SEEMS TO BE A DRAW, TO THE POINT WHERE OPPONENT TELLS JACOB IT IS TIME TO LET HIM GO, END THE FIGHT. GOD ALSO  ASKS JACOB HIS NAME. JACOB TELLS HIM, JACOB. SIMPLE RIGHT? UNLESS WE RECALL THAT JACOB LIED ABOUT WHO HE WAS, PRETENDED TO BE HIS BROTHER ESAU, AND THAT BY ADMITTING HE IS JACOB, THE MAN WHO LIED AND CHEATED, HE IS DEMONSTRATING HE IS AT A NEW PLACE IN HIS LIFE, A PLACE DIFFERENT FROM THE TROUBLED BOY THAT STOOD AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LADDER TO TAKE GODS BLESSING. EVEN IN WRESTLING WITH GOD, HE IS SHOWING HIMSELF TO BE A CHANGED MAN.

AND IN THE WRESTLING MATCH GOD GIVES JACOB A LIMP, PUTS HIS HIP OUT OF JOINT. AND I HAVE OFTEN WONDERED WHY HE DOES THAT. I DON’T THINK GOD WAS LOSING, I THINK GOD PROBABLY COULD HAVE EASILY TOSSED JACOB ASIDE ANYTIME. BUT I THINK THE LIMP MIGHT BE A REMINDER OF THE STRUGGLE, JUST LIKE SO MANY OF US CARRY OUR INNER AND OUTER WOUNDS FROM OUR OWN WRESTLING MATCHES.

OK SO GOD COULD WIN ANYTIME, WHY THE ALL NIGHT STRUGGLE? I THINK BECAUSE GOD WELCOMES THE ENCOUNTER, WANTS JACOB TO FIGHT, TO GRIEVE TO TOSS UP HIS ANGER, DEPRESSION FRUSTRATION. BECAUSE IN SO MANY CASES IT IS ONLY THROUGH THE STRUGGLE THAT WE GROW, AND CHANGE.

SO HERE IS MY PERSONAL, RADICAL TAKE ON THIS PASSAGE IN GENESIS, WHERE JACOB HAS A WRESTLING MATCH WITH GOD. GOD WELCOMES OUR FIGHTS AGAINST HIM. GOD WOULD RATHER HAVE YOUR QUESTIONS, YOUR DOUBTS, YOUR YEARNINGS, YOUR HEART FELT HONEST STRUGGLES THAN ALL THE MOUTHED PRAYERS IN THE WORLD. GOD WANTS YOU TO WRESTLE HIM, TO ENCOUNTER HIM, TO HAVE A FULL BLOWN QUESTING FIGHT WITH HIM. AND LIKE JACOB, YOU TOO CAN RECEIVE A BLESSING FROM THE STRUGGLE, A BLESSING THAT YOU NEED.

I WENT  TO CANCUN LAST WEEK FOR UNUSUAL REASONS. MOST PEOPLE GO TO PARTY AND LAY IN THE SUN, AND I REALLY AM NOT FOND OF EITHER EVENT. I WENT BECAUSE IT IS A GREAT PLACE TO DAY TRIP TO RUINS. I AM A CONFESSED RUINS JUNKIE, ESPECIALLY MAYAN RUINS. I HAVE BEEN TO SEVERAL IN GUATEMALA, BUT HAD NEVER BEEN TO THE ONES IN MEXICO. I WAS ABLE TO SEE CHICHEN ITZA AND TULUM. AT THE RUINS OF TULUM, I LEARNED ABOUT A MAYAN GOD.THE GOD  GOES BY SEVERAL NAMES OVER THE YEARS, BUT IT IS BASICALLY CALLED THE DESCENDING GOD. THERE IS A CARVING OF THE GOD IN TULUM, A PICTURE OF A GOD , HEAD DOWN DESCENDING TO EARTH. IT CERTAINLY MADE ME THINK OF THE CHRIST, GOD MADE INTO MAn, A GOD COMING TO BE AMONG US IN OUR OWN TURF, BE AMONG US ENCOUNTER US. IT MADE ME THINK OF OTHER GOD ENCOUNTERS IN THE BIBLE, THE BURNING BUSH, THE WHEEL IN THE SKY, ANGELS THAT WRESTLE, A SON COME TO LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR US, A TONGUE OF FIRE. AND THOSE ARE THE BIG, BIBLICAL ENCOUNTERS. WE ENCOUNTER THE LORD EVERY DAY IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS, IN CHALLENGES, IN BLESSINGS, IN PEOPLE. WHY? WHY DOES THE LORD DO THIS , COME TO US, MEET WITH US. HAVE YOU SEEN US? EVEN WE ARE NOT ALWAYS TOO CRAZY ABOUT EACH OTHER! WE ARE IN SO MANY WAYS LACKING,  WHY BOTHER APPROACHING US TIME AND AGAIN, MAKING US WRESTLE WITH TOUGH QUESTIONS BIGGER THAN OURSELVES?

WELL I THINK THE ANSWER IS THE ONE PARENTS OFTEN UTTER WHEN THERE CHILDREN ACT CRAZY. IT MUST BE LOVE. LOVE IS WHY YOU AND I AND JACOB HAVE THESE COSMIC WRESTLING MATCHES THAT DEMAND US TO STRUGGLE, AND SOMETIMES FAIL. IT IS OUT OF LOVE THAT WE ARE GIVEN THESE GIFTS, UNBIDDEN AND OFTEN UNWANTED, YET GIFTS NONETHELESS. GIFTS OUT OF LOVE.

SO WE HAVE JACOB, SINNER, WHO ENCOUNTERS GOD AT THE TOP OF THE FAMOUS LADDER AND IS TOLD HE WILL BE BLESSED AND HAVE A GREAT FAMILY. AND THEN HE ENCOUNTERS GOD AGAIN IN ANGEL FORM, AND WRESTLES AND AGAIN SEEKS A BLESSING.  THEY SAY THAT FAITH IS WHAT YOU DO BETWEEN THE LAST TIME YOU ENCOUNTERED GOD AND THE NEXT TIME. JACOB HAS HAD FAITH HAS TURNED HIS LIFE AROUND, HAS SUFFERED AND SURVIVED. AND NOW IS GIVEN A NEW NAME, ISRAEL, WHICH IS HEBREW FOR “ONE WHO HAS STRIVEN WITH GOD”.

LET THE STRUGGLES OF JACOB BE A COMFORT TO YOU IN YOUR OWN STRUGGLES. ASK, PUSH, ARGUE, CHALLENGE, BUT ENCOUNTER GOD, WRESTLE WITH HIM. FOR, WHEN THE DAWN COMES, A BLESSING AWAITS YOU.