I is for Israel
This is the sermon I preached on Sunday, July 14 at St. Timothy Lutheran Church. The text is Genesis 32:24-28. Jacob was a piece of work. His name means “he cheats” or “he steals.” At birth, as one of a set of twins, Jacob grasped his brother's heel, hence the name Jacob, which can also be translated as “supplanter.” Throughout their lives, Jacob was always trying to get the upper hand. He even went as far as tricking his father into giving him his brother's blessing, which went to the eldest. Esau was born first and would receive the inheritance, but Jacob wanted it all. As we read throughout Genesis, Jacob's adventures and misadventures should change him, but he is still Jacob—who cheats and steals and is the supplanter—until... this rich story of an encounter with a man. Or is it? Beginning with a puzzle from previous verses: why does Jacob go to all the trouble of crossing the river with his wives and children, only to head back across it to spend the night alon...