The Old Testament is filled with stories about the serious sins that our “heroes” in the bible committed. Like the Old Testament reading today, about how Jacob deceived Isaac by wearing animal skins on his arms, pretending to be Esu, in order to receive his father’s final blessing. This blessing was needed so that Jacob could take Isaac’s place as the patriarch in the family, instead of Esu. But, what a deception! What is a story like this doing in the Bible? Is there any merit in telling lies and deceiving others? Especially members of your own family? Should we be striving to follow Jacob’s example of lies and deceptions?
This story seems so out of place in the Holy Bible. And to think that Rebekah, the mother of Esu and Jacob, planned the whole thing! Rebekah and Jacob schemed with one another to take full advantage of an old, blind, sick, dying man, in order to obtain their own personal desires. And they did it deliberately, with full knowledge! This is the definition of mortal sin, by the way. It was a grave matter, committed deliberately, with full knowledge.
What an act of selfishness and a terrible sin. Or – was it? In a nutshell, the definition of “sin” is “selfishness”. Was Rebekah and Jacob acting out of selfishness? Motive is always a major consideration in any action we do in life. Big accomplishments mean nothing if they were not done out of love. Small, insignificant acts of kindness for an example, could have great value in God’s eyes though.
What we do not read in this small section of the book of Genesis, are the events that occurred earlier in the book. Jacob and Esu were twins. Esu emerged first from the womb and then Jacob, but they were both born at the same time. Esu was only considered the eldest son because he was born a minute or two before Jacob. Then, one day when they grew older, Esu traded his birthright to Jacob for some stew, because he was hungry.
This story has so many elements of family life in it, that many of us also experience in our own families. Isaac was partial to Esu because Esu was a good hunter and Isaac enjoyed eating the game he brought home to the family. Rebekah was partial to Jacob, because Jacob had more faith in God, and he liked being at home with his family. Esu did not care about his heritage, or birthright, but Jacob did. However, later in the story, Esu planned to kill Jacob because he was jealous that he received their father’s blessing. It wasn’t because he genuinely wanted what was best for the family. He wanted to kill him solely out of jealousy.
The technicality was, that Esu was Isaac’s firstborn and by all rights was his legitimate heir, but Esu did not possess the deep faith in God and love for his family that Jacob did. Esu was also married to a pagan wife who brought a lot of friction and discord to the family. Rebekah recognized that the “rule” in this case was wrong. Besides, Isaac in his old age seemed to have forgotten what God had told her when she was pregnant:
“Two nations are in your womb, two peoples are quarreling while still within you; But one shall surpass the other, and the older shall serve the younger.”
Yes, Rebekah and Jacob deceived Isaac in his old age, but they also fulfilled God’s plan for their lives. Love for God, and love for their family, became more important than the “rule” or tradition concerning the elder son’s inheritance.
This is actually what the Gospel is all about today. The new wine skins that Jesus spoke of – is love. That love is more important than strict rules, and the highly structured traditions and technicalities of our lives sometimes.
Jesus himself obeyed the Jewish laws though. He said that no letter of the law would go unfulfilled. However, there were occasions when Jesus demonstrated that love for God and love for others, took precedence over the letter of the law.
Is there any situation in your life, that the law or another person says is right, but your heart tells you it’s wrong?
The new wine skins Jesus taught us is the moral law, which is written in the heart of every human being from the moment of their birth. We are called to listen to the voice of our conscience, no matter what anyone else around us believes, including the members of our own family.
