Struggle

We are entering the last week of the Lenten season as we make our journey to the Cross and the Resurrection.  I am mindful and reflective of what a struggle Jesus encountered as he made His way back to Jerusalem and back to a week of shallow praise, deep evil, and beautiful sacrifice.  We will share, together, the stories of this week.

In my devotional time, I read the story of Jacob's wrestling match with God, as Jacob struggled with every aspect of life.  Jacob had brother issues.  Jacob had family issues.  But Jacob also had an identity issue.  In the wrestling match from Genesis 32, Jacob struggles with God all night.  The match ends with God blessing Jacob, but also changing his name to Israel.

As I thought about this story, I thought about something that I hadn't before.  Why did God change Jacob's name?  Here's what I think!

The passage says, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome (Genesis 32:28)."  I think this passage can apply to all who read it.  We all struggle with God.  We all struggle with people.  We all struggle with ourselves.  And, I think the greatest struggle is deciding exactly who we are and who we belong to.

Jacob's name change was a reminder that he was part of something bigger than himself and all of his little issues.  Jacob had a big God with a big picture view of the world, and Jacob's life/responsibility stretched over generations and over the whole world.  Israel was called as a witness and blessing to all nations.

Jacob's name change was God's claim on him.  Jacob was a man with lots of problems.  Israel was a father of great nations that would produce one who was the savior of that whole world.

Jacob's name change was a call to see himself as part of a great movement of God.  That movement, as Jesus comes to Jerusalem, sees God's plan overcome even death, as Jesus is praised, betrayed, crucified, buried, and resurrected, all in the span of a week.  And the movement of God's salvation plan moves from the temple, out into the whole world.

Are you willing to be renamed by God?  Are you willing to move from your petty struggle just to exist, into God's plan to bring the whole world to Him?  Can you, just for a moment, place your pride, distrust, and self on hold, so you can grasp what Paul (also a recipient of a new name) meant when he said ... "and may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is."  Maybe we should grapple with that, rather than our pettiness!  AMEN