Having just finished rereading Genesis, I am struck once more by the life of Jacob. Although all the patriarchs were flawed, Jacob is incredibly so. He is a grasping man, always reaching for his own way whenever the opportunity presents itself.

But this reading, I have also noticed Jacob’s great fear. Of all the patriarchs, he seems to have most wrestled with fear and insecurity. Fear looms large over his whole life.

God first appears to Jacob while he is fleeing to Haran, presumably alone. One night, Jacob sees a vision of angels ascending and descending from heaven, and God promises to bring Jacob safely back to Canaan. A promise for a fearful man.

Later, while Jacob is living in Haran, his fear of Laban is evident as well, which is clearly why he sneaks away rather than confronting his uncle directly. Then, when Jacob is returning to the land of Canaan, he must face is brother. He sends wave after wave of gifts to appease Esau, and when he prays to God, he specifically admits his fear of Esau.

Jacob is man defined by fear.

But also courage.

Jacob expresses the same courageous faith that Abraham and Isaac displayed, trusting God in the midst of his fears.

He also had a deep reverence and longing for the blessing of Abraham, which was passed down to his father Isaac. Customarily, it should have gone to Esau, the firstborn, but Jacob wrestled it away from his brother.

Indeed, Jacob’s night of wrestling with God is so monumental because it was exactly what Jacob had been doing all along: wrestling with both God and man, and refusing to let go until he was blessed.

Jacob is a picture of what Jesus means when he says the kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force. Our Lord is certainly not commending physical violence; rather, He is affirming the kind of spiritual struggle that Jacob represents.

A courageous persistence.

A holy refusal to let go without a blessing.

May we imitate Jacob. May we fight through our fears, trusting in the Lord even when obedience is difficult. Like Jacob and the persistent widow, may we never stop clinging to God’s blessing.