What we hear in today's story is a mess. A holy mess. But then, for some reason we love the intrigue of this kind of story. This ancient soap-opera.

There is Esau, the first born twin, a hairy red head, lover of sport and the hunt. Favourite of his father; the one who will lead the tribe when Isaac, son of Abraham dies. He is none to bright though and has sold his birth-right to brother Jacob for a bowl of stew. Esau has also married outside of the tribe, against his parents wishes. AND done it twice!

There is Jacob, the second born twin. Homebody, moma's favourite, the thinker, the sneaky little brother.

And there is the father, Isaac, who is now old and blind. Bedridden and near death. He calls upon Esau to hunt for some meat necessary for the ritual blessing. The passing on of the Father's blessing which will help set the course for the son's place in the tribe, and indeed, the whole tribe itself. This is old Isaac, son of Abraham, whom God promised more descendents than stars in the heavens.

And there is Rebekah, a mother caught between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand, at the birth of her twins, God tells her that the Jacob, the younger, will rule over the older. On the other hand, she knows that the strict codes of her tribe say that Esau, the older must receive the blessing and rule the tribe.

What a messy family God must work with in this story. Indeed, if the truth be told, many come here with current or past messes in their lives. Life can be a real mess. Those who are as old as Isaac and Rebekah, know that life is messy. Don't you? I'm an AMEN kind of preacher, so give me some Amen's if this is true. Those who are as old as Isaac and Rebekah, know that life is messy. Don't you? {AMEN}

Often when something unexpected occurs, like a teen pregnancy, or a divorce or a betrayal happens in the family, people often lament. "Ohhhhh … this will kill Grandma to find out …. Ohhhh Grandpa comes from a different era … it'll break his heart." Well I suspect that the Octogenarians amongst us, have witnessed a mess of trouble in life and know when they hear the story this morning, while the names and faces are different, the story remains the same. {AMEN?} It is a challenge to know how to be faithful to God, in a messed up world?

And, underlying the story is the final character in the story, God. Not just any god, but Yahweh-God. This is the God who has promised to Abraham, father of Isaac, grandfather of Esau and Jacob, the God who will bless these messed up people and make of them a great nation. Image, if we can, how can God be a faithful God, with such a messed up world? How can God continue to try bless us and make us a blessing, and perhaps, the cynics question, "Why does God continue to try?"

In today's story, God is in the background, but it is God's oracle at the birth of the twins which is driving the story; indeed it is the cause of the trouble in the story. Had their not been an oracle to Rebekah at the birth of Esau and Jacob, there would have been no story. Esau would have received the inheritance and the blessing and went on to lead the community. But God intervenes; God says, "Nope, I choose the younger one. Jacob, the heal grabber." Rebekah knows this from the beginning. She and Isaac, like all parents watch and guide their sons. We look for signs of promise and of folly. If we are good parents, we try to nurture our sons and daughters so they will become mature and faithful adults.

Early on in the story there are signs of Esau's promise; he is strong, bold, manly, but not at clever as his younger brother. Jacob sticks closer to home, observes his people, knows the community, and is much more clever than his older brother, and quite clearly, also a sneaky guy.

By the time we get to today's point in the whole story, the tides have shifted from Esau's favour with Dad. Esau has taken two wives from the Hittites. Against his parents wishes, he has, not just once, but twice, chosen to do something risky in a tribal society; he had married outside the tribe. And not just this, the text says that the wives made life bitter for Rebekah and Isaac. Esau has not chosen well, in eyes of his parents. We all know about nasty mother-in-laws, but in this world, there are also nasty daughters-in-law … will anyone risk and AMEN?

We know how the story turns out; Rebekah knows how God wants the story to turn out, but imagine her dilemma. She has little formal power in a male dominated tribal system. She also knows in her heart what God wants. God wants to break the rules and make Jacob the leader. How can that happen? She must break the rules too. She must trick Isaac into giving Jacob the blessing and the leadership of the tribe.

She presents her plan to Jacob. Shrewd and self serving as ever Jacob is worried that the ruse will not work. Jacob worries that Isaac will curse him. Rebekah, assures Jacob that she'll take upon herself any curse or punishment if they are caught. So Jacob, dressed in Esau's clothes, and goat fur on his smooth arms and neck, goes into the tent of Isaac to steal the blessing.

Now at this point in the story, Isaac either appears pathetic, because he is an old blind man who is easily tricked. But listen again to the story, he tests Jacob numerous times. "How is Esau, that you found game so quickly?" "Ahhh … God provided", says Jacob. "Let me feel you … you're hands are hairy, but are you really my son, Esau." "Yes, father", says Jacob. "Let me kiss you … sniff sniff. You smell like Esau. You must be Esau, even though you sound like Jacob." "I am", says Jacob

So Isaac blesses Jacob and the deed is done, never to be undone. Jacob will be the heir and lead the tribe to God's blessing.

And then Esau arrives, Isaac tells Esua that he has already given the blessing to Jacob.

While Isaac is shocked when the real Esau shows up, we can not help but wondering if Isaac really was fooled. We must wonder whether this aging tribal leader with experience beyond years, realized that indeed it would be better to have his clever but sneaky son Jacob, lead the tribe than his favourite son slow Esau who marries nasty daughters-in-law.

You see, when Isaac sees Jacob after this incident, he doesn't chide him for being a rotten sneak. In fact he goes on to further say blessings on him. Strange behaviour.

One is left wondering if this the plan of Rebekah and Jacob all along, to find a way to save face with Esau and others in the tribe, while passing on succession to the more competent son. Or perhaps Isaac, when presented with Jacob's courage in stealing the blessing, realizes that, as Rebekah has said before, "God has chosen the younger to rule the older." Isaac realizes that God's will must be done and submits to what God wanted all along, strict rules "be damned". If God wants the sneaky younger son to be the leader, then so be it.

As today's text continues, we hear that Jacob must flee Esau's threats of murder. Jacob is to seek a wife amongst Laban's daughters, his cousins. And Esau, takes a third wife amongst his OWN tribe … has he begun to see his own folly and change? Indeed, as we see later in the story, Esau amazingly forgives his brother.

And we later hear of Jacob, wrestling with God in a cave. Jacob, who demands a blessing from God, is struck on the hip and receives a new name. He is renamed "Israel", which means wither "Wrestles with God" or "God Wrestles". Which is it? Do we wrestle with God, or does God wrestle with us?

For as this amazing story of God continues, we see Jacob reconciling with his brother; something that at this part of the story seems impossible. And yet, what we know with God, all things are possible, and what appears like a mess, can in God's time turn out to be part of God's plan all along. Not always, but sometimes.

Listen, especially you who despair at life, at the messes in your life, messes that have happened to you, the messes that you have caused. As the text says this morning, God is at work in ways that we can not imagine. If God can bring such a family of Isaac and Rebekah's to reconciliation, if God is willing to continue to wrestle with Israel and the Church, if God is willing to send his son into the mess and muck of the world, if God is willing to take on the forces of death and destruction on the cross, if God is willing to bear the burden of death and our own human folly, then there is always hope. Hope for me, hope for you, hope for all the so called rotten sneaks in the world, and ultimately hope for the world itself. Let us, as the Church answer our calling the be a sign of that hope amid God's messed up world.