Sibling Rivalry

Homily for Saturday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Sibling rivalry is present in the Scriptures just as it is present in the lives of many families. The Book of Genesis, in particular, presents us with stories that help us to see that God’s ways are not always the prevalent cultural or societal ways of life. In the life of the Hebrew children of Israel, the eldest son was to inherit two thirds of his father’s wealth while the other children split up what was left.

Today we hear the story of Esau and Jacob, twin boys born to Jacob and Rebecca. Though Esau was born first, Jacob was born immediately after and was gripping the foot of Esau as he came from the womb. The two boys were completely different from one another. The parents sometimes claim that they have no favorites among their children; this particular story tells us that Jacob was fond of Esau while Rebecca was fond of Jacob. Jacob is wily and duplicitous, characteristics that he will carry throughout his life. With the help of his mother Rebecca, Jacob secures his father’s parental blessing even though Jacob intended to bless Esau. As in other stories of sibling rivalry, we Westerners tend to be concerned about the duplicitous conduct. This simply was not the case in the Middle East. The entire culture of the Middle East is driven by the need to seek honor even if it means being duplicitous. We even see this evident in the Gospels with stories such as the so-called dishonest steward.

As the story will continue, is evident that God’s way of looking at things is not our own. Jacob is blessed by God and even has an encounter with God that left him physically disabled. His 12 sons go on to become the foundation of the people of Israel who are divided into 12 tribes. God’s plan for salvation obviously leaned toward Jacob and his sons.

Sibling rivalry is still a factor in family life today. Like Isaac, parents try to do their best in raising their children. At the same time, children like Jacob may feel overlooked, unseen, and pressured into being someone they are not simply to gain acceptance.

Today’s Gospel text also highlights the notion that God’s choices are not the same as ours. Jesus speaks of new and old cloaks as well as new and old wineskins. As we have seen in the last few days, the people who populate the stories of the Book of Genesis are just as human as we are, finding it difficult to change our routines or our ways of doing things. This pattern seems to be ingrained in our human DNA. Even little children cling to their first blanket or their first stuffed toy rather than accepting anything new.

Jesus promotes a new way of seeing things. He has come to initiate a new covenant among us. He tells us that through his resurrection he has created a new heaven and a new earth. As we receive him in the Eucharist today, even this Sacrament is something new in the life of human beings. The imagery from today’s two readings speaks of an intimacy between God and us. God has given up divinity in order to become human. Jesus wants us to build our life with him, to be one with him. Jesus rejoices in our return to him whenever we stray, awaiting us with feasting and celebration. The gift of his very self becomes ours in the Eucharist and is an opportunity to experience once more that intimate union with God which we so long for and which God so longs to share with us.