The Complexity of Human Nature
Norah Summers
July 23, 2017
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Genesis 29: 9-30
9 While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherd. 10 When Jacob saw Rachel daughter of his uncle Laban, and Laban’s sheep, he went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle’s sheep. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud. 12 He had told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and a son of Rebekah. So she ran and told her father.
13 As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he hurried to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, and there Jacob told him all these things. 14 Then Laban said to him, “You are my own flesh and blood.”
After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month, 15 Laban said to him, “Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.”
16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel had a lovely figure and was beautiful. 18 Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.”
19 Laban said, “It’s better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me.” 20 So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to make love to her.”
22 So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. 23 But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her. 24 And Laban gave his servant Zilpah to his daughter as her attendant.
25 When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?”
26 Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one. 27 Finish this daughter’s bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work.”
28 And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 29 Laban gave his servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her attendant. 30 Jacob made love to Rachel also, and his love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.
“Indeed you are my own flesh and blood” – Laban’s greeting to Jacob.
The tradition and duty of hospitality is especially strong towards kin.
Does this give Laban special responsibility? Or a trusting target for deception?
Jacob sounds almost naive – work seven years, just for love?
And when that arrangement is twisted, and he is deceived, he simply agrees to another seven years.
On one reading, he must love Rachel very much.
On another, he has long patience to get even with his uncle – selective breeding of flocks
is a very slow burn revenge.
Probably a bit of both – all’s fair in love and war? Getting even sounds as if it should be about fairness, but it is still a driver of deception, using fair means or foul.
It is sometimes hard to find the fair path through this tale of deception and passion, revenge and reconciliation – many twists and turns before there is fair play for Jacob and his family.
God of justice,
what have we learned in all the years since this story unfolded?
Still we are capable of great love –
and great self-interest –
love of kin or neighbour easily set aside to further our own advantage.
Old jokes remind us that we can choose our friends but not our relatives,
and blood ties are no guarantee of affection.
We see in this ancient family chronicle
the love and the tensions we experience now as then.
May we work to see fair play for all,
justice for our brothers and sisters,
close kin or simply fellow-humans,
your children all.
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