Zion Lutheran Church

Then the man said, “You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed.” Genesis 32:28

Have you ever had a friend or family member with whom you had a messy relationship? You know the kind. Things are going well and you get along. Then they aren’t. But you are too connected and too committed to just give up on the relationship – it is a part of who both of you are and there’s no denying it. So you stick it out and some amazingly wonderful things happen. And some bumps happen. It is uneven and a bit unnerving. But it is authentic and your love and friendship for each other is real. And so you persist.

That’s the way Jacob’s relationships are. He is a bit volatile and a bit fragile. But he is persistent and refuses to give in to much. Even God is impressed with his stamina. And so God blesses him – not because he is the perfect role model but because Jacob is tough enough to not just throw in the towel and quit. God needs someone whose nature is to keep going and Jacob fits the bill.

Jacob will go on to be named “Israel” as a result of his encounter with and wrestling with God. It will be the name given to his ancestors and the nation they inhabit. Like Jacob, it will be their toughness and durability that will be a trademark of their existence. And from within their midst will rise the Messiah, one strong enough and committed enough to love the world in a way that would change it forever, even when the world would push him away and eventually kill him on a cross.

God likes persistence because God is persistent. If we are to live in the image of God, we need to be persistent. It is not always easy to press into the future. Not all of us will have the same stamina nor face the same circumstances. But whether we succeed at being persistent or not, one thing all of us can count on: God will be persistent with us. Sometimes, that has to be enough.

Thanks be to the God who persistently pursues us with the love we find in Jesus.