adapted from a sermon preached at Chapel Hill Mennonite, July 20, 2008, on Genesis 32:22-32

As Jacob prepares to meet Esau, he gets in a fight with God (Genesis 32:22-32). In the darkness, Jacob and God wrestle. And who could ever imagine that Jacob would win? But that’s exactly what happens. Jacob is victorious. But it’s important to notice that Jacob wins by hanging on. He doesn’t put God in strangle-hold, or some painful, arm-twisting pin. No, Jacob wins by hanging on. If we want to talk about spirituality, that’s the best picture we have—it’s about hanging on to God.