Not in God’s Name 7 Leah and Rachel

Genesis 29:15-35

Jacob fled his home because of his foolish rivalry with his brother and immediately proceeded to stir up a parallel discord between two sisters, Leah and Rachel.  Jacob tried, once again, to transgress the social custom that favoured the elder over the younger.  Our modern sense of justice or of romantic love may incline us to favour Rachel, but the story arouses in us a sympathy for Leah.  Jonathan Sacks gives us a careful translation of verse 29:30. “He also married Rachel, and he also loved Rachel…more than Leah.”   Also implies that he loved Leah as well as Rachel, but the verse goes on to clarify that he loved Rachel more.  Any parent knows that you can love two children, but love them differently.  Any sibling knows that when a parent loves your sister differently, it is easy to assume that they love her more.  Love is more complicated than justice. Equal is not always fair.  Human beings are inclined to love and sometimes we forget that love in the absence of justice is difficult if not dangerous. 

Max Bohme  (unsplash)

As the tension once again flares up between Israel and Palestine, I wonder how much our interpretation of these chapters of Genesis have emboldened each side to see themselves as more righteous and therefore more right even as they engage in the obvious wrongs of rockets and missiles.  As Christians, we have been the dominant, blessed, most numerous, most wealthy of God’s various groups of children and we have not always used our place in the world very faithfully.  Can we become humble enough to see the pain, suffering, hurt, humiliation of others that is the human response to feeling less loved when unjustly treated. Are we secure enough in God’s love for us that we can admit that God might love others who are not like us?  Does acceptance of one group of God’s children necessarily mean the rejection of others or can we believe in a God who can love with discrimination and justice?   

I acknowledge the ideas of Jonathan Sacks in his book “Not in God’s Name” 

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