[Uucf-bible] Jacob and Esau

[RevRonRobinson at aol.com]

One of the great ways we can reinterpret the old stories is to recapture the 
meaning they had in their time, what moved them in the ancient world can often 
move us again in the postmodern world. One of my former seminary professors, 
Rick Lowery, recently gave a wonderful lecture which included the 
interpretation of how the story of Jacob stealing Esau's birthright blessing is really a 
story about justice. Esau was willing to squander what was most vital and 
important in his life, the family relationship and connection, and responsibility 
for the land and the people---the listeners at the time would have understood 
what foolish wasting and irresponsibility that Esau represented. They would 
have been cheering the underdog, the one who had no power, who was able to 
overturn the dominant culture's way of awarding power. God works outside the box to 
bring about justice for the oppressed and those outside the margins of 
society. Another biblical story of human liberation. 
blessings,
Ron