Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“But the words of her elder son Esau were told to Rebekah; so she sent and called her younger son Jacob and said to him, ‘Your brother Esau is consoling himself by planning to kill you. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; flee at once to my brother Laban in Haran, and stay with him for a while, until your brother’s fury turns away—until your brother’s anger against you turns away, and he forgets what you have done to him; then I will send, and bring you back from there. Why should I lose both of you in one day?’”
NL Daily Devotion for Tuesday, September 23, 2025
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
To me this says that Rebekah loved Esau very much. A lot has been made of how she preferred Jacob while Isaac preferred Esau. But the fact is that Rebekah was the mother of both boys, and as a mom, I can tell you that I fiercely love both of my children even though they are very different from one another and my relationships with each of them are different. Remember that Rebekah was going on what God told her: that Jacob would rule over Esau. So she did what she believed was right to ensure God’s will was done. But that absolutely does not mean she didn’t love Esau as fiercely as Jacob. And the thought that because of the rift between them one might kill the other—well then she would lose both, because one out of bitterness would become a murderer and the other would be dead.
It's a good reminder that we all face difficult choices in our lives, including in our parenting. And all we can do is the best we can with the information we have at the time. Family relationships can be pretty dysfunctional, and even when they’re functional there are still disagreements and challenges. With God’s help (and a professional therapist if needed!) we can hopefully all come to some kind of peace around the family dramas we may or may not have experienced in our lives.
Does it change this story for me when I recognize that Rebekah really did love Esau?
