WRESTLING GOD (B: 14th Sun of Ord Time)

First Reading: Ezekiel 2:2-5 (4 July 2021)

“I am sending you to the Israelites, to the rebels who have turned against me” (Ezek 2:3).

The name Israel is ambivalent as to its etymological meaning. It is beheld that it is a combination of the two Hebrew words śarah and ’el, which mean “to wrestle/contend” and “God,” respectively. However, the contested matter in the word Israel is whether ’el should be treated as the object or subject of the verb śarah. Is someone fighting against God (i.e., a struggle with God) or is God the one fighting somebody (i.e., God struggles)?

As to the former, ’el can be interpreted as the verb’s direct object in connection to the biblical story of Jacob’s wrestling encounter with an angel of God. This event is read in Gen 32:22-32 where Jacob, after successfully overpowering this messenger, earned God’s favor while hearing the words, “You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed” (v. 28). As to the latter, ’el can be viewed as the subject of śarah, denoting that God—represented by his messenger—was the one who contended or challenged Jacob. Indeed, in the narrative, it was the angel who initiated the physical confrontation with Jacob, who was simply forced to defend himself (v. 24).

In our first reading today, it seems that the name Israel is nearer to the former meaning, i.e., it was Israel who was wrestling God. Accordingly, repeated here are the terms “rebels” and “rebellious” (vv. 3a, 3b, 5) in describing Israel, which would be referential of the Israelites’ dismissal of God’s commandments and affront abandonment of their covenant with him. The historical context of this event is the Assyrian/Babylonian invasions that brought an influx of foreign ideas and practices in all the territories of Israel. This phenomenon triggered them to forget altogether their faith in the one God of Israel and embrace various expressions of worship.

Despite this proverbial Israel’s wrestling of God, God was not content with the fact that his people were easily led astray. In response, he sent the prophet Ezekiel to remind them of their age-old covenant with him: “You shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear; for they are a rebellious house” (v. 7). Ezekiel was actually tasked to continue the reform initiated by King Josiah in purging their land from evil ways, malicious ideologies, and impure cultic practices (cf. 2 Kgs 23:4-30). Under these circumstances, it was God who truly wrestled for his people in the sense that he fought for them and never gave up on them.

In our personal lives, there are many times that we repeatedly wrestle against God: we question his ways, we blame him for all human tragedies, we challenge his designs, we confront him for our endless sufferings, and we accuse him of leaving us behind in the dark recesses of misery. Despite our constant bickering, God simply allows us to wrestle against him, tolerating us to freely vent our frustrations and sorrows while remaining silent amidst all our harsh indictments. Conversely, he does not abandon us but even wrestles for us by giving us more opportunities and graces so that we can return to him someday out of our voluntary decision to be converted.

Wrestling God. This phrase can also be expressed as: We fight against God but he continuously fights for us.

May we learn someday to turn the tables around by being the ones fighting for him ... for humanity, for our Christian values, and for our faith in his power and mercy.

- Rex Fortes, CM