Wrestling with God
“A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ – Luke 14:16-20
People are defined by the decisions they make. Others judge them upon the result of those decisions. Just look at these three men in this parable. They decided not to attend the Banquet. Each had his own reasoning, or “excuse” for declining. All have forfeited their right as an invited guest to sit at the table. All are judged for making such a costly error.
What goes unnoticed is the process that takes place prior to the decision being made and acted upon. It is in this process that a person’s character is proven, and it is in this process that a person’s character is made.
Each of these three men must consider the offer they have been given and contrast it with their other options. Then, the wrestling begins until one of these options is the clear-cut “winner.”
It is possible that the lone Pharisee who speaks out in this exchange with Jesus is wrestling with Jesus’ message. It is possible that other Pharisees also wrestled with Jesus’ messages as Nicodemus did in John chapter three. We constantly see Jesus’ disciples wrestling with his teachings, much of the time asking for clarity, or a further explanation. Jesus encounters many individuals along the way in his three short years of ministry who are also found wrestling with his teachings.
The best example of wrestling with God can be found in Genesis Thirty-Two. Jacob, the son of Isaac spends the entire night wrestling with God. Wrestling with God is not something that is new or foreign. However, it is often something that we shy away from. It is something that carries somewhat of a negative connotation, yet it is something that all of us do. In fact, we probably do it every day. We just do not realize it. It is not something that we should fear, because it is in this wrestling with God that our character is produced. It is the process through which the Holy Spirit teaches, guides, and ultimately transforms us into the likeness of Jesus. That is, as long as we respond in humble submission to what he desires.
Have you been wrestling with God lately? How has he been working on your heart? What is it that he desires to do in your life?
Jonathan Goble
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