For many church folks, right from
Sunday school, the patriarch Ja-
cob has been depicted as a greedy,
supplanting trickster who denied
his older brother the inheritance
due him as the first born son of
their father Isaac. But do you
blame someone for having better
negotiating skills? Clearly, his old-
er brother Esau didn’t think much
of the birthright considering the
way he easily exchanged it for a
portion of food!
relevant questions: Why the birth-
right and not something else: my
hunting gear or my best garments?
Why not something tangible, eh,
something substantive? What is it
about the birthright that my kid
brother wants so badly? Surely
such a demand should’ve struck
him as odd but alas, thinking on
an empty stomach wasn’t Esau’s
thing. His response was most re-
vealing: “Behold, I am at the point
to die: what profit shall this birth-
right do to me?” Thus, with that
Esau might have stumbled out agreement made, Jacob proceed-
from the field that fateful day very ed – whilst he served the food –
tired and near fainting. Kid broth- to request that the agreement is
er happened to be trying out his
authenticated with an oath. Esau
culinary skills and you could
swore his birthright away, was
imagine Esau brighten-
served “bread and pottage of lentils;”
ing up at the sight, won-
as the account tells, “and he did eat
dering to himself, Ah, saved
and drank, and rose up, and went
by the bell! Upon asking for a bowl his way: thus Esau despised his
of Jacob’s delicacy, Jacob agreed birthright.”
but he threw in a caveat, “Sell me
this day your birthright”. Jacob Jesus told a parable in Luke 16:1-8
was no fool - he had it all planned of a servant who at the point of
out especially considering that he trouble ‘negotiated’ some terms
was ‘mummy’s favorite’ chances with the debtors and as a result
are she had told him over and over earned commendation from his
again about the prophecy relating master.
to their destinies while she carried
them in her womb and would look The woman from Canaan (Mat-
for the opportunity to realize that thew 15:22- 28) also got her way
prophecy.
when she ‘negotiated’ healing for
her daughter and was commend-
Now this is where Esau should also ed by Jesus (v28)
have sat down to do some serious
thinking and ponder over some How can we develop such great