The episodes in the text really reflect the human condition.
So there’s one about the twins. The first one came out red in look and turned out to be a hunter. The second one that came out tended to grasp at things, like the heel of his brother, and turned out to prefer shepherding.
They’re twins, but there’s a clear order in how things should go. Our hunter guy is the first in line to gain from the father. Our shepherd hombre is supposed to just live with the fact that he ain’t to get the main job, he’ll get something, but he ain’t gonna get the big thing. That’s just the way it is, that’s the birthright.
So this particular episode sees our hunter coming in near his li’l brother who is cooking up something fierce – red stew! Wouldn’t you know it, our hunter is famished, absolutely desperate for something to munch on. He asks for some of that good, good stew that his brother’s put together. Our shepherd’s ever the one to grasp, though. He ain’t missing out on this opportunity. He’s gonna grasp for what it’s worth.
Now back in the day where I was concerned my siblings and I saw opportunities to grasp. If one of us was in need and there was something worth bargaining with, we would snatch that opportunity and more often benefit from it. Yet we tended to keep it within reason. There were some things we couldn’t afford to mess with. Some things were too valuable to bargain with.
It’s a pity for our hunter that he never had that level of appreciation for what’s valuable. Our grasping shepherd offers the good stew in exchange for the birthright. This kind of swap is ridiculous. Stew is good and all, but it’s like swapping your right to gain a controlling stake in a multi-billion dollar enterprise for a good stew. I mean you’re hungry and everything, but why would you even mess with that privilege just to eat?
Our hunter’s reasoning is amazing – what good is the right if he’s dead from hunger? Wow. You mean you couldn’t just get something to eat somewhere else?? Evidently not because our grasping shepherd wasn’t messing with the offer and finally our hunter simply gives away that birthright for some stew. To be fair to him, the hunter even got some bread with the stew, so there was that …
Meanwhile our shepherd has what he’s grasped for. With some application of culinary skills and the creation of some good, good stew his position changed from grasping to prospering.
That’s not an episode to advocate the benefits of grasping. It is a sombre story to realise that there are always those who are grasping. You have something very precious – it’s worth looking out for those who are seeking to grasp it especially if they detect that they would value it more than you would.
(Photo by Oleg Laptev on Unsplash)
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
Life With CD 