It's funny how we justify our actions, seeing right and wrong through our own mental filters. Jacob, now a rich man with more goats, sheep and camels than there were cast members in Ben-Hur, feels the pressure to leave and sneaks off towards home (wives, children and livestock in tow). His father-in-law-stroke-uncle (fluncle? unclaw?) thinks this is well off-sides and tracks him down. After a bit of 'you started it', Jacob accuses fluncle Laban of trying to cheat him out of the wages he earned. Laban defends himself saying "hey, they were my daughters, my sheep, my goats, so what do you mean I try to cheat you?". I wonder if he was genuinely convinced that he had done no wrong, or was just trying to convince himself in order to justify his actions.
Don't we do this all the time? The big things like murder and stealing are easy to spot (I think I've managed to avoid those so far), but I seem capable of a thousand excuses for the small things. It's all relative isn't it? And ultimately I guess I'll always do it, which is why I'm grateful for grace.
By the way, I've worked out why Esau disliked Jacob. You see, when Jacob heard Esau was looking for him along with 400 men, he split his travelling party into two camps in order to hedge his bets. So big, burly, hairy, stew-eating Esau must simply have thought his brother was two camp. Take your time.........................
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