Sad Eyes, Joyful Heart

Scripture: Genesis 29:35 – “She conceived again and bore a son and said, ‘This time I will praise the Lord,’ therefore she named him Judah; then she ceased bearing.” (NRSVUE)

I have always had a soft spot in my heart for Leah in the Book of Genesis. She is the sister of Rachel, and Genesis describes them this way, “Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was graceful and beautiful.” (NRSVUE) “Weak” can also be translated as soft or delicate. It is unclear whether this is a defect or a single mark of beauty in an otherwise unremarkable appearance. Regardless, Leah is just not as good as her sister.

Leah only gets married when her father tricks Jacob into marrying her instead of the beautiful and beloved Rachel. Jacob adores Rachel and seems to have little regard for Leah, but God does. The story continues. “When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.” (NRSVUE). Rachel hopes that this will finally allow her to feel more loved that her sister.

At first, Leah has four sons (she will later have another two sons and a daughter). Their names are Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah. When each boy is born, Leah names them according to her feelings. With Reuben, she says that God has seen her affliction and that Jacob will love her. With Simeon, she says the Lord has heard how much she is hated. With Levi, she hopes that she will now be joined to Jacob. Each time, the child is an expression of her bitterness and her need to be loved.

But Judah is different. When he is born, she says, “This time I will praise the Lord,” and indeed, Judah’s name means praise. As the story continues, each of the brothers has a different destiny. Reuben is a bit of a coward who sleeps with his father’s concubine. Simeon and Levi betray hospitality to commit a horrific slaughter to get revenge for their sister. Their descendants are cursed to not receive great lands in the future. But Judah becomes the father of the tribe that will include the city and temple of Jerusalem, kings like David and Solomon, and eventually Jesus.

It is easy to feel bad for Leah, a woman whose greatest sin is not to be as pretty as her sister. All she wants is to be loved. But at first, she sees God only as someone who can help her. She cannot escape her sadness, because she expects God to fix things for her. With Judah, however, she praises God. She enters into a relationship with a God who rejoices with her rather than sees her misery. She comes to realize that when we invite God to be part of our lives rather than just fix our problems, we find the strength to endure, even if things do not get any better on the outside.

Leah’s rivalry with Rachel continues throughout the story, but Leah learns to stand up for herself. She finds value in her faith and her children, even if Jacob’s attitude never changes. So, I believe she can be a lesson for us when we feel unloved, underappreciated, and full of sorrow. If you start with misery, it is hard to escape. But when you start with praise, you are already half-way to finding love and joy.

This week, try praise instead of lament, and see how that changes your perspective.

Prayer: God, let me praise you, especially times of grief and worry. With your love in my heart, I know I can face any challenge. Amen.

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