Apple TV’s breakout show Ted Lasso is sparking many important conversations – about sports, entertainment, leadership. Among these conversations are what it means to be a man – what masculinity is (or ought to be).
The central male characters – Ted Lasso, Coach Beard, Nate, Roy Kent, Sam Obisanya, and Higgins all represent different ways of being masculine in the world. And these differences have sparked discussion about how men live, lead, and love.
Alongside this – and of special interest to me! – is the question of “Biblical masculinity.”
Since the 1980s, there has been a cottage publishing industry turning out books about “Christian manhood.”
The standard format of this genre of book is (1) pull up a historical example of a “manly man,” (2) bemoan the “feminization” of Christianity over the last 50 years, and then (3) call Christian men to an aggressive, dominating form of masculinity.
The confluence of reading about this Christian Mens Movement (remember the “Promise Keepers” in the 90s?) and watching Ted Lasso go me wondering … What does the Bible really say about masculinity?
Jacob & Esau
Isaac and Rebekah had male twins – Jacob & Esau. And these twins provide remarkable contrast and illustration about the idea of masculinity.
From the beginning, before they are even born, Esau and Jacob are depicted as being in opposition to one another (Genesis 25:19-26). As such, they provide a great starting place for this discussion.
Esau fits the aggressive, dominating model of masculinity. He is athletic and a hunter. He is strong and hirsute. He is motivated by his immediate desires and achievements.
In contrast to Esau the jock, Jacob is a bookworm. He is not athletic or outdoorsy. Jacob is compassionate and clever. He is motivated by the long term good at the expense of his immediate needs. Given the explicit description of Esau’s looks (hairy and strong), we can assume that Jacob was the opposite of that.
Of course neither Jacob nor Esau are this one-dimensional. In his youth, Jacob is a trickster and not afraid to bend the rules to get what he needs. He grows and matures the way he betrayed Esau is repaid to him in the betrayal by his Uncle Laban. And Esau grows from his more aggressive youth to being the one who forgives and welcomes home with compassion the person who wronged him.
At the height of the conflict between them Jacob runs away from Esau, afraid that they cannot co-exist, they cannot live together in the same place. But eventually, they are reunited – their differences strengthening their bond.
From there, Scripture follows the story of Jacob and his children. But we are reminded that God also blesses Esau as the father of a great nation and heritage.
What does it mean to model masculinity on the examples of both Jacob and Esau?
Why do you suppose we have historically given preference to Esau-like and not Jacob-like masculinity?
(Esau is totally a Roy Kent. Jacob is clearly a Higgins – Can’t you see him with a Van Dyke, playing the upright bass?)
