After Jacob and Laban had parted from each other, angels of God met Jacob to make known to him that if Laban did not obey God, who had appeared to him in the evening, he and those with him would be destroyed at dawn by the hands of those angels who protect Jacob. Just as God had shown Jacob the angels that accompanied him when he went down, he also showed him angels when he was going up to make him know that the word was true which God had spoken to him: I will go down with you, and I will bring you up from there.^[1] The army of angels that God had shown Jacob was so that he would not fear Esau, for there were many more [angels] with Jacob than were with Esau.

You see, once fear of Laban faded and was no more, then fear of his brother took hold of Jacob; so the loving Lord wanted to give the good man heart and drive out all his apprehension. Thus he caused Jacob to see the angels’ camp. God’s angels accosted him, the text says, remember. Jacob said, ‘This is God’s camp,’ and he called that place Camps,^[1] with the result that from the name there was a constant reminder of the vision that occurred to him there.

See how great was Jacob’s fear even after the vision had affected the good man. He was afraid of his brother’s aggression and was concerned lest the memory of what had been done by him previously might provoke Esau into an attack on him. Say to my lord Esau, ‘Thus says your servant Jacob: I was dwelling with Laban and tarried until now; I acquired cattle and asses and sheep, servants male and female. I have sent word to my lord in the hope that your servant may find favor with you.’ ^[1] Notice how Jacob was afraid of his brother, and hence out of a wish to placate him he sent word ahead alerting him to his coming, the wealth acquired by him and where he had spent all the time, so as to calm Esau’s anger and succeed in making him gracious. This in fact happened, for God placated his heart, allayed his anger and rendered him gracious. After all, if by the words Jacob spoke to Laban, who had hunted him down in such awful rage, he caused him to suffer such great apprehension, much more did he cause his brother to be more affable to the good man.

Jacob did not want to see Esau before he had appeased him with presents, and he only saw him afterward when the presents had been accepted. And when Jacob came to him, he bowed down to him from a long way off. So how shall the elder be slave to the younger,^[1] when the younger manifestly bows down to the elder? But the reason why these things were not fulfilled in the actual history of the two men is to make us understand that they were said of a future Jacob. The younger son received the first place, and the elder son, the people of the Jews, lost the first place. See how Jacob has filled the whole world, has taken possession of nations and kingdoms.

See how this was sufficient to aggravate the good man’s fear. Far from realizing precisely his brother’s intent, Jacob was terrified to learn the number of those approaching and suspected that they were bent on hostilities and so wanted to catch up with him. Note the text says, Jacob was in a state of fear and perplexity. Fear disturbed his thinking, and instead of knowing what to do, he was at a loss; hence Jacob was terrified of almost everything, and, with the prospect of death before him, he divided all the people with him into two camps. You see, he said, If he comes upon one camp and attacks it, the other will have the chance of being saved.^[1] While it was Jacob’s fear and great terror that suggested this, . . . seeing himself caught in a trap he had recourse to the invincible Lord and invoked the promises made him by the God of all, as if to say to him, Now the time has come for a good man to enjoy your complete assistance on account of the virtue of his forebears and the promises made by you.

With only his staff he crossed the Jordan. It was a wondrous symbol Jacob held in his hand in anticipation—the sign of the cross of the great prophet.^[1] He lifted up his feet on to the land of the people of the east, because it was from there that a light shone out to the peoples.^[2] He reclined by the well that had a stone on its mouth that many men had not been able to lift—for many shepherds had been unable to lift it and open up the well, until Jacob came^[3] and, through the power of the Shepherd who was hidden in his limbs, lifted up the stone and watered his sheep. Many prophets too had come without being able to unveil baptism, before the great Prophet came and opened it up by himself and was baptized in it, calling out and proclaiming in a gentle voice: Let everyone who thirsts come to me and drink.^[4]

We do not read of blessed Jacob that he departed with horses or asses or camels, but we read only that he carried a staff in his hand. Thus indeed, when entreating the Lord he said, Lord, I am not worthy of all thy kindnesses. With only my staff I crossed this Jordan; behold, now I have grown into two camps.^[1] Jacob displayed his staff to take a wife, but Christ bore the wood of the cross to redeem the church. In his sleep Jacob put a stone under his head and saw a ladder extending to heaven, while the Lord leaned upon the ladder. Consider, brothers, how many mysteries there are in this place. Jacob represented a type of the Lord our Savior; the stone that he put under his head no less prefigured Christ the Lord. Listen to the apostle telling why the stone at the head signifies Christ: The head of man is Christ.^[2] Finally, notice that blessed Jacob anointed the stone. Pay attention to the anointing, and you will recognize Christ. Christ is explained from an anointing, that is, from the grace of anointing.