Laban - A True Narcissist

Laban caught up with Jacob as he was camped in the hill country of Gilead, and he set up his camp not far from Jacob’s. “What do you mean by deceiving me like this?” Laban demanded. “How dare you drag my daughters away like prisoners of war? Why did you slip away secretly? Why did you deceive me? And why didn’t you say you wanted to leave? I would have given you a farewell feast, with singing and music, accompanied by tambourines and harps. Why didn’t you let me kiss my daughters and grandchildren and tell them good-bye? You have acted very foolishly! I could destroy you, but the God of your father appeared to me last night and warned me, ‘Leave Jacob alone!’ [Genesis 31.25-29]

The only thing I see that Laban said here that was true was that God had appeared to him telling him to leave Jacob alone.

Laban probably thought he was totally in the right. I am guessing that Laban genuinely believed Jacob had betrayed him. There is no doubt in my mind that Laban felt he had been wronged.

But why?

Laban, like so many people even today, was deceived. It was apparent that Laban had no bearing for right or wrong. His sense of justice was tainted by selfishness. Laban was a true narcissist. He only thought of himself and what was in it for him. Laban could not see his own wrongdoing because he truly believed that anything he did was right because it served him. He was his own god, and so, anything he desired was 'right' in his eyes. For Laban, there was no consideration whatsoever for anyone but himself.

The lesson here for all of us is that we must 'put ourselves in the other person's shoes.' If we fail to consider our own capacity for selfishness, we are, in fact, acting selfishly. And, given enough time, this selfishness will sear our consciousness to the point we truly (but erroneously) believe that anything we think or desire is right - no matter what the rules of society or law state. This is the nature of deception. This is the nature of the enemy of God and man. This is the modus operandi of the devil.

Father, help me to avoid deception by considering the needs of others before my own. Help me avoid further deception in my own life by honest introspection and taking proactive measures to overcome selfishness with selflessness. I find no greater example of how to do this than in the life and person of Jesus Christ.