The opening verse of our parasha conveys a degree of finality. His exile is over. The text depicts a man drained by unrelenting stress who has come home to die. The abuse heaped upon him by Laban, the prospect of facing Esau, the rampage of his sons against the inhabitants of Shehem, and the loss of his beloved Rachel in childbirth has left him groping for the solace and security of home. But the midrash does not take kindly to retirement.
Society has too few good people to be able to afford the luxury of such non-involvement.
And so the midrash claims that when good people seek to finish their days in tranquility, God rebukes them. Look at our ancestor Jacob who sought the same thing, but to no avail. His life was immediately disrupted by his son Joseph. Of course, Jacob contributed to Joseph's downfall. He favored him no less than Isaac did Esau.