Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Sunday, September 25th, 2016click here for past entries
Loving God, just as you have worked through flawed and faith-filled human beings for centuries, so you are also able to work through us. Empower us this day by your Spirit, that we might live in love as your children, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Joseph is 17 years old and is full of himself. He tattles on his older brothers. He wears a really special coat that his father has given only to him. He is, quite obviously, his father’s favourite child. And, he has some rather vivid dreams. Apparently oblivious to how much his brothers resent him, Joseph tells these dreams to his brothers. In these dreams, Joseph is, quite obviously, the star.
In the first dream, he is out in the field with his brothers binding sheaves of wheat. Suddenly, Joseph’s sheaf stands upright, and all his brothers’ sheaves gather around and bow down to it. The second dream is the same, but different. In this dream, the sun and the moon and eleven stars are all bowing down to Joseph. In this case, even Joseph’s father says, “What kind of dream is this?” Do you really think that “I and your mother and your brothers” are going to bow down before you? (Gen. 37:10) And so his brothers hate Joseph even more.
Have you ever been so mad at your brother or sister that you wanted to strangle them?... Literally?... There’s a story that gets passed around every so often of a Sunday school teacher who was talking to her class about the Ten Commandments. She asked them which commandment teaches about how to treat your brothers and sisters, and a little boy chimed in right away: “You shall not kill”! There are times when we might feel that way, but thankfully most of us have never acted on it.
In Joseph’s case, though, the brothers had had enough. Some of them did want to kill him. Reuben, the oldest, tries to be the voice of reason. He suggests that they throw him into a pit instead. And so they do. Then, while they are sitting down, eating lunch, they see a caravan coming their way. “Aha!” says Judah. Here’s a chance to make some money. They don’t need to kill Joseph. They can just sell him as a slave and send him off to Egypt. And so they sell him to the Ishmaelites for 20 pieces of silver and then concoct a story that they will tell their father about how Joseph was torn to pieces by wild animals.
Joseph, it seems, grows up in a hurry once he is in Egypt. He serves his master well and soon is put in charge of the entire household. However, in spite of his loyal service, he is thrown into prison for a crime that he didn’t commit. Even in prison, it seems, Joseph’s skills don’t go unnoticed, and he is soon charged with looking after the other prisoners. Throughout the entire ordeal, we keep hearing how the Lord was with Joseph. We also hear about how God had given Joseph the ability to interpret dreams. It is this ability that eventually gets Joseph out of prison, as Joseph is the only one who can interpret Pharaoh’s dreams.
And so, by the time that Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt, Joseph is in charge of pretty much everything. It is a famine in the land of Canaan that brings the brothers to Egypt, and in an ironic twist of fate, Joseph is the one that they need to see in order to buy some grain.
After all of the years that have passed, Joseph recognizes his brothers, but they don’t recognize him. The part that we heard today comes at the very end of the story, but there is quite a bit that happens before we get there. From the number of times that Joseph weeps in the story, we can tell that he hasn’t forgotten the pain of becoming a slave at the hand of his brothers. However, at the same time, there is at least a part of Joseph that wants to make them pay for what they did to him.
The brothers are accused of being spies and thrown into prison. Then Simeon is kept in prison until they return with their brother Benjamin. Then Benjamin is accused of stealing Joseph’s silver cup, and Judah ends up begging that he be put in prison in place of Benjamin. All of this happens before Joseph ever lets his brothers know who he is. And then there is all kinds of weeping, and eventually Jacob and his entire family come to Egypt so Joseph can look after them.
It is a happy ending, and forgiveness is given at the end, but what a classic picture we get of a dysfunctional family! There is the father who plays favourites, valuing Rachel’s children over all the others. There are the brothers and the step-brothers - the brothers from different mothers - and their jealousy and competition for their father’s affection. There is the favourite son who gets sold as a slave, and then the other favourite son who gets protected at all costs. And even in the midst of all of the dysfunction, God is at work.
These are, after all, the chosen people. This is Jacob, a.k.a. Israel, Abraham’s grandson, who will become a great nation of people. And God works through Joseph in order to keep them all alive by bringing them to Egypt. God is also at work in Joseph’s life throughout the entire story - or at least after he is taken to Egypt as a slave. God gives Joseph the abilities that will be needed in order to save the lives of many people.
This is Jacob’s family, but what about God’s family? Does God like certain children better than others?... [could say yes in OT - children of Israel] While you might get that impression in the Old Testament, things change with the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. You might have heard the saying that all are equal at the foot of the cross - in other words, none of us are higher up than others. None of us are more saved than others. None of us are more loved or less loved than others. In fact, we are all God’s favourite child.
As such, we are called to reflect God in a manner similar to what Joseph ended up doing. As children of God, we are called not only to forgive, but to love our enemies (Lk. 6:35). In doing this, Luke implies, we are simply imitating God, who is kind not only to those who love God, but also to the ungrateful and the wicked. This is no small calling, and no easy task.
We are, however, empowered by the Holy Spirit, who fills our hearts with the love of God and teaches us how to live as God’s children. For this we give thanks, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Pentecost 19 (NL 3) Genesis 37:3-8, 17b-22, 26-34; 50:15-21
September 25, 2016 Luke 6:35
St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church
Pastor Lynne Hutchison
© 2016 Lynne Hutchison All Rights Reserved
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