The Possible Dream
Sermon
Sermons on the First Readings
Series II, Cycle C
Sibling rivalry. It's the pits. It has been around as long as there have been siblings around. Beginning with Cain and Abel, we see one brother disgruntled because God likes the other brother's sacrificial offering better. We remember, too, Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau, Rachel and Leah, the prodigal son and his older brother. Life is not fair.
Sibling rivalry, and there's a fight. For every kid who is doing a lot of hitting, there is usually a kid who is doing a lot of provoking. There's no such thing as an innocent sibling. A parent intervenes, only to discover that there are two contradictory stories about what brought on the disagreement. Where does the truth lie? There is probably truth in each story. Where is the sibling who never even secretly wishes that a brother or sister would disappear off the face of the earth?
In the book of Genesis, Joseph's brothers almost cause that very thing to happen. Nothing would make them happier than to be rid of that braggart Joseph. The powers of favoritism and jealousy are a deadly combination. When parents play favorites, they wreak havoc within the family bonds.
Father Jacob has favorite sons, largely because he had a favorite wife, Rachel. Joseph and Benjamin are the children of Rachel, and that makes them special. Joseph was the baby of the bunch, only to be replaced later by baby Benjamin. Children who are the last, and the least in birth order, are often granted special privileges. They are deemed too little to do for themselves what their older siblings recall doing for themselves at that very same age. Life is not fair.
Father Jacob had been jealous of his own twin brother, Esau, and had stolen Esau's blessing from their father Isaac by trickery, and then ran away from home. Later, when Jacob had to face Esau again, he had been terrified of the retribution he thought lay ahead for him. Now that he's a parent, Jacob seems to have developed a full-blown case of amnesia where sibling relationships are concerned. He is clueless about the rivalry among his own sons, and the part he has played in encouraging their jealousy and discontent.
Joseph is the eleventh son of twelve born to Jacob. And, Jacob's favorite. Jacob makes Joseph an expensive coat with long sleeves, which sets him far above his brothers in the wardrobe department. It's difficult to do any real work in a fine coat, so Joseph is off the hook when it comes to most chores. Joseph is also a tattletale. He would keep an eye on his brothers who were keeping an eye on the sheep in the fields and report back to his father.
To make matters worse, Joseph is a dreamer. He had dreams in which he saw his brothers and even the heavens bowing down to him. He could hardly wait to get to the breakfast table in the mornings to tell all his brothers about those outrageous dreams.
One day, Jacob sends Joseph on a journey to check on his brothers, who are a good distance away grazing the sheep. The brothers spot that tacky coat a mile away and make plans to do away with Joseph. Reuben argues against killing Joseph, so the brothers choose instead to throw him into a cistern. Reuben is secretly planning to return later to rescue Joseph from the cistern.
Imagine an enormous bud vase with a narrow neck and larger, more expansive bottom for collecting water, and that is what cisterns were like in the ancient world. Joseph would not be able to climb out through the narrow neck. The cistern is dry, so there is no chance of drowning, but it would have been a slow and tortuous death.
Then, brother Judah proposes another idea. Why not sell Joseph into slavery and make a little profit to boot? A caravan bound for Egypt happens to pass through the region at just the right time, and Joseph is history, or so the brothers think.
Joseph is then transported from some unimpressive little country town to a magnificent city, the capital of Egypt, a formidable world power in the tenth century B.C.E. God is with Joseph and he prospers (Genesis 39:2-3, 21, 23). In Egypt, Joseph's intelligence and leadership skills are recognized immediately by the powers that be.
Evidently, all those dreams are not a bunch of baloney after all. He becomes major domo at the home of Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials. Unfortunately, Mrs. Potiphar takes a liking to him and tries unsuccessfully to seduce Joseph. She does succeed in having him thrown into jail with her false accusations against him. Joseph languishes in jail for several years, interpreting dreams for fellow prisoners.
Pharaoh gets the word about Joseph's ability to interpret dreams and solicits his help. Pharaoh has dreamt there will be seven bountiful years in the crop department, followed by a seven-year famine, only he doesn't know that until Joseph tells him. As a reward, Pharaoh then appoints Joseph his Secretary of Agriculture. It isn't long before Joseph finds himself to be Pharaoh's right-hand man.
Years later, Joseph's ten big brothers travel to Egypt to grocery shop. There's a famine back home, so Dad sends them a little farther this time. They approach Joseph, Egypt's head grain grocer, who recognizes them right away. They had written him off a long time ago and have no idea who he is, dressed in that fancy military uniform and speaking a foreign language.
Joseph can't resist messing with his brothers a little, and pretends they are foreign spies up to no good. He questions the brothers about the family and discovers his father is still alive, he, Joseph, is dead, and there is a little brother at home who is now the favored son. Joseph runs into the next room and cries a little, blows his nose, and runs back to his brothers. His men load the brothers up with grain and secretly replace their money inside the sacks. Joseph sends them back home to bring Benjamin to him, while keeping Brother Simeon as a security deposit.
His brothers return, bringing Benjamin, gifts from Canaan, and double the money to finance their food. Joseph plans to share a meal with them at noon. He enters the dining hall, sees Benjamin, and hears that his dad is still alive. He runs into the next room again and cries a little, blows his nose, wipes his eyes, composes himself, and runs back to his brothers.
Again Joseph's men fill the sacks with grain and return the brothers' money. This time around, they also plant Joseph's favorite silver cup in Benjamin's sack. The brothers head back toward Canaan, but this time Joseph sends a man after them, to question them about his missing cup. Sacks are searched, and the silver cup is discovered in Benjamin's possession.
All the brothers return to Joseph and beg for Benjamin to be spared. It would kill their elderly father to lose Benjamin. Then Joseph cries again, and he doesn't run into the next room to hide. Pharaoh's household and all the Egyptians hear him sobbing. He tells his brothers that he is their long-lost Joseph, whom they sold into slavery so many years ago.
The brothers once had Joseph's life in their hands, only now they find the roles reversed. The sons of Jacob thought they had rid themselves of Brother Joseph permanently. When they recognize and realize that this powerful Egyptian is really a Hebrew, and their brother to boot, they see their lives passing before them. This is the end of the road. It's payback time. They will be in front of a firing squad before another day dawns.
But, that is not the case. Joseph moves quickly to comfort and reassure them. Joseph hugs them and cries over the lot of them. He tells them to hurry home and fetch his dad, and to tell Dad how successful he has become as a ruler in Egypt. The family will be his guests in Egypt for the next five years of the famine. They will be given land in Goshen. He realizes that his brothers meant their actions to be evil, but God has used the circumstances to bring good to the forefront, and to save the House of Jacob from starvation. And, they all live happily ever after.
So, we have the saga of another dysfunctional family. Very human, indeed. Every family is dysfunctional in one way or another. Joseph's comments to his brothers remind us of the truth that all things work together for good in the lives of those who love God. In every family, there is envy, competition, and unfairness. The family is a place of dark secrets and love mixed with hatred.
The very people we love are the ones who hurt us the most, and the ones we hurt. Life is not fair, but maybe we can look at life through the eyes of Joseph. A story that began with jealousy and deception turns out to be a story about preserving God's people. God's plan triumphs.
Jesus tells us to love our enemies (Luke 6:27). He died for them as well as for us. That is a tall order for humans. It is not easy to love siblings who plan your demise, but instead decide to sell you into slavery in a foreign land. Joseph doesn't blame or punish his older brothers, even though he has the power to do so. He puts the past into perspective and looks at how God has used the situation. Joseph has prospered greatly as governor of a world power, and has saved his family, who will become the nation of Israel, from starvation.
God does not cause evil things to happen but can and does work in and through those events to accomplish good. "Love your enemies." Miraculously, Joseph loves the jealous brothers, whose hatred deprived him of father and homeland, changing his life forever.
"Do good to those who hate you" (Luke 6:27b). Surprisingly, Joseph greets the frightened brothers, not with swift justice, but with joyful reconciliation and careful plans for their welfare. Jesus'words turn the world around and they can turn us around, too. Jesus'words, when we put them into action, can turn sadness into joy, anger into forgiveness, estrangement into community, and defeat into victory. The dream is possible, with God on our side.
Sibling rivalry, and there's a fight. For every kid who is doing a lot of hitting, there is usually a kid who is doing a lot of provoking. There's no such thing as an innocent sibling. A parent intervenes, only to discover that there are two contradictory stories about what brought on the disagreement. Where does the truth lie? There is probably truth in each story. Where is the sibling who never even secretly wishes that a brother or sister would disappear off the face of the earth?
In the book of Genesis, Joseph's brothers almost cause that very thing to happen. Nothing would make them happier than to be rid of that braggart Joseph. The powers of favoritism and jealousy are a deadly combination. When parents play favorites, they wreak havoc within the family bonds.
Father Jacob has favorite sons, largely because he had a favorite wife, Rachel. Joseph and Benjamin are the children of Rachel, and that makes them special. Joseph was the baby of the bunch, only to be replaced later by baby Benjamin. Children who are the last, and the least in birth order, are often granted special privileges. They are deemed too little to do for themselves what their older siblings recall doing for themselves at that very same age. Life is not fair.
Father Jacob had been jealous of his own twin brother, Esau, and had stolen Esau's blessing from their father Isaac by trickery, and then ran away from home. Later, when Jacob had to face Esau again, he had been terrified of the retribution he thought lay ahead for him. Now that he's a parent, Jacob seems to have developed a full-blown case of amnesia where sibling relationships are concerned. He is clueless about the rivalry among his own sons, and the part he has played in encouraging their jealousy and discontent.
Joseph is the eleventh son of twelve born to Jacob. And, Jacob's favorite. Jacob makes Joseph an expensive coat with long sleeves, which sets him far above his brothers in the wardrobe department. It's difficult to do any real work in a fine coat, so Joseph is off the hook when it comes to most chores. Joseph is also a tattletale. He would keep an eye on his brothers who were keeping an eye on the sheep in the fields and report back to his father.
To make matters worse, Joseph is a dreamer. He had dreams in which he saw his brothers and even the heavens bowing down to him. He could hardly wait to get to the breakfast table in the mornings to tell all his brothers about those outrageous dreams.
One day, Jacob sends Joseph on a journey to check on his brothers, who are a good distance away grazing the sheep. The brothers spot that tacky coat a mile away and make plans to do away with Joseph. Reuben argues against killing Joseph, so the brothers choose instead to throw him into a cistern. Reuben is secretly planning to return later to rescue Joseph from the cistern.
Imagine an enormous bud vase with a narrow neck and larger, more expansive bottom for collecting water, and that is what cisterns were like in the ancient world. Joseph would not be able to climb out through the narrow neck. The cistern is dry, so there is no chance of drowning, but it would have been a slow and tortuous death.
Then, brother Judah proposes another idea. Why not sell Joseph into slavery and make a little profit to boot? A caravan bound for Egypt happens to pass through the region at just the right time, and Joseph is history, or so the brothers think.
Joseph is then transported from some unimpressive little country town to a magnificent city, the capital of Egypt, a formidable world power in the tenth century B.C.E. God is with Joseph and he prospers (Genesis 39:2-3, 21, 23). In Egypt, Joseph's intelligence and leadership skills are recognized immediately by the powers that be.
Evidently, all those dreams are not a bunch of baloney after all. He becomes major domo at the home of Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials. Unfortunately, Mrs. Potiphar takes a liking to him and tries unsuccessfully to seduce Joseph. She does succeed in having him thrown into jail with her false accusations against him. Joseph languishes in jail for several years, interpreting dreams for fellow prisoners.
Pharaoh gets the word about Joseph's ability to interpret dreams and solicits his help. Pharaoh has dreamt there will be seven bountiful years in the crop department, followed by a seven-year famine, only he doesn't know that until Joseph tells him. As a reward, Pharaoh then appoints Joseph his Secretary of Agriculture. It isn't long before Joseph finds himself to be Pharaoh's right-hand man.
Years later, Joseph's ten big brothers travel to Egypt to grocery shop. There's a famine back home, so Dad sends them a little farther this time. They approach Joseph, Egypt's head grain grocer, who recognizes them right away. They had written him off a long time ago and have no idea who he is, dressed in that fancy military uniform and speaking a foreign language.
Joseph can't resist messing with his brothers a little, and pretends they are foreign spies up to no good. He questions the brothers about the family and discovers his father is still alive, he, Joseph, is dead, and there is a little brother at home who is now the favored son. Joseph runs into the next room and cries a little, blows his nose, and runs back to his brothers. His men load the brothers up with grain and secretly replace their money inside the sacks. Joseph sends them back home to bring Benjamin to him, while keeping Brother Simeon as a security deposit.
His brothers return, bringing Benjamin, gifts from Canaan, and double the money to finance their food. Joseph plans to share a meal with them at noon. He enters the dining hall, sees Benjamin, and hears that his dad is still alive. He runs into the next room again and cries a little, blows his nose, wipes his eyes, composes himself, and runs back to his brothers.
Again Joseph's men fill the sacks with grain and return the brothers' money. This time around, they also plant Joseph's favorite silver cup in Benjamin's sack. The brothers head back toward Canaan, but this time Joseph sends a man after them, to question them about his missing cup. Sacks are searched, and the silver cup is discovered in Benjamin's possession.
All the brothers return to Joseph and beg for Benjamin to be spared. It would kill their elderly father to lose Benjamin. Then Joseph cries again, and he doesn't run into the next room to hide. Pharaoh's household and all the Egyptians hear him sobbing. He tells his brothers that he is their long-lost Joseph, whom they sold into slavery so many years ago.
The brothers once had Joseph's life in their hands, only now they find the roles reversed. The sons of Jacob thought they had rid themselves of Brother Joseph permanently. When they recognize and realize that this powerful Egyptian is really a Hebrew, and their brother to boot, they see their lives passing before them. This is the end of the road. It's payback time. They will be in front of a firing squad before another day dawns.
But, that is not the case. Joseph moves quickly to comfort and reassure them. Joseph hugs them and cries over the lot of them. He tells them to hurry home and fetch his dad, and to tell Dad how successful he has become as a ruler in Egypt. The family will be his guests in Egypt for the next five years of the famine. They will be given land in Goshen. He realizes that his brothers meant their actions to be evil, but God has used the circumstances to bring good to the forefront, and to save the House of Jacob from starvation. And, they all live happily ever after.
So, we have the saga of another dysfunctional family. Very human, indeed. Every family is dysfunctional in one way or another. Joseph's comments to his brothers remind us of the truth that all things work together for good in the lives of those who love God. In every family, there is envy, competition, and unfairness. The family is a place of dark secrets and love mixed with hatred.
The very people we love are the ones who hurt us the most, and the ones we hurt. Life is not fair, but maybe we can look at life through the eyes of Joseph. A story that began with jealousy and deception turns out to be a story about preserving God's people. God's plan triumphs.
Jesus tells us to love our enemies (Luke 6:27). He died for them as well as for us. That is a tall order for humans. It is not easy to love siblings who plan your demise, but instead decide to sell you into slavery in a foreign land. Joseph doesn't blame or punish his older brothers, even though he has the power to do so. He puts the past into perspective and looks at how God has used the situation. Joseph has prospered greatly as governor of a world power, and has saved his family, who will become the nation of Israel, from starvation.
God does not cause evil things to happen but can and does work in and through those events to accomplish good. "Love your enemies." Miraculously, Joseph loves the jealous brothers, whose hatred deprived him of father and homeland, changing his life forever.
"Do good to those who hate you" (Luke 6:27b). Surprisingly, Joseph greets the frightened brothers, not with swift justice, but with joyful reconciliation and careful plans for their welfare. Jesus'words turn the world around and they can turn us around, too. Jesus'words, when we put them into action, can turn sadness into joy, anger into forgiveness, estrangement into community, and defeat into victory. The dream is possible, with God on our side.
