Seventh Sunday after Epiphany

Readings – Genesis 45: 3-11,15; Psalm 37: 1-12,41-42; I Corinthians 15: 35-38,42-50; Luke 6: 27-38

From the Psalmist we hear —

Wait for the Lord God and keep to [God’s] way.  (37:34)

Also, from the Psalmist —

Do not fret…, Do not fret…, Do not fret…  (37:1, 37:8, & 37:9)

There is a lot of fretting these days and we are called to “keep to [God’s] way.”

The story of Joseph, illustrates not fretting, and in keeping in God’s way. 

Joseph is brought to our attention as a 17 year old who is the favored one of the twelve sons of Jacob.  He “brought a bad report of [the other brothers] to his father.”  (Genesis 37:2), and he had “a long robe with sleeves” unlike his older brothers.  The brothers “hated him, and could not speak peaceably with him”. (37:4)  He shared with them a dream of “binding sheaves in the field” when all their sheaves fell over, bowed down to his sheaf.  One of them asked, “Are you indeed to reign over us?”  In another dream, the sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed down to him.

 Once when he was sent to check on his brothers, they saw him coming, and “they conspired to kill him”.  (37:18)  “Here comes the dreamer”, they said.  Rather than killing him directly, they threw him down a dry cistern.  When a caravan of Ishmaelites on their way to Egypt approached, they sold him for twenty pieces of silver, and put goat’s blood on his robe.  Returning to Jacob, their father, they claimed he had been devoured by a wild beast.  Once in Egypt the Ishmaelites sold Joseph to Potiphar, an officer of the Pharoah of Egypt. 

His value quickly noted, Potiphar placed Joseph in charge of his household, and he was “handsome and good looking”. (39:6). Potiphar’s wife sought to seduce him.  While Joseph fled, the damage was done, and Joseph was placed in prison.  While in prison he interpreted dreams for a baker and a cupbearer of the Pharoah.  The baker would be hanged.  The cupbearer would be returned to his former position. 

For two years Joseph remained in prison until the Pharoah began having a reoccurring dream.  Seven sleek cows were consumed by seven “thin and ugly” cows.  Seven plump ears of corn were consumed by seven thin and blighted ears.  The cupbearer remembered Joseph, and recommended him to the Pharoah.  There would be seven years of plenty in Egypt, followed by seven years of drought and famine. 

So, the Pharoah put Joseph in charge, building storage for the seven good years with one fifth of the harvest set aside of the seven years drought to follow.  Joseph became the right hand man of Pharoah, and married Potiphar’s daughter, becoming wealthy and powerful. 

In the second year of the drought, Jacob sent ten of his sons (Joseph’s brothers) into Egypt to buy grain.  While Joseph recognized them, he remained unrecognized, accused them of being spies, and briefly put them in prison.  When he released them and set them on their way, he hid in the sacks of grain the gold with which they had purchased the grain.  Stopped, Simeon was made hostage as they returned home with the promise that they would return with Benjamin, the youngest and the favorite brother of Joseph.

  On the second journey to Egypt to buy grain they returned with Benjamin.   A feast was prepared for all, but once again, Joseph did not reveal his identity.  This time, hidden in a grain sack was the chalice of Joseph, discovered while they were returning home.  Again, they returned to the palace, and this time Joseph revealed himself, and invited them to return to live in the land of Goshen for the remaining years of the drought.  Joseph said to them —

Take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father and come… for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.  (45:19-20)

This story of Joseph is a story of the love of God for the family of Jacob, of Joseph walking with God, and Joseph finally extending his love to his brothers and their extended families, despite the history of mistreatment and hatred.  Joseph’s love was not deterred nor distracted. 

I will conclude with words of Jesus from the Gospel according to St. Luke. 

Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you bless those who curse you, and pray for those who abuse you…

Do to others as you would have them do to you…               

                                …[God] is kind to the ungrateful, and the wicked. 

Be merciful just as [God] is merciful.

Beware of being distracted.  Do not fret.

Jesus, our Savior and Guide said–

Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Amen