A17 Sunday 20 August 2017

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Sunday 20 August ’17

 Proper 15: 11^th Sunday after Pentecost

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Genesis 45:1-15

Joseph could no longer control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, “Send everyone away from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence. Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come closer to me.” And they came closer. He said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years; and there are five more years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God; he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. You shall settle in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, as well as your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. I will provide for you there—since there are five more years of famine to come—so that you and your household, and all that you have, will not come to poverty.’ And now your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my own mouth that speaks to you. You must tell my father how greatly I am honored in Egypt, and all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.” Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, while Benjamin wept upon his neck. And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers talked with him.

Last week, we heard of Jacob's favorite son, Joseph. We found him in the fields in search of his brothers. In a moment of anger and thirst for revenge, they have sold him to traders heading for Egypt. They then took the coat with sleeves, the symbol of their father's favoritism, to Jacob. The patriarch receives this coat, torn and bloody, as a sign that Joseph has been torn to pieces by a wild animal and is now dead. And the brothers allow their father to believe this as absolute truth. They lie to their father, and allow their father, even in severe grief, to believe a falsehood. Likely they thought Jacob would never the truth.

That was last week. This Sunday we find the brothers in Egypt in search of food. They have prostrated themselves before the ruler who is second in command to Pharaoh alone. Until that moment when this ruler casts everyone else away from their presence, and with tears reveals his true identity, the brothers have no idea that this man is their brother, Joseph.

It's a powerful moment. I dare say this is one of the most powerful moments in all the Scriptures. Today I want to invoke Paul Harvey once more, to tell you "the rest of the story." You see, there is so much that takes place between last Sunday's reading and this Sunday's reading. There are years, many years in fact, that just simply get skipped over by the lectionary.

When the traders arrived in Egypt, they sold Joseph as a slave. The Egyptian who purchased him was a powerful man by the name of Potiphar, the captain of the guard in Pharaoh's army. Scripture does not tell us the length of time in which Joseph serves this man as a slave in his home. We are told that at some point this man comes to trust Joseph completely, and leaves the mastery of the home to Joseph. And for some time, Potiphar does not regret this decision whatsoever. But at some point, the wife of the master looks with lust upon Joseph. She attempts multiple times to seduce Joseph. But Joseph is a man of honor. He will not fall into temptation. The more he resists, the more cunning this woman becomes. At last, one day she goes to such lengths that when Joseph escapes her grasp, his outer garment comes off his body and remains in her hand. No one else has witnessed this act. With this garment in hand, the woman twists the narrative to make Joseph appear to be the seducer and she the victim.

Potiphar is outraged at the offense laid out before him by his wife. He has Joseph captured and thrown into Pharaoh's jail. Again, an undisclosed time passes. Again, Joseph wins the trust of one to whom he has been entrusted. The effect is such that in time the Chief Jailer of Pharaoh entrusts the jail and all the prisoners therein to Joseph.

At some point after this, Pharaoh imprisons two of his officials in this jail; his Chief Cupbearer and his Chief Baker. One morning Joseph observes both men to be greatly troubled. When pressed, they explain that each of them has had a disturbing dream during the night. They share these dreams with Joseph, who provides an interpretation.

The interpretation given to the Chief Cupbearer is favorable. Joseph speaks of how Pharaoh will restore him to his previous position. For the Chief Baker, however, the interpretation is not good. Joseph tells him that Pharaoh will put him to death, that he will be hanged. And having provided these interpretations, Joseph asks the Chief Cupbearer to remember him before Pharaoh.

The Cupbearer swears to do this very thing. On the Third Day, the Cupbearer is restored and the Baker is hanged. But the Cupbearer forgets Joseph.

Now the Scriptures begin telling us lengths of time in this story. Two years later, Pharaoh has two disturbing dreams. When he wakes, he shares these dreams with his officials, seeking from them an interpretation. They cannot give any explanation. At last the Cupbearer remembers Joseph to Pharaoh. Pharaoh responds by calling for Joseph to appear before him.

When presented, Pharaoh once more describes his dreams.  Joseph interprets the dreams as one dream; a divine message from God fixed to happen beyond any shadow of doubt. He proclaims that for the next seven years, the land will be more plentiful in producing harvests than has ever been known. But when these years pass, he warns, a famine will strike the land with such harshness for seven years that the memory of the previous years of plenty will be forgotten. Having shared the interpretation, Joseph advises Pharaoh to select a man to oversee the gathering of the harvests to come in preparation for the famine who will then oversee the distribution of food during the famine.

Pharaoh accepts both the interpretation and the advice. Immediately he names Joseph as Second in Command only to himself, and charges him to act according to his advice. Joseph is now a very powerful man. Pharaoh gives him a new name and a wife. A new life for Joseph has begun.

Joseph's interpretation comes true. Under his leadership, Egypt gathers food beyond the ability to measure the abundance. Then comes the famine. But it isn't limited to Egypt. The whole region suffers for lack of food. In other places, like Canaan, the place where Joseph's family resides, there is news that Egypt has an abundance of food. The people of those lands come to Egypt to see if it is so, and if possible, to purchase food. Among them are Joseph's brothers. They, and all the others, are sent directly to Joseph.

When they stand before Joseph, the brothers have no idea who he is. He knows who they are. He observes that Benjamin, his only full brother, is not with them. He accuses them of being spies. They deny this charge, stating that they are 12 brothers of one man; one they admit is at home with their father and one is no more. They speak of Joseph to Joseph unknowingly as if Joseph is dead. Joseph does not relent. He throws them into Pharaoh's jail. After a couple of days, he calls for them and speaks mercifully to them. Nine of them can return home with food. One must remain behind. When they return for more food, he tells them, they will not see his face and will be given no food unless the youngest son is also present.

The brothers get their food. Reuben remains behind in the jail; the rest return home. On the journey, they discover that the bag of food that each of them carry also contains the money with which they have purchased the food. They are afraid.

Jacob is also afraid when he hears this and sees both the money and the food, and notices that Reuben is not with them. He freezes in fear, and speaks of Reuben now as he spoke of Joseph; among the dead who are no more. When the food is nearly out, in denial, he sends the brothers to go get more food and to take double the amount of money. But he refuses to allow Benjamin to go. The brothers refuse to go without him. When desperation sets in, and the food is gone, Jacob relents in bitterness that they ever mentioned another brother to the ruler of Egypt.

The ten brothers arrive in Egypt. Reuben is brought forth from the jail to join them before Joseph. The sight of Benjamin is so powerful that Joseph excuses himself quickly. He is overcome with emotion, and does not want anyone to see him in tears. When he returns, he shares with the brothers that they are to be taken to his home for the mid-day meal.

The brothers are now terrified. They expect Joseph to use this opportunity to attack them, perhaps even to kill him. They present him a gift from their father. Again, Joseph excuses himself to go weep in private. And then the meal is served. Here fear fades away to bewilderment. The brothers are all seated by order of birth, and the portion brought to Benjamin is five times greater than what is set before each of the others.

After the meal, they are provided with food. When they pay the servant, they attempt to pay double. The servant will have no part of it. He tells them he received their money; that it must have been their God who put that money in their bags. He keeps hidden from them that it was he who did so, at Joseph's command.

Only Joseph has commanded something else now. When the brothers leave, they have no idea that again their money has been returned in full, and that Benjamin's bag contains Joseph's chalice. After they have departed, the servant is directed to chase them down and make an accusation of stealing this chalice. When he catches them, the brothers vehemently deny this accusation. They are so confident that they allow him to search, even giving permission for the execution of the one in whose possession this chalice would be found if it were to be found. The servant agrees. He finds the chalice in the possession of Benjamin.

In fear, the brothers return to Joseph. Judah pleads for the life of Benjamin, stating that the death of this son would kill their father. Judah even seeks to take the punishment himself.

It's at this point where this Sunday's reading begins. Joseph orders everyone but his brothers, including the translator through whom he has previously always spoken with them, to leave his presence. In that privacy, Joseph now speaks to them in their language, and reveals his identity, and asks about his father.

This story is incredible. It also contains something powerful for us to embrace along with these brothers. Joseph speaks to them about how God took what was intended for evil and transformed it into something good. Joseph's position of authority has given him the means to provide the mercies of God to them, and thus to keep Jacob and the Family of Israel alive! Oh how differently this story could have ended. The wisdom of the world would say to this day that Joseph would have been justified to do unto the brothers exactly what they had done to him. But Joseph chose to be merciful, to be the instrument by which God would take what was intended for evil, and transform it for the good.

Dear friends, do we not find ourselves again and again in times and places in which we need such a God who takes what was intended for evil and turns it into good? God still desires to do so, even today. May Joseph be our inspiration as we cry out for God to do so even among us. And may his witness inspire us to allow ourselves to be the very instruments through which God will accomplish this great work of transformation.

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Father Timothy Alleman

Rector of The Church of the Holy Cross

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞