Genesis 45:1-15

Proper 15 (20) - Year A

 

The second in command, economic advisor par excellence, still identifies as, “I am Joseph.” His concern is not just about surviving a coming famine, but, “Is my father still alive?”

Finally, with those who betrayed him he makes an audacious claim, “I am your brother.”

Joseph—Jacob’s son, brother to eleven—this Joseph, sees his life as, “Sent to keep alive many survivors.”

There are many ways to try to keep many alive. These can contain the infamous, “We had to destroy the village to save the village.” Under Joseph’s leadership, many lost their land and freedom for a better chance at survival. Were they better off? Certainly his family became better off, until Joseph’s efficient planning was forgotten.

How might you keep “many alive” this day? How might you keep yourself alive this day? One way is to refuse to label and be labeled. Drop the titles; claim your name.

 

- - - - - - -

 

gifts and calling
irrevocable
deniable

our life
is our gift
our calling

whether rued
or rejoiced
life calls

gifts once dead
remain ours
to reveal

 

As found in Wrestling Year A: Connecting Sunday Readings with Lived Experience

 

 

Family secrets? Jacob’s brood sure had them. Jealous brothers throwing the favorite son in a pit, selling him off, and telling dad he was killed by a wild beast ... that’s a big secret for a bunch of bumbling brothers to keep! The favorite son recognizing his betrayers many years later yet protecting his true identity ... that’s another big secret! The favorite son conniving to make it look as if the second favorite was a thief ... more secrecy and deception! It begins with one lie, one family secret, one unresolved issue, and the dysfunction in the family just continues to compound. Can you imagine the stress, anxiety, anger, and guilt that accompanied all of this secret-keeping? Secret-keeping is hard work!

After years of secret-keeping, as the brothers gather around Joseph begging for mercy on Benjamin’s behalf, scripture tells us that Joseph could no longer control his feelings. He dismissed all of his servants to be left alone with his brothers, behind closed doors. Let’s keep those family secrets within the family! But scripture also tells us that Joseph wept so loudly that the Egyptians, even Pharaoh’s household heard it. Joseph finally admits his identity to his brothers and the secrets begin to unravel. Of course, there’s much more to the story, but Joseph's revelation to his brothers ended some of the secret-keeping and began what could become a process of forgiveness and reconciliation.

Do we have any family secrets in our churches, denominations, or even the Church at large? Does the church experience any of those family dynamics that Jacob’s clan experienced? Who will stand up and wail so loudly that the family secrets are heard by those on “the other side of the door?” Will unraveling the dysfunction of our past help us begin the process of forgiveness and reconciliation? Please God, let it be so.

http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2002/august2002.html

 

 

Once family feuds get rolling it is extremely difficult to break them. Even the one who has the power to shift the ground of relationship seems to have to work up to it.

Having decided to reconcile, it is interesting to compare this the process of going first to the injuring/injured party and for the public nature of it to come forward later.

At any rate, having the outcasts and the casters-out brought back together is a momentous occasion. This may be a reason we get back together so hesitantly. Inherent in the outcasts being gathered together is the understanding that such a specific action will grow to become the norm, and then where would we be – “the more we get together, together, together, the more we get together, the happier we will be” is pleasant to sing about, but only in small doses.

We are hesitant to let this expansive regathering loose by providing even a small family regathering as its seedbed. Not only are Joseph and his brothers re-gathered, but the promise is set loose that all separations shall be overcome. At this point we will be up against universal salvation, which is, somehow, more than our idealized reconciling mercy can bear.

http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2005/august2005.html

 

 

Unity as “good and pleasant” is quite an understatement. Given our starting points, to arrive at some semblance of unity (an outcome of justice) is so remarkable that it calls for a more enthusiastic response.

To arrive at some given understanding that rejection is not the last word about the meaning of life (though it is often one of the first words we encode), a sense of relief in the face of such mercy needs a conversion miracle response.

Jesus’ response to the woman responding to being called a dog, after pleading for her daughter, is too sterile. It is not as though some word-game had been played out that had no real consequence. It is not as though Jesus doesn’t have an epiphany here – faith comes from every angle, not just the preauthorized.

- - - - - - -

gifts and calling
irrevocable
deniable

our life
is our gift
our calling

journeying
toward wholeness
finds our denial

beyond journeying
at a stopping point
we find irrevocability

whether rued
or rejoiced
life calls

gifts once dead
remain ours
to do

http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2007_08_01_archive.html

 

 

Concern about relationships draws people together.

Concern about laws pushes people away.

Tears and glory are two of the continuing realities in our lives and the life of the church. There is an appropriate ratio of these for each situation. The general rule of thumb, however, is that compassion is on the high side of the ratio while structural stability is on the low side.

Do you see folks as family or subjects?

Do you experience yourself as part of G*D’s family or one of G*D’s subjects?

What is the feeling tone of restoring a dysfunctional family (even if it is claimed that such was intended by GOD – oh, yes, intended to do good)? What is the feeling tone of setting up rules by which some of the family will be sent away or killed because they don't consistently life up to the highest of ideals?

A difficulty that needs to be faced is what to do with the inherent exclusivity in taking care of one's own above caring for all? A second difficulty is what to do with the universality of a structure focused on exclusivity of rules that are for us?

We are not dealing with pure poles here and so the question of transfiguration comes in between as care becomes a spiritual discipline and sabbath rules can be abrogated to care for self or another. What seems like a choice between Joseph’s transfiguration and that of Moses raises the question of finding the clarity spot for your own transfiguration.

How would the conversation on the mountain been different if Moses and Joseph showed up instead of Moses and Elijah?

If you were to pick two of your formative folks to stand by you as you begin the next part of your journey, your exodus, who would they be?

http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2004/february2004.html

 

 

The second in command, economic advisor par excellance, still identifies as, “I am Joseph.” His concern is not just about surviving a coming famine, but, “Is my father still alive?”

Finally, with those who betrayed him he makes an audacious claim, “I am your brother.”

Joseph, Jacob’s son, brother to eleven, this Joseph, sees his task, “Sent to keep alive many survivors.”

There are many ways to try to keep many alive. These can contain the infamous, “We had to destroy the village to save the village.” Under Joseph’s leadership, many lost their land and freedom for a better chance at survival. Were they better off? Certainly his family became better off, until Joseph’s efficient planning was forgotten.

How might you keep “many alive” this day? How might you keep yourself alive this day? One way is to refuse to label and be labeled. Drop the titles; claim your name.

http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2011/08/genesis-451-15.html