This week's sermon

 

EPIPHANY 7 (2/20/22)

In Luke’s Gospel today, Jesus tells us to do things that seem almost impossible to accomplish. Listen: “Love your enemy, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.”

        Think you can pull that off before breakfast?

        What Jesus is asking flies in the face of the way the world works.

        How can we love, do good, bless and pray for those who mean us harm?

        He goes on to tell us, ‘if anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other cheek also’ and if someone steals you coat, give them your shirt as well.

        Whatever happened to ‘an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’, Jesus?

        How can justice prevail under those commands, O Lord?

        How can I not fight back, Holy One?

 

        Yet the story of Joseph, in today’s Old Testament reading, is about someone who did exactly what Jesus asks of us.

        The story of Joseph is long and complex. It takes up the last 14 chapters of Genesis.

        Let me just give you the highlights.

        Joseph was the youngest of the 12 sons of Jacob (also known as “Israel”) and his father’s favorite, as the son of his old age.

        Joseph was a dreamer and an interpreter of dreams. His father gave him a fancy cloak of many colors with huge sleeves. And his brothers were jealous of him and wished him harm.

        First, they threw him into a pit without water and then when merchants came by on their way to Egypt, they sold Joseph to them. They covered Joseph’s coat with animal blood and told their father a wild animal had eaten him.

        Joseph was bought by an important man in Egypt, who came to trust him and put him in charge of his household. Then the man’s wife tried to seduce Joseph, but he refuses. So, she lied and accused Joseph of trying to seduce her and his owner had him thrown into prison.

        A little later two of Pharaoh’s servants were put in the same prison. Both of them had dreams that Joseph interpreted. Joseph told one of them that his dream meant he would be restored to his position and the other he told Pharaoh would have him killed.

        Both dreams came true.

        Later, Pharaoh has a dream none of his wizards can interpret and the man freed from prison remembers Joseph interpreting his dream and tells Pharaoh.

        Joseph tells Pharaoh the dream means there will be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine and Pharaoh puts Joseph in charge of gathering food for the seven good years to distribute to the people during the famine.

        When the famine reaches Israel, Joseph’s father sends all but his youngest son to Egypt to find food. Joseph recognizes them but they don’t recognize him, this oh-so-important man.

        There’s a chapter or two where Joseph continues the charade of not knowing them but then comes today’s reading!

        He tells them that though they sold him into slavery, it was God who sent him there. He holds nothing against them and makes sure they are prosperous in the land of Goshen.

        So, Joseph did it! He loved and did good for and blessed even the ones who sold him into slavery!

        It is very hard to follow Jesus’ advice, but it can be done.

        Let us pray to God to help us.

        The Lord be with you……..Let us pray. Dear and Righteous God, give us your strength to do your will. Lead us to love our enemies and always do good to those who do us harm. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen and Amen.