Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28

After last week’s entry, I would guess that you are wondering what I will do with this week’s passage (Romans 10:5-15). If God decides who is in and who is out and everyone is in, then how or even why do we proclaim the gospel as Paul invites us to do in chapter 10? I will get to that conversation but remembering that this is a road trip, I just found a side trip that I would like to take. After all, road trips are all about the side trips. This side trip may take a couple of weeks.
The lectionary Old Testament passage from Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28 caught my eye and I want to take sometime with it this week. It has much to say to us about morality in a postmodern world. Then next week I want to look at that passage from Romans and what it says to us about our message as Christians in a postmodern world. Finally, on August 24 I want to look at the gospel lesson about Jesus walking on water. How does a postmodern see the miracles in the gospels?
In Genesis 37, we find the very dysfunctional family of Jacob and his 12 sons. Jacob is very clear that Joseph is his favorite. Joseph with his dreams drives his brothers even further from him until they create a plot to kill him. There don’t really seem to be any heroes in the story. There seems to be little grace and no good news in the story. That makes it very easy to just skip right over it.
Where is God in that story of Joseph being sold by his brothers? What does it say to us about morality and making decisions?
Perhaps Ruben is the hero of the story. He seems to be listening to God’s voice in moving them from violence – at least sparing Joseph’s life. Is this not the way that God works in all our lives? God is always there nudging us in the direction of order, goodness, and beauty – helping is to make the best possible decision from among a variety of less than perfect choices. God is indeed present in the messiness of the world.
So for your reflection this week, where have you seen God working in your life or in the world guiding you to make life-giving choices in the midst of the pain and conflict?