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10:30 am Worship

Thursday, July 10, 2025

Genesis 45: 1-5

¹Then 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. ²And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. ³Joseph 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.

⁴ 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. ⁵And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.

Irony. Is all great literature ironic?

The great authors all recognize things are usually not as they seem. We all can recall a heroic figure who was evil and an evil figure who did good. Great stories use this device often, a literary practice which reveals the differences between appearances and actual reality.

Why do storytellers do this? Could it be because our own lived histories often confront us with such situations.

Young people do not yet know this, but those who live for any length of time can, if they are willing to peer honestly at themselves and the happenings in their lives, detect such occurrences really happened.

I remember a couple whose marriage failed. They both attended church regularly, believed deeply, and tried to live good lives, yet circumstance cast them into a situation which they were unable to reconcile. Their marriage failed. A terrible thing, accompanied by much pain and suffering.

Years later, they each found themselves happily remarried, and their new relationships had literally lifted their new spouses out of misery and suffering. In addition, their story, told to others going through similar awful events, had helped many others.

A strange reality. Ironic. An awful event which brought forth goodness. The suffering changed them. They became wounded healers.

The Bible is filled with irony, cover to cover. Murderers become saints. Terrible chains of events become salvation itself. The cross is a premiere example. Awful tragedy bringing forth great joy and celebration. The story of Joseph is such a story: “ ⁵And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.”

The ending of the story becomes a meditation concerning human tears. Joseph weeps on three occasions, and his weeping slowly changes from suffering to joy, from separation to reconciliation.

What can we learn from this?

Perhaps just this: Life is filled with hope. Our worst circumstance, in the hands of God, can become our greatest joy. Have hope.

Hymn of the day: The Sound of Silence. Online at Rossford UMC - Media.

Rev. Lawrence Keeler