24 February 2010
Psalm 119:49-72; Gen. 37:25-36; 1 Cor. 2:1-13; Mark 1:29-45

Judah figures they might as well turn a profit on the deal, so Joseph was sold for 20 pieces of silver. After that there has to be a story for dad’s sake. In an ingenious bit of what goes around comes around, they decide a bit of trickery is just the thing, trickery involving a goat, just like dad had done to fool his own father to get his blessing. Jacob/Israel cannot be comforted by all his other children as he grieves the loss of his favorite, and he never will get over this loss.

Jesus’ ministry continues at a breathless pace, look how many times in these few verses Mark says something happened either at once or immediately. The one thing that doesn’t happen, however, is that Jesus doesn’t simply move with the flow and respond to the demands of the moment. He rises early before anyone else and goes to be alone in prayer and from that time He can say to them that they must move on, as satisfying as it would be to remain and receive the adulation. As He cleanses the leper, He sends the man to the priests as a testimony to them. A priest had to inspect the formerly leprous area in order to certify the person was clean and could be in society and also enter the temple, how this man was cleansed would have been the testimony. The other thing to note here is that Jesus doesn’t hesitate to touch this man, who, under any other circumstances, would have rendered Jesus unclean by that act. If, however, he is cleansed, then there is no uncleanness to transmit.

Paul continues to speak of the wisdom of God and in this story from the Old Testament, the story of Joseph, is one of those which show the wisdom of God defeating the wisdom of man (as we shall see). Paul says, however, it wasn’t just words that attended his proclamation, but also acts of power, the same as Jesus’ ministry. Such works of power demonstrate that the message is true. Paul teaches now a greater wisdom than he had previously taught and yet it is counter-intuitive in that God displayed His wisdom in what looks like foolishness, by thwarting our own wisdom. He is pointing them to the source of true wisdom and knowledge, to God.

The LORD is my portion;
I promise to keep your words.
I entreat your favor with all my heart;
be gracious to me according to your promise.