"Do this and you will live for I fear God…" What did the brothers understand when they
heard that statement? When Abram and
Sarai were in Gerar, they chose to say that she was his sister (a half truth)
because he thought there was no fear of God in that land. In a dream, the Lord appeared to the king,
Abimelech, to tell him the truth and Abimelech listened and obeyed. Here, a foreign dignitary uses that phrase to
assure the brothers that they will be safe in his custody if they do what he
requires. Did they believe he was
talking about the same God they worshipped?
Why does this become an occasion for re-visiting their mistreatment of
Joseph? What prompted that reminiscence
and search for guilt? Their conversation
hearkens back also to the Cain and Abel story, "now there comes a
reckoning for his blood.” When Joseph
returns their money to them without explanation and they find it on their way
home, the immediate conclusion is that God has somehow done this. It is a confusing passage in that Joseph had
previously said, send one of you and yet then he changes his mind and only one
remains. Why Simeon, the second
born? Perhaps there is some symmetry, Simeon as second born of Leah
held as surety for the appearance of Benjamin, second born of Rachel, something
only a brother might know.
As this parable comes up often in the readings I have had
much occasion to think about its meaning(s) and application(s). I have become more convicted that the soil
need not always be inhospitable to the reception of the seed and that over time
there is another who works the soil in order to make it receptive. The sower, we who share the word with others,
keep on doing that work while another, the Holy Spirit, continually does the
work of improving the soil that one day it might become hospitable and
receptive. In our first lesson we see
some men who have previously been jealous and in it for themselves who are now
becoming willing to deal with sin in their lives, they have carried the guilt
over Joseph all these years and now we hear that they are ready to receive
their reckoning. Their hearts are being
changed and prepared to receive grace.
We are to deal with sin in the body in a way that might seem
ruthless to the world. Paul says they
are to purge the one who calls himself brother when engaged in such sin as
this. Within the body we are to judge
one another as Moses judged the people in the Exodus. Remember when Jethro comes to bring Moses'
wife and children he sees Moses judging the disputes of the people? They are learning something about God's ways
from Moses. Rabbis were frequently
called upon to judge such disputes.
Jesus is asked at one point to settle a dispute concerning an
inheritance. The church is called to act
on matters of dispute between its members and yet how often does that happen? Are we prepared to deal with sin in our
midst, both we as individuals and we as the body?
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