I used to love roller coasters. The faster and further they fell, the better. Somewhere along the way though, I stopped enjoying them. Perhaps it was a neck injury on the Rattler, or riding in the dark at Disney World. I have solved the problem, though: I just don’t get in line to ride them, anymore.
If only the roller coaster of life were that easy to avoid. Joseph’s story looks a lot like a roller coaster ride. As his father’s favorite he sits at the top of the heap with his lavish coat and his fascinating dreams. Then jealousy struck and he found himself lying in a pit in Dothan. At his master Potiphar’s house he rose to a leadership position. Falsely accused he ended up in jail. Even though his father thought he was dead and his brothers had tried to forget him, the Lord was with him. How do we know? He gave him favor with the warden.
What does the story of Joseph tell us? Are their moral lessons we should draw from it? How does all of this fit in the larger story of the Bible? How do we fit in this story? Are we Joseph, mistreated by his brothers? Or are we one of the brothers who mistreated Joseph? In the larger story the readings for yesterday remind us that humankind is utterly broken. A father shows favoritism creating resentment in his other children resulting in catastrophe for the favorite. Another of Jacob’s sons ends up being deceived by and sinning against his daughter in law Tamar. Joseph minds his own business at Potiphar’s house but ends up in prison. Even the “good guys” in the story don’t always seem so good. But all the while God who created humankind is working to redeem humankind.
The same God who showed favor to Joseph shows favor to us. Like Joseph we may even be unaware of God’s providential working for our good. But what we know for sure is that in the fullness of time, when humankind was at its worst, in the fullness of time God sent his Son into the world. Jesus, a descendant of Judah and Tamar in chapter 38 has now become the only true hero of the story. He is the only one who can ultimately bring us back to God. We may see the grace of God as protection from pain, or deliverance from temptation. But the grace we need and find comes to us exclusively in Jesus who showed up right on God’s standard time. Since God is for us, who can be against us? He gave us his Son. Won’t he also give us everything we need today? So if you are riding the runaway train roller coaster today, remember this: the same God who created you is riding with you and working right now to redeem you and to make you like his Son. This is grace. Receive it!
