Unexpected Blessings

"Unexpected Blessings"
a condensed version of the sermon delivered by Rev. Kirk Moore on Sunday, August 17, 2008 at Union Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, in Somonauk, Illinois.

PODCAST of "Unexpected Blessings"

This Morning's Scripture reading is:
Genesis 45:1-15

Everyone loves a happy ending

And everyone loves a Bible melodrama, right? Last week we helped to describe the beginning of the story of Joseph and his brothers. This week we’re skipping the middle and moving right to the happy end. And we need our melodramatic actors up here – who’s going to participate this week? For this week’s fun we need:

Joseph – Now grown up, important, and forgiving – he gets to cry – and I think he has taken on some of his father’s dramatic tendencies J
Joseph’s attendants -- they get to leave
Some Egyptians – All they’ll do is hear and react
Pharaoh – will only hear and react, too
Brothers – Benjamin – lots of crying too
Jacob – isn’t really in this scene – but we’re going to put him in anyway.

Here we go!

When we last saw our hero, Joseph, he was just lifted out of a pit – only to be forced into slavery in Egypt. Much has happened to Joe since then. He’s been trusted, betrayed, thrown into prison, inquired upon, trusted again and now elevated to a position of high authority. It’s time to exact his revenge on the brothers who sold him out, right?

Nope.

Sure, Joseph has some fun with his brothers. They don’t recognize him and they really need some food – so they came to grovel for help. Joseph agrees to give them food but then he plants evidence of a theft on one of the youngest brothers.

Is he testing them to see if they have turned into fine, respectable men instead of jealous and murderous brothers?

Probably.

And now let’s find that happy ending as we continue our melodramatic rendition of Genesis 45:1-15 – as paraphrased in "The Message"

To sum up -- Joseph revealed himself to his brothers as their brother. He told them that not only was all forgiven, but also that what they did was necessary for God’s will. It was necessary so that they would be saved and so that thousands would be saved.

What’s the point here? What can we learn?

Let me offer a couple of thoughts.

1 – It all works out . . .

(Romans 8:28 NRSV) We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.

I don’t think Joseph’s brothers were working for "the God team" when they sold him out. I know that this story turns out good – but aren’t there a multitude of (perhaps untold) stories where they don’t?

I’m not sure I can look at all the circumstances in my life and say "It had to happen that way for God’s will to happen." I can often see how things have turned out and also look at the experiences along my journey have led up to now. But I look at the mistakes and the bad times and wonder if I would have ended up where I am no matter what the journey had looked like.

So I don’t want to say – to anyone – when they’re in difficult or tragic circumstances that God will work all things out for good. In those situations what I can say – or think to myself in my own journey is this:

"This situation stinks. I wish things weren’t happening like this. But I am going to keep walking forward in faith – trusting that God knows more than I do and that God is here – ready to provide comfort and ready to help me keep going.""

I believe that God never abandons us. And I believe that in whatever situation we’re in that there will be more of the story to come.

But I said something like that last week, too.

I have another thought. I think another thing we can learn – something so vital in our lives – is the necessity of forgiveness.

Being forgiven for the things we have done
Offering forgiveness so that our anger and blame don’t tear us apart

I think that Joseph held onto his anger for a long time. The fact that he had to do a little "getting back" at his brothers before revealing himself to them and offering forgiveness proves it. If that doesn’t – then the fact that he never tried to contact his family all the years he was in Egypt proves it even more. I think Joseph’s lack of forgiveness for his brothers tore him apart, too. Why? Because he couldn’t contain himself any longer – he cried and sobbed – so happy to have the weight of his anger lifted when he forgave his brothers.

I’m not talking about God’s forgiveness here. God forgives. God doesn’t hold it all in and then erupt. God doesn’t get torn apart by anger and blame. (No matter what you hear from some "ought to know better" religious folks whenever there’s some kind of disaster or tragedy.) God forgives.

We don’t always follow. We are slow to forgive – others and ourselves.

And so often the ones we are so slow to forgive are the ones closest to ourselves. It’s really hard to forgive our loved ones. We hold onto that anger – I know I do.

And I think our Bible reading today challenges us to get past that anger, blame and self-righteousness and to ask for, offer and be ready for a wave of forgiveness.

And while we’re at it – to also be ready all the time for God’s unexpected blessings.

Close with prayer.