Welcome to our service for Sunday the 13th of October

Our Sunday morning service at  Clevedon is at 10 am. Join us in person or watch the live stream on our YouTube channel.  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxBzxjBb3xU8ra2NHwvD_9A(the service can also be viewed at any time afterwards.)

Below you will find the reading and reflection for the service:

Our reading summarises the story of Joseph - a tale that unfolds over several chapters. In fact, more chapters in the Bible are dedicated to telling Joseph's story than to anyone else’s, except for Jesus.

So today, instead of having the reading and then the reflection, I want to have them both together.

37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other children because he was the son of his old age; and he had made him a long robe with sleeves. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him.

5 Once Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, "Listen to this dream that I dreamed. 7 There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright; then your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf." 8 His brothers said to him, "Are you indeed to reign over us? Are you indeed to have dominion over us?" So they hated him even more because of his dreams and his words.

You would think that Israel would have known better than to favour this one child, Joseph – but that is how the reading starts. We are also told this:

4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him.

We start off today hearing about this man called Israel. You might know the story of how Jacob wrestled with an angel and had his name changed to Israel. The name Israel captures this experience of striving with God.

And we should remember that Jacob’s brother was Esau and the conflict between these two brothers. So you would think that Israel, or

Jacob, would have learned a lesson about conflict in families by now.

If you have spent any time in Jewish or Muslim communities, you’ll know their standard greetings: Shalom for Jews, Salaam for Shia Muslims,

or Salaam Alaikum for Sunni Muslims. It means "Peace be with you," an ancient historical blessing.

So we begin here: not only has Israel (who was Jacob) failed to learn from the problems in his own family, but he also shows favouritism to one of his sons. We also see that this time is marked by the absence of peace.

"They could not speak peaceably to him" - we are told.

We have a family full of conflict and devoid of peace. Perhaps the most complex group of people we will ever have to deal with is our families.

How is God working through the life of this family, especially given the troubling circumstances?

Into this situation, Joseph has a dream and, like his father, seems prone to misjudgement. He tells his brothers that his dream indicates he will be greater than them, and we are told they hated him even more because of his dreams and words.

The story starts from a difficult point and then gets worse. By this time, it seems that Israel has realised there needs to be some reconciliation between Joseph and his brothers, so he sends Joseph to find them. But things don’t go as Israel had planned.

We read from verse 17:

17b So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan. 18 They saw him from a distance, and before he came near, they conspired to kill him. 19 They said to one another, "Here comes this dreamer. 20 Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; then we shall say that a wild animal has devoured him, and we shall see what will become of his dreams." 21 But when Reuben heard it, he delivered him out of their hands, saying, "Let us not take his life." 22 Reuben said to them, "Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him"—that he might rescue him out of their hands and restore him to his father.

26 Then Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh." And his brothers agreed. 28 When some Midianite traders passed by, they drew Joseph up, lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt. 29 When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes. 30 He returned to his brothers and said, "The boy is gone; and I, where can I turn?"

31 Then they took Joseph's robe, slaughtered a goat, and dipped the robe in blood. 32 They had the long robe with sleeves taken to their father, and they said, "This we have found; see now whether it is your son's robe or not." 33 He recognised it and said, "It is my son's robe! A wild animal has devoured him; Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces." 34 Then Jacob tore his garments, put sackcloth on his loins, and mourned for his son many days.

By now, the story has reached its lowest point. Joseph is sent by his father to seek peace and reconciliation with his brothers, but instead, they throw him into a well and conspire to kill him, ultimately selling him into slavery.

(The latest figures suggest there are about 46 million people in slavery in our world today. It’s staggering to realise how vast and insidious modern slavery has become.)

So we come to the contrasts in our story: Shalom or slavery. Two possible outcomes - and here it ends in slavery.

These stories invite us in. They ask where we find ourselves in the narrative.  Our motivation. Questions too about the consequences of the choices we make.

Remember, as unlikely as it seems, God is still working through the life of this family.

What would we do as faithful people in this context? We know things did not start off well—sometimes that’s the case for us too.

What pain could have been avoided if Joseph’s brothers had faced the unjust situation they found themselves in and responded not with violence, but with forgiveness? Not with slavery, but with reconciliation? Not with slavery, but with shalom.

These are personal questions about our personal ethics and behaviour - but also questions about the quality of our community and national values. The complex powers that work to oppose a commitment to peace and reconciliation.  

Now we jump forward in the story. Years have passed. By this point, Joseph had endured the lowest moments of his life but had risen to power in Egypt, second only to Pharaoh.

Israel, Joseph’s father, has died, and Joseph has become rich and powerful, with his brothers now living in Egypt.

50:15 Realising that their father was dead, Joseph's brothers said, "What if Joseph still bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong we did to him?" 16 So they approached Joseph, saying, "Your father gave this instruction before he died, 17 'Say to Joseph: I beg you, forgive the crime of your brothers and the wrong they did in harming you.' Now, therefore, please forgive the crime of the servants of the God of your father." Joseph wept when they spoke to him.

18 Then his brothers also wept, fell down before him, and said, "We are here as your slaves." 19 But Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid! Am I in the place of God? 20 Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve numerous people, as he is doing today. 21 So have no fear; I myself will provide for you and your little ones." In this way, he reassured them, speaking kindly to them.

The brothers seek forgiveness, but if you read carefully, we do not hear a confession or even a request. Instead, they offer a kind of command: they say to Joseph, "Your father gave this instruction before he died, 'Say to Joseph: I beg you, forgive the crime of your brothers.'"

The brothers distance themselves from Joseph. They do not personally claim him as their brother. In their guilt, they take refuge behind their dead father’s supposed command, asking Joseph to forgive them.

As the speech continues, it becomes clear that fear is preventing the brothers from confronting their crimes and reconciling with the brother they wronged.

Their appeal for forgiveness is awkward and incomplete. It is not "our crime," but rather their father’s command.

The brothers fall weeping before Joseph, declaring themselves his slaves. (we think about how slavery has been such a presence in this whole story) What grace is needed to move from this abusive cycle to true forgiveness?

Joseph’s words pave the way:

Joseph says: "Do not fear." Fear has been the obstacle to confession, forgiveness, reconciliation, and freedom.

Finally, Joseph says he is not in the place of God. It is not his role to punish. He points to God’s will and ability to transform evil into good.

God’s plans for good and life overwhelm the plots of fearful and wounded hearts. God’s grace creates the space for forgiveness, breaking the cycle of retaliation and abuse, and setting slaves and prisoners free. This is what Joseph says:

“Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good, to accomplish what is now being done—the saving of many lives.”

These words echo down through time and history to the moment when Peter speaks of Jesus in the book of Acts (Ch 2), as the Spirit moved, forming the first church:

23 This man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. 24 But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power.

Today, we look back at these ancient stories—Iron Age stories from over a thousand years before the time of Jesus. Despite the chaos, there is creation and new creation. There is discernment about what has happened and celebration of God’s hesed—loving-kindness and grace.

It’s not about finding silver linings, but about discerning God’s presence even in the most difficult times. It’s about celebrating the goodness and selflessness of those who save, forgive, give, help, rescue, and teach. Celebrating the loving-kindness that gives us all hope.

"Do not be afraid," Joseph says, and the future is opened. "Do not be afraid," Jesus says to his disciples, and the future is filled with hope.

We move from here with the assurance found through scripture and proclaimed by John: that the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never overcome it. Amen.