On Circumstantial Hatred

Genesis 45:1-15

Matthew 15:10-20

If anyone had reason to be bitter and vengeful, it would have been Joseph.  Though he was favored by his father Jacob (Israel), his brothers hated him.  Recall that from an early age, Joseph had dreams; dreams he probably did not fully understand and so should have kept to himself … at least among his siblings, because these dreams foretold of a time when his older brothers and even his parents would bow down to him (Genesis 37:7). 

Little did Joseph know what he would be forced to endure before this would take place!  He knew he was “favored”, but he had no idea what The Lord may ask of those who have found favor with Him.  Like the “beloved Son with whom I am well pleased”.  Remember Him?

His brothers had conspired to kill Joseph, so deep was their hatred for him.  It was his brother, Reuben, who had convinced the brothers to spare his life (Genesis 37:21-22).  Yet it was also Reuben who had the idea to throw him into a pit. 

We don’t know why the pit seemed a good idea but when a caravan of traveling merchants came by, it was his brother Judah who proposed the idea to sell Joseph to these traders to be rid of him once and for all.  Even if they had no idea what would become of Joseph, they had to know that they were about to break their father’s heart.  But they did it anyway.

Joseph had plenty to be angry and resentful about, and he had every reason to use his substantial power and influence to make his brothers pay for their crime against him.  For a time it looked as though he would have done that very thing but, as the saying goes, all’s well that ends well!  It wasn’t “fate”, however, that turned the tables; it was Joseph’s unflinching faith!

There are a couple of things for us to bear in mind in reading this passage.  First is to listen to Joseph as he testifies it was The Lord who sold him rather than his brothers; second is to hear Joseph reveal why this thing had been done: “God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth” (45:7).  This “remnant” is important for the sake of the Covenant The Lord had long before made with Abraham.  The “remnant” would keep the Promise alive.

Let us also consider, however, that it was not The Lord who threw Joseph into the pit and it was not The Lord who sold Joseph into slavery; it was his brothers who did this horrible thing and lied to their father about Joseph’s fate.  It was The Lord who turned the story around by way of one agent – Joseph – who refused to submit to the dominant culture, who refused to renounce his faith, who refused to give up hope!

We know there are those who have learned to resent The Father because life has been unfair to them.  Things have not worked out the way they had hoped or intended, so it must be God’s fault in directly causing the harm, or God’s non-existence or unwillingness to intervene for His “favored”.  Either way we slice it, The Lord takes a pretty big hit.  And because He is not physically present to sit down with us to help us to work through whatever it is, it becomes easier still to blame Him for all the misfortune in our lives.

We must always bear in mind this kind of “genie-god” only exists on the lips of some certain TV preachers whose end game is money, not making disciples.  Even in the early centuries of the church’s history when there were conflicts about the nature of God and the very being of Jesus, there was no “prosperity gospel” that offered material wealth and perpetual happiness in exchange for real faith.

But because we have learned to make this God into our own image and discovering it does not quite work that way, we develop the very angry and bitter heart which not only defines us but also defiles us, as Jesus points out.  We might like to believe we have every right and reason to be angry and bitter, and there are some worldly (even Christian) remnants that would tell us it’s ok, but Jesus also points out that when the blind follows the blind, both will nevertheless fall into the same pit (Matthew 15:14).  In other words, our anger and bitterness may be understandable under certain circumstances, but it is never ok.

This is important for us to understand because even though we might like to believe someone else is at fault for whatever misery may befall us and should pay the price, the reality is if we follow a narrative that goes along with what we’ve already made up our minds about, the fault will have to be shared – by the “blind guides” as well as the blind who follow them.

A lot has been written about what happened in Charlottesville VA last weekend, but most of what I’ve read so far is trying to create an exclusive narrative of racism and our legitimate need to confront this particular evil.  I do not suggest racism does not exist and did not play a part; but when the dust settled and a young woman lay dead, it became extremely difficult to confine the narrative to a single issue – unless that issue is ultimately hatred borne of a lack of hope – spawned by defiled hearts and brought about by profound spiritual blindness and a perverse need to be defensive.

The very essence of the character of the Holy Church is our mission to make disciples.  In the name of “social justice”, however, we seem unconcerned with making disciples and more concerned with identifying enemies.  The manner in which we conduct ourselves while angrily shouting in the streets or cursing the president or ANTIFA or white supremacists on social media reveals we are doing the very thing Jesus warns us against.  While cursing those whom we seem to believe are already defiled, we ourselves become defiled.

It has long been said Christians are better known for what we stand against rather than what we stand for.  Can we really stand with anarchists toward the same cause?  By being anti-racist, are we being pro-Gospel?  How is fighting by any means promoting the Good News of The Lord and making disciples?  As if we have even a right to be angry and bitter as Joseph truly did.

So many on both sides of this culture war are claiming to be angry and bitter and resentful for what has been heaped on us, but where can we show direct harm and, ultimately, direct offense?  Unlike Joseph, we have not been thrown into a pit or sold off against our will – by our own siblings, no less!! - and yet we seem eager to freely jump into the pit of defilement rather than to offer to help someone out of that pit.

Our cause is Christ, the Eternal Word which became flesh.  Our cause is the Good News that speaks to the Hope we share in our redemption and adoption.  Our curse, however, comes upon us when we choose to “return evil for evil” as our Lord prohibits instead of “praying for our enemies” as our Lord commands His followers.  Our false bravado impresses only the weak-minded who are equally ignorant of what our Lord expects and demands of all who are baptized into His Covenant.

So if we live in hope rather than to dwell in darkness, we can expect to be like Joseph.  Through the ashes of our despair and refusing to become defiled and defined by our circumstances but trusting fully in The Lord and His Word, we can be sure we will be raised up! 

Sooner or later The Lord will save His people – but only those who play by His Rules and not by the rules of this self-destructive culture.  “The Lord is near to the broken-hearted, and saves the crushed in spirit.  Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but The Lord rescues them from [all those afflictions]” (Psalm 34:18-19).

Trust in this, dear friends, and He will deliver us from our own anger and afflictions.  Believe and live into this assurance, and we will also be looking down on our enemies who tried to crush us.  But let it come in The Lord’s time and not our own, for it will come soon enough.  Amen.