Narrative Lectionary Program Year – “God Works through Joseph'“
Genesis 37:3-8, 17b-22, 26-34; 50:15-21
Free Additional Resources for Study & Sermon Preparation
Fortúne Layraud: Joseph is Reunited with his Brothers (public domain)
Furthering the Power of God’s Story – Narrative Lectionary Commentary
by Daniel D. Maurer
Although I cannot comment from a Hebrew linguistic perspective, I have a fair bit of experience knowing what makes a good story. I’m the author of four different books geared towards teens, young adults and adults, including Papa Luther, made for kids & confirmation-age students. (Shameless, self-congratulatory promotion, I know.)
The Joseph cycle in Genesis garners its longevity in the world’s array of great works through intrigue, wit, and good literary structure. Beyond its structure, the real reason behind the story’s genius is the ancient author’s ability to create real, 3D characters, and in particular the main character, Joseph.
But we’ll come back to this in a bit. Let’s quickly explore the date and contextual setting when this story was (probably) written.
Generally most modern scholars attribute the Joseph story to one author, based on its literary comprehensive structure. The writing of the story itself is debated, but it’s certain that the author wrote it in a post-exilic milieu, that is, during or after the Persian era of Jewish history.
One reason why this fact is relevant is that the story would be seen less as a point of historical veracity and more as an expansive morality tale relating to one humungous theme revealed at the end of the story: that what happened to Joseph and his family, the brothers had intended for evil, but God intended for good.
The big parallel there is hard to miss! The exile was a bad thing, but God intended it for good.
Coming back to all the storytelling goodness, the story of Joseph is perhaps the number one story in the Hebrew Bible showing the emotional depth human beings are capable of. It’s hard to not cry yourself upon the reuniting of Joseph’s brothers and his family.
And that’s what makes the story so timeless and brilliant. It’s also why during the 20th century this story was so popular. It reads like a well-written novella. Twists and turns in the story gravitating towards its eventual climax make us wonder whether a time-traveling Hollywood genius actually wrote it!
Here’s the take for the story in today’s world and the real opportunity you have as a preacher. Within the slog and exhaustion of pandemic difficulties, ask yourself how God today might use this opportunity for good. Not that God caused the evil, but that the evil can be repurposed for good.
The Joseph story reminds us that the “now” is not forever, and that inevitable twists and turns are ahead of us. But God still is in control. God loves and cares for us. And that we will, one day, also be reunited with our families.
Scripture Reference Links
Genesis 37:3-8, 17b-22, 26-34; 50:15-21
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The following links and resources are not produced or maintained by Clergy Stuff. However, at the time of this posting, the links were active and considered to be good source material for proclamation for the text for this week. Please scroll down or click on the quick jump menu you find below. For more free worship resources & planning materials, please visit our links for RCL Worship Resources.
Historical Exegetical Resources
Navigating the Bible: Text/Rabbinic commentary and Divrei Torah.
Chapter IV of The First Epistle to the Corinthians, Clement of Rome (ca. 96).
Chapter X, Adversus Judaeos, Tertullian (c. 198)
Epistle LXVIII -- Cyprian of Carthage (c. 254)
Rashi's Commentary, c. 1075. chabad.org.
Commentary on Genesis, John Calvin.
From the Geneva Notes.
Contemporary Resources
Exegetical Links
"The Favored Child," Stan Duncan, If You Lived Here You'd be Home by Now, 2014.
"Dysfunctional Families in the Purpose of God," Steve Godfrey, Church in the World, 2014.
"Death to the Tattletale!" John C. Holbert, Opening the Old Testament, 2014.
"Livin' the Dream," Alan Brehm, The Waking Dreamer, 2014.
Other Worthy References
Mysteries of the Nile website from PBS's Nova special. Features historical & archaeological information, panoramic virtual reality photos, and more.
"Joseph's Beautiful Coat," for children.
"Genesis 37 & 50 "Joseph Forgives his Brothers" Arches ‘n Bells (fun church plays)
Great Quotes
“In difficult times, do not get discouraged, seek divine grace.”
“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”
“There is no such thing as a “broken family.” Family is family, and is not determined by marriage certificates, divorce papers, and adoption documents. Families are made in the heart. The only time family becomes null is when those ties in the heart are cut. If you cut those ties, those people are not your family. If you make those ties, those people are your family. And if you hate those ties, those people will still be your family because whatever you hate will always be with you.”
Video Resources
For Children
Joseph The Dreamer - Bible For Kids – Joseph was seventeen (old enough to drive a car these days)...
Relevant for Our Context – “You’ll Get Through This” Max Lucado
Daily Devotional Feed
Free Dramatic Reading For This Text (NRSV)
Readers: Narrator, Joseph, Brothers, Israel, Man, Reuben, Judah
Narrator: Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he had made him a long robe with sleeves. 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. Once Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. He said to them,
Joseph: Listen to this dream that I dreamed. 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.
Narrator: His brothers said to him,
Brothers: Are you indeed to reign over us? Are you indeed to have dominion over us?
Narrator: So they hated him even more because of his dreams and his words.
Genesis 37:12-16 (not in today’s reading):
Narrator: Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near Shechem. And Israel said to Joseph,
Israel: Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.
Narrator: He answered,
Joseph: Here I am.
Narrator: So he said to him,
Israel: Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock; and bring word back to me.
Narrator: So he sent him from the valley of Hebron. He came to Shechem, and a man found him wandering in the fields; the man asked him,
Man: What are you seeking?
Joseph: I am seeking my brothers,
Narrator: he said;
Joseph: tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock.
Narrator: The man said,
Man: They have gone away, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’
Narrator: So Joseph went after his brothers, and found them at Dothan. They saw him from a distance, and before he came near to them, they conspired to kill him. They said to one another,
Brothers: Here comes this dreamer. 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.
Narrator: But when Reuben heard it, he delivered him out of their hands, saying,
Reuben: Let us not take his life.
Narrator: Reuben said to them,
Reuben: Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him —
Narrator: —that he might rescue him out of their hand and restore him to his father. Then Judah said to his brothers,
Judah: What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.
Narrator: And his brothers agreed. When some Midianite traders passed by, they drew Joseph up, lifting him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt. When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes. He returned to his brothers, and said,
Reuben: The boy is gone; and I, where can I turn?
Narrator: Then they took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a goat, and dipped the robe in the blood. They had the long robe with sleeves taken to their father, and they said,
Brothers: This we have found; see now whether it is your son’s robe or not.
Narrator: He recognized it, and said,
Israel: It is my son’s robe! A wild animal has devoured him; Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.
Narrator: Then Jacob tore his garments, and put sackcloth on his loins, and mourned for his son many days. [Many years passed, and Israel died an old man.] Realizing that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers said,
Brother: What if Joseph still bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong that we did to him?
Narrator: So they approached Joseph, saying,
Brothers: Your father gave this instruction before he died, ‘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.
Narrator: Joseph wept when they spoke to him. Then his brothers also wept, fell down before him, and said,
Brothers: We are here as your slaves.
Narrator: But Joseph said to them,
Joseph: Do not be afraid! Am I in the place of God? Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today. So have no fear; I myself will provide for you and your little ones.
Narrator: In this way he reassured them, speaking kindly to them.