Righteousness

Scripture            Matthew 1:18-25   
Focus Verse        Matthew 1:19
Joseph, being a righteous man was unwilling to expose Mary to public disgrace …

Let’s take a moment to imagine, like Joseph, we have no knowledge of God’s plan.  Let all of the emotions that Joseph must have had, believing that Mary had betrayed him, arise:  disbelief, anger, pain, fear, shame, shock just to name a few.  Joseph, even with all of those emotions, being a righteous man, has mercy and compassion toward Mary, and resolves to end their betrothal without publicly humiliating her and putting her in danger of death by law.

Righteousness, translated from the Greek word, dikaiosune, has been defined as being in a “right relationship with God.”  Just like Mary, Joseph was chosen because of his relationship with God, one in which he was sensitive to God’s movements, one who acted with grace in the most difficult of situations.   

Reflection:  If you were in Joseph’s shoes, without knowing God’s plan, what feelings would you have had toward Mary?  What would you have done?  What are the signs in your life when you are in right relationship with God?  How does being in right relationship with God bring out the best in us?

There is a stanza in the song, "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear," that has a haunting quality that underscores the sense of pain and confusion that sometimes come into our lives.  When I hear this arrangement by Shane (Barnard) and Shane (Everett) and let these words sink into my soul: "beneath life’s crushing load," I can feel the painful steps that Joseph walks before the angel comes to him. Life happens every day, and it is only our relationship with God that holds us up on some of those days as we "rest beside the weary road."  If music is a spiritual path for you, listen with the ears of your heart to the words written in 1849 by Edmund Sears whose context was the social strife and division in our country that preceded the civil war. 

Prayer: Breathing “The Jesus Prayer”       
Breathing in … Lord Jesus Christ
Breathing out … Have mercy
*pray by breathing this prayer repetitively until the prayer prays you. You’ll know the prayer is praying you when the words come to you at random times in random places.  You will simply feel the words on your lips, in sync with your breathing.  And you have begun the process of praying unceasingly through the power of the Holy Spirit! For more information about praying The Jesus Prayer, an ancient prayer form from the days of early Christian History, practiced by the Desert Mothers and Fathers, take this LINK ...

Genesis Roots: Joseph Forgives his Brothers and Invites the Whole Family to Live Near Him in Egypt!

We finish up my summer lectionary series called "Genesis Roots."  The word genesis means origin, beginning, or birth.  Root, in the context in which I'm writing, means essential core or source of life. In a way, the roots of the story of monotheistic faith rest in the stories we find in Genesis. 

 

This is the last week of Genesis Roots.  We close with an amazing story of forgiveness that mirrors God's mercy and grace.  Last week we read about how Jacob’s favored son, Joseph, was sold into slavery by his brothers.  His brothers then took Joseph’s bloody coat back to Jacob as evidence of his “death.”  Jacob grieved desperately.  Joseph walks with God and his strongest connection is through dreams. Through his dreams Joseph makes connections in Egypt and over the years he rises to power in Egypt.  During a time of famine in their land, Jacob sends his sons to Egypt to seek food.  We drop in on the reunion between Joseph and his brothers where we hear Joseph's sense of "providence" soften his heart ... all in God's plan.  

I invite you to spend a few moments preparing your heart to worship God as you engage with the text via Lectio Divina.  This week's reading is a little long for traditional lectio divina (10 verses is best) so we'll change it up a little as the passage unfolds.  But first, settle into a place of loving wonder within yourself with a simple  breath prayer.  Use this one or create your own.

Breathing in (who do you worship) ... God of Grace and Mercy

Breathing out (what do you desire)... Give me a Forgiving Heart

God of Joseph, as I read and pray with the holy text, illuminate my soul with kindness.  Give me a word to transform my life and fill me with joy.  In Christ, Amen.  

Step 1: Lectio … Reading

Read Genesis 45:1-15 slowly, 
and allow this tender story of forgiveness to unfold. 

Take it in and let your emotions guide you through. 

How do you feel about what you are reading?

Read the passage a 2^nd time, 
when you come upon a word or phrase 
that catches your attention, 
stop and focus on it. 

Sit with your word or phrase 
and let it marinate in your mind. 

Genesis 45:1-15 (NET)
Click here to read Original Lectio Version: The Voice Bible

Joseph was no longer able to control himself before all his attendants, so he cried out, “Make everyone go out from my presence!” No one remained with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. He wept loudly; the Egyptians heard it and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.
 

Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” His brothers could not answer him because they were dumbfounded before him. Joseph said to his brothers, “Come closer to me,” so they came near. Then he said, “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.  Now, do not be upset and do not be angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me ahead of you to preserve life! For these past two years there has been famine in the land and for five more years there will be neither plowing nor harvesting.  God sent me ahead of you to preserve you on the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.  So now, it is not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me an adviser to Pharaoh, lord over all his household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.  Now go up to my father quickly and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: “God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not delay!  You will live in the land of Goshen, and you will be near me—you, your children, your grandchildren, your flocks, your herds, and everything you have.  I will provide you with food there because there will be five more years of famine. Otherwise you would become poor—you, your household, and everyone who belongs to you.”’  You and my brother Benjamin can certainly see with your own eyes that I really am the one who speaks to you.  So tell my father about all my honor in Egypt and about everything you have seen. But bring my father down here quickly!”

 Then he threw himself on the neck of his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck.  He kissed all his brothers and wept over them. After this his brothers talked with him.

Step 2: Meditatio … Receiving

Continue to focus on your word or phrase or image.

Pay attention to the thoughts and feelings it has evoked.

What memories come to your mind?

Ask God to continue to speak to you.

Listen and watch for God’s Grace as you move through your day

Step 3: Oratio … Responding

Consider any desires that have been awakened by your prayer

Perhaps you have found an area of your life that needs attention

Perhaps a name has emerged, someone you need to forgive

Do not rush ... wait and listen as God forms your prayers and desires

Step 4: Contempatio … Resting

Allow your word, phrase or image to fall away ...

Allow yourself to rest in the silence ...    

  

If images are a pathway to God for you, you may want to pray while "gazing" upon this image."  Where does your gazing take you?

Joseph Forgives His Brothers, an illustration from a Bible card published by the Providence Lithograph Company, 1907, image in public domain via wikimedia commons

What better song for a story of deep forgiveness such that Joseph had for his brothers than Amazing Grace. And what better way to end our study on "Genesis Roots."  

In this passage, Joseph mirrors for me the way of Christ … so if music is a pathway to God for you, take this link to a performance of Amazing Grace by Celtic Woman. Enjoy!

Amen and Amen!

Genesis Roots: Joseph the Dreamer is sold into Slavery by his Brothers and Begins his Journey to Egypt

We continue my summer lectionary series called "Genesis Roots."  The word genesis means origin, beginning, or birth.  Root, in the context in which I'm writing, means essential core or source of life. In a way, the roots of the story of monotheistic faith rest in the stories we find in Genesis. 

Our last 2 weeks with my Genesis Roots summer series, and we journey with Joseph, the favored son of Jacob (Israel) and Rachel, his beloved.   Jacob was a trickster who learned his passive aggressive ways from his mom, Rebecca.  He married a woman just like her but it seems to me that Rachel died before passing along those ways to their son, Joseph.  He is a sensitive dreamer and perhaps a little idealistic.  He may also be a bit of a tattle-tale on his older brothers!  Read Genesis 37:1-4 (NET) and consider the source of Joseph's brothers feelings toward him, feelings that he will seem relatively oblivious to as the story unfolds. 

But Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, in the land of Canaan.  This is the account of Jacob.  Joseph, his seventeen-year-old son, was taking care of the flocks with his brothers. Now he was a youngster working with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. Joseph brought back a bad report about them to their father.  Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons because he was a son born to him late in life, and he made a special tunic for him.  When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated Joseph and were not able to speak to him kindly.

I invite you to spend a few moments preparing your heart to worship God as you engage with the text via Lectio Divina.  This week's reading is a little long for traditional lectio divina (10 verses is best) so we'll change it up a little as the passage unfolds.  But first, settle into a place of loving wonder within yourself with a simple  breath prayer.  Use this one or create your own.

Breathing in (who do you worship) ... Spirit of Amazing Dreams
Breathing out (what do you desire) ... Spin me a Vision Divine

God of Joseph, as I read and pray with the holy text, illuminate my soul with wisdom.  Give me a word to take with me as my dreams unfold.  In Christ, Amen.  

Step 1: Lectio … Reading

Read Genesis 37:12-28 (NET) slowly, and allow the entire story to unfold in all of its horror. 

Take it in and let your emotions guide you through. 

How do you feel about what you are reading?

Read the passage a 2^nd time and when you come upon a word or phrase that catches your attention, stop and focus on it. 

Sit with your word or phrase and let it marinate in your mind. 

Click here to read in original Lectio Version: The VOICE Bible

When his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem, Israel said to Joseph, “Your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I will send you to them.” “I’m ready,” Joseph replied. 14 So Jacob said to him, “Go now and check on the welfare of your brothers and of the flocks, and bring me word.” So Jacob sent him from the valley of Hebron.

When Joseph reached Shechem, a man found him wandering in the field, so the man asked him, “What are you looking for?” He replied, “I’m looking for my brothers. Please tell me where they are grazing their flocks.” The man said, “They left this area, for I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

Now Joseph’s brothers saw him from a distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.  They said to one another, “Here comes this master of dreams!  Come now, let’s kill him, throw him into one of the cisterns, and then say that a wild animal ate him. Then we’ll see how his dreams turn out!”

When Reuben heard this, he rescued Joseph from their hands, saying, “Let’s not take his life!”  Reuben continued, “Don’t shed blood! Throw him into this cistern that is here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” (Reuben said this so he could rescue Joseph from them and take him back to his father.)

When Joseph reached his brothers, they stripped him of his tunic, the special tunic that he wore.  Then they took him and threw him into the cistern. (Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it.)

When they sat down to eat their food, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh down to Egypt.  Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?  Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let’s not lay a hand on him, for after all, he is our brother, our own flesh.” His brothers agreed. So when the Midianite merchants passed by, Joseph’s brothers pulled him out of the cistern and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The Ishmaelites then took Joseph to Egypt.

Step 2: Meditatio … Receiving

Continue to focus on your word or phrase or image.

Pay attention to the thoughts and feelings it has evoked.

What memories come to your mind?

Ask God to continue to speak to you.

Listen and watch for God’s presence as you move through your day

Step 3: Oratio … Responding

Consider any desires that have been awakened by your prayer

Perhaps you have found an area of your life that needs attention

Do not rush ... wait and listen as God forms your prayers and desires

Step 4: Contempatio … Resting

Allow your word, phrase or image to fall away ...

Allow yourself to rest in the silence ...    

  

If images are a pathway to God for you, you may want to pray while "gazing" upon this image."  Where does your gazing take you?

Ink and Pigment on Parchment:  Jacob Sends Joseph to his Brother, circa 1250 by
William de Brailes in Public Domain (at Walters Art Museum) wikimedia commons

It may be a little "un"orthodox, but if music is a pathway to God for you, you might take this link to Dreamweaver, a song by Gary Wright from his 1975 album entitled "The Dreamweaver."  

Can't you just hear Joseph crying out from the pit ...

Ooh Dream Weaver
I believe you can get me through the night ... Amen