Author: lakewooducc

“But God was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love; God gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer. The chief jailer committed to Joseph’s care all the prisoners who were in the prison, and whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. The chief jailer paid no heed to anything that was in Joseph’s care. . .” Genesis 39:21-23a, NRSV, adapted

Here is Joseph, in jail unjustly, and does he whine? Does he complain? Does he behave in a difficult manner? Does he sulk? Does he fume? We aren’t told of anything like that. We are told that he was the model prisoner. And the jailer entrusted to Joseph the care of the other prisoners. Even in jail, Joseph is responsible, reliable, and compassionate. He can be trusted.

We are told that this is so because God is with Joseph. God showed Joseph steadfast love. That enabled Joseph to accept his circumstances with equanimity and to wait patiently for whatever would come next. Not only does Joseph accept being in jail when he was framed but he helps the others who are there. He finds a way to serve.

God’s love is always with each and every one of us whether or not we can see it. And that love seeks expression. Whatever our circumstances, whatever misfortune befalls us, there is always some way that we can express the love of God. There is always a way for the love of God to flow through us. There is always a need that we can respond to with God’s love. Evidently, the way the story is told, God needed Joseph in that prison. He shouldn’t be there. He is there unjustly. But since he is there, God can use him.

And that service not only ministers to the prisoners and to the jailer, but it sustains Joseph. He is needed. He has a purpose. He can help the other prisoners. He can exercise his power, limited though it may be. This gives him dignity. This helps to prevent his spiraling into self pity. This gives him constructive purpose. This reinforces his self worth. Helping the jailer and serving the other prisoners gets Joseph through the dark days of his unjust imprisonment.

When we are going through dark days, this is a time to think about how we can shine the light of God for someone else. That helps the other person, and it will help us.

Prayer
Divine love continuously seeks to sustain us. May we accept that love by sharing it where it is needed. Amen.

“When Potiphar’s wife saw that Joseph had left his garment in her hand and had fled outside, she called out to the members of her household and said to them, ‘See, my husband has brought among us a Hebrew to insult us! He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice, and when he heard me raise my voice and cry out, he left his garment beside me, and fled outside.’” Genesis 39:13-18 NRSV

Framed. Falsely accused. The scapegoat. The innocent victim. Joseph has been falsely accused of attempted rape by the wife of his master. Cleary, he has no power. His word is worthless. The deck is completely stacked against him. The other servants cannot risk standing up for him. He has no hope of his truth being believed. Or justice being done. And, yes, he ends up in jail as a result of his master’s rage.

Not only is this story reminiscent of stories we hear from the days of slavery in the United States, but it still echoes truth today. Many women today still don’t bother to report sexual assault or rape because they know there will be a difficult investigation and very likely no conviction. So, why bother?

But victimhood doesn’t end there. I remember our older son being punished in third grade for something that he did not do. He accepted the punishment. I asked him why he had not explained to the teacher what had actually happened. He told me, “At school, they start with the assumption that the students are lying.” So, why bother defending yourself with the truth? He simply took the punishment.

So many people today are in the position of Joseph. Framed. Taken advantage of. Victimized. Here’s a ready, willing, impoverished labor pool. We’ll get them to work in the mines. Or the factories. Or the fields. With no rights. No protections. No unions. And minimal pay. That sure sounds like a set up, doesn’t it? Inner cities wracked with despair, we’ll give them crack and other drugs, and then arrest them and keep the privately run prisons filled so the prison/industrial complex gets rich and lines the pockets of the politicians. Another set up. A problem at work? Your superior lies about what happened. You know they won’t believe you, at the bottom. There’s nothing you can do. People are being lied to, lied about, taken advantage of, used, and abused each and every day. Some of it is in the domestic sphere. Some in the corporate sphere. Also even in the political/governmental sphere in some places. Innocent victims. With no where to turn. Powerless. Given no fair chance and with no opportunity for the truth to be heard.

And there are those who get away with it. And know that they will get away with it. They can count on it. Because they are rich and money talks.

In the story of Joseph, he eventually does get out of jail. And his position and reputation are restored. But that is rare today, isn’t it?

Prayer
It’s easy to ignore innocent victims with no voice and no power. May we look for those who are suffering injustice and lend our voices. May we speak out for those who cannot speak or who will not be heard. May we voice God’s cry for justice in this precious world. Amen.

And although Potiphar’s wife spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not consent to lie beside her or to be with her. One day, however, when he went into the house to do his work, and while no one else was in the house, she caught hold of his garment, saying, ‘Lie with me!’ But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside. Genesis 39: 10-12

Well, this story definitely reminds us that inappropriate sexual behavior is nothing new. Infidelity is nothing new. Power expressed through sexual advances is nothing new. Rape, of men and women, is nothing new. Being a victim of sexual assault is nothing new. How sad that we have not overcome these harmful behaviors.

Sexual messages assault us daily. Be sexy. Expect sexy. Clothes. Make up. Muscles. Surgical nips and tucks and more are all about our being more attractive to a potential sexual partner. Evolutionarily, it’s as if we were dying out and seeking ways to increase our procreation to save the species. This, when the very opposite is true.

In one way, it seems like we put too much emphasis on sex because we are apathetic about it and trying to make it a bigger deal because we think it should be a bigger deal. People are apathetic. About social issues. About personal relationships. Easier to live through the screen and not invest yourself in your “real” life. People are distracted. Too much going on. Too tired. Too busy working. No energy for sex. People are afraid of intimacy – emotional and physical. So they ignore sex. But then they realize, I should be paying attention to this, and express that interest inappropriately.

On the other hand, sexual attraction is very powerful. We should expect it to be powerful. And we should moderate our behavior accordingly. We need to learn to recognize our feelings and our desires and deal with them in ways that have integrity and are honest and not harmful to ourselves or others.

It is also worth noting that sex is a mystery. Why we are attracted to certain people? Why is there is that depth of feeling that craves physical expression? Why is there the bodily desire of such magnitude? The way sex works on us and what it does to us can be baffling. Though anthropologists and evolutionary scientists have explanations for our drives, there is still a dimension of inexplicable mystery.

And, as we have known for years, rape and sexual assault, are not about sex but about power. Conquering armies raping women is not about sex but power. The recent revelations about football players and domestic violence is certainly about power. Rape of men by men in prison is about power. Sex can be a tool for subjugation.

What was Potiphar’s wife’s agenda? Was she so attracted to Joseph? Was she bored with her husband? Were his long hours on security detail leaving her lonely? Was she jealous of Joseph’s rise to power in her household and wanting to put him in his place, this upstart foreigner? Whatever her motives, her behavior was unethical, immoral, and harmful.

What can we learn here? We need to pay attention to our sexuality: to what we are thinking and feeling. And then make decisions about our behavior that are consistent with our values, our beliefs, and our respect for ourselves and others.

Prayer
We have so many choices in this life. We want to make decisions about our sexual behavior that honor the sacredness of every human person. May we treat ourselves and others with respect. May we be true to our commitments and take delight in our loving relationships. Amen.

“Now Joseph was handsome and good-looking. And after a time his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said ‘Lie with me.’” Genesis 39:6b-7

Advertisements beckon to us all the time about how to be more beautiful, more attractive, more appealing in a romantic way. But that kind of allure can also cause problems. Apparently, Joseph is good looking. That’s on top of being competent and trustworthy and hard working. So, he has a lot going for him. But unfortunately, Joseph’s appeal is not lost on his owner’s wife.

Potiphar’s wife tries to seduce Joseph. Talk about a compromising situation. Potiphar is so pleased with Joseph and has given him much authority and responsibility in the household. Now Potiphar’s wife wants “work” from Joseph. This is a tough situation for Joseph. If he refuses the come-ons from Potiphar’s wife, she may become angry. She may influence her husband against Joseph. She could get him in trouble (which she later does). You don’t want to be on the wrong side of the boss’ spouse in any situation.

But Joseph does not want to betray his owner, his master, the one who has entrusted so much to him, namely, Potiphar. How could Joseph possibly do this? He sees it as a sin not only against Potiphar but also against God. What is he to do?

We, too, can find ourselves in these kinds of dilemmas. We are asked to do something dishonest at work. We know it is wrong, but if we don’t cooperate, we may be fired. If we are fired, where will the money come from for the mortgage, food, and healthcare? So what is worse – to do something dishonest at work or drag the family into poverty?

Maybe we are accused of doing something that we did not do. But to get out of it, we would have to divulge who did do it. This person may be a friend of ours. Then we are getting our friend in trouble. We don’t want to do that, either. What is the best option?

Jesus faced a similar dilemma in the story of his temptation in the wilderness. The devil offers him complete power over the realm. Think of the good Jesus could do with that power. All the people that could be helped. That kind of power would enable Jesus to do a lot of good and for many people. But to gain that power, Jesus must bow down and worship the Devil. Jesus will not do this. So he gives up the power that the devil is offering, that he could use for good.

If we have money, then we have to think about making it and spending it ethically. If we don’t have money, we have to think about how to provide for ourselves in ways that are legitimate and honest. Each situation presents its problems.

It is not always easy to sort out the best way to approach such dilemmas. Lent is a time for us to think about what kinds of compromises we are making. It is a time to reflect on our choices. It is a time to examine the consequences of our options. It is a time to sort out what is truly right even if it is not easy and leads to further complications.

Prayer

We want to do what it good and right and true. But is is not always easy. Doing the right thing can often cause problems just like doing the wrong thing. May we have the courage to face our choices with honesty and clarity. May we not just take the easy way out. Amen.