DAY 16

HARD ROADS

Genesis 39 & 40 and Matthew 11

In yesterday’s blog I suggested that we were at GO. That the story of Joseph was the beginning of an important story in the Bible…and it is. With me “teeing up” today in that manner you might have expected a wonderful story. Instead we start with a Joseph a faithful servant ending up in jail. Reading the Bible will hopefully get us to understand that God’s plan are not on easy streets paved with gold.

Genesis 39 is a story of standing in the face of temptation. This story of temptation takes place in a house where it says the Lord had blessed all that Joseph was over. It goes on to say that day after day (verse 10) Joseph was taunted by Potiphar’s wife. When she did not get what she wanted he ended up in jail. Consider for the moment what his situation would have been if gave in. It would not have been better. Maybe for awhile, but sooner or later it would have come undone, and the penalty for adultery is death. Death or jail? Not much of a choice. Not the way we would probably write the story if we were God. [Oh by the way, in verse 1 it says he was bought by the Egyptians from the Ishmaelites, i.e. Abraham’s son by Hagar.]

Genesis 40 just adds insult to injury. Joseph while in jail properly interprets two dreams, and the one person whose interpreted dream leads to his freedom promptly forgets Joseph. Our Old Testament readings for the day close with Joseph in jail.

Matthew 11 begins with someone in jail, John the Baptist (JB to his friends). We don’t get a glimpse into Joseph’s prison attitude, but we do into John’s. John is having a moment of doubt. His, JB’s, disciples are sent to ask Jesus, “Are you the one?” Jesus answers and then in verse 7 turns his attention to the crowds. It is to the crowds that the rest of Jesus’ remarks are addressed. He first challenges them as to why they went out to see JB, then he challenges them with regard to their reaction to him, even comparing the cities where he has performed miracles to the Sodom.

With my reading of the Gospel I am finding myself struck by how it seems too early in Matthew’s account for Jesus to be feeling this way. I have to remind myself of the “catch all” summaries that say Jesus went through every town and village and healed all. He has been for years.

Then in a moment of what seems to be strong emotion (the text says “At that time Jesus declared…”) we read those familiar words, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

We find it is not only Joseph and JB having a tough time, so is Jesus. The road for Jesus is not a gold plated easy street either. In fact, his will be the hardest, and we are called to follow, for while the road is hard, it is the best path. In other words, coming back to the beginning, we need to appreciate what "GO" really means for us.