DAY 18

DOING GOOD –DOING GOD’S WILL

Genesis 43, 44 & 45 and Matthew 12:24-50

My parents raised me to try and do what was right and to “do good.” It certainly is opposite of the theory that “whoever dies with the most toys wins.”  

Genesis 43-45 chronicles the reunion of the brothers. My first thought is the amount of space the narrative is given in Genesis. Joseph’s story, and the story of the twelve, is an important narrative in Israel’s history.

Rather than retell the story, I will simply share a few observations. Joseph’s desire to be reconciled to his family and to help them is apparent. I am left wondering though if his actions in chapter 44 will not plant of seed of worry in his brothers’ minds. After all he has been through you might find my comment a little critical. In next few chapters though you will note his brothers never quite believing all is OK. It is hard to believe you are really forgiven.

Having said that, the thrust of this story is the good man Joseph doing a good thing for his family: he has the power to save them and he does. I don’t understand the gyrations that Joseph is going through, but certainly he is doing an amazingly good thing. In verse 45:7 we see Joseph’s opinion, “For God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant.” All that had been done to him; the well, jail, and more, all of it his sees through God’s plan. It is why he forgives, because he sees that all of this is God’s Will.

Matthew 12:24 begins in the middle of an episode that we started reading yesterday. The Pharisees are on the scene more now than in the past. They are challenging Jesus. He is doing “good things” but they are confused and threatened by them. When you are confused and threatened one reaction is to challenge. Jesus gives a long answer. He draws on the Holy Spirit and He also asks them to use some common sense. He essentially asks, “Is what I am doing good? Because good cannot come out of evil.”

Perhaps the most puzzling part of the reading (if you are able to accept Jesus doing miracles) is his reaction to his family. In the Old Testament we have just read about a family reunion. Here we read about Jesus stating that his family, his brothers and sisters, are those who do the Will of his Father. Most of us read this having put ourselves in the shoes of his family, and we think “ouch!” that hurt.

Does Jesus not love his family? Of course he does. The point however is that as Messiah Jesus, he is Savior for all. Later we will read that we all can be adopted into his family. This bit of text reminds of an earlier post about “looking both ways.” From his biological family’s point of view this seems harsh, but from His it seems perfectly logical.

Inviting us to be a part of His family is the ultimate good He does, and He does it by going the way of the Cross. It is the Cross that will destroy everything that stands in the way of our coming home to our heavenly Father.

Doing Good, Jesus challenges all who look at him. He basically says, “Go ahead and test what I do.” In other words it is OK to examine Jesus’ life; his teaching and all that he has done, and then decide do you accept who he says he is? Isn’t that what we have been inherently doing as we read Joseph’s story. We shake our heads at the brash teenager bragging about his dreams, we cringe at him being thrown into a well and sold into slavery, we cry “unfair” as he lands in jail…yet through it all we are looking at him. We are evaluating how he is behaving. It is what we have done with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It is why we have struggled with them.

More than trying to impress others, or develop a good reputation, doing good is God’s Will. Not to earn his love, but to live into the image we are created in. The story of Joseph can be our story. The path of Jesus is to be our path – after all He says, “follow me.”