Worship Service – February 20, 2022

Genesis 45:1-11

Joseph Makes Himself Known

(1) Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!” So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. (2) And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.

(3)Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence.

(4)Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! (5) And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. (6) For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. (7) But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

(8) So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. (9)Now hurry back to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don’t delay. (10) You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me-you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have. (11) I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.’

(12) You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that it is really I who am speaking to you. (13) Tell my father about all the honor accorded me in Egypt and about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly.”

(14) Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin embraced him, weeping. (15) And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Afterward his brothers talked with him.

Luke 6:27-38

Love for Enemies

(27) “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, (28) bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. (29) If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. (30) Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. (31) Do to others as you would have them do to you.

(32) “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. (33) And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. (34) And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full. (35) But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. (36) Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

(37) “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. (38) Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

This is the word of God, for the people of God. Thanks be to God.

I am often uncomfortable when someone tells me they love me. I am not talking about an honest affirmation, but about a critic who has just taken my hide off and concludes the shellacking with an account of their godly affection. They’ll say something like “ Joe, you’re a rotten, no good, ignorant so and so, but I want you to know that, because I’m a Christian, I love you.” If I’m truthful, I’ll think to myself, “thanks just the same, but I’d rather be despised.”

There are times occasionally, when someone, that I have a difficult time loving will cross my path. If I’m honest, I’ll admit I would be just as happy if they dropped off the face of the earth. But I refuse to verbalize it or describe how my Christian love extends even to them. Will Rogers may never have met a man he didn’t like, but the rest of us know that somewhere along the line we have all run into people we flat-out detest. At least I have.

The gospel lesson today is a continuation of Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain. It’s plain talk. Tough talk and hard to listen to talk. We come today to one of his most difficult teaching’s. Our lesson today is what sets apart the Christian faith from other religious perspectives. And at the end of the day, it defines the core of Christian ethics.

“Love your enemies,” Jesus says. “Do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Can we really love our enemies? If not, why did Jesus lay on us this impossible demand? If this teaching troubles you, fear not, you are not the first to back away from this bit of divine fire.

In our Old Testament reading today, I like the story of Joseph, not because I have the same name, or maybe that’s part of it, but because it has a lot of similarities to the family I grew up in and particularly its outcome.

We both come from large families. I grew up with 5 brothers, each trying to find their own identity and all the trials and teasing that comes with so much testosterone in one house of boys. I was often accused of being the one that my father loved most. Probably because I was the son who did the least amount of complaining when my father would ask for help, in any task that required a little pain.

Joseph, the son of Israel (Jacob) and Rachel, lived in the land of Canaan with 11 brothers and one sister. He was Rachel’s firstborn and Jacob’s eleventh son. Of all the sons, we’re told, Joseph was loved by his father the most.

Do you know the story of Joseph? Let’s do a short recap of his life as recorded in Genesis 37:2–50:26.

Joseph is the favored one. The older brothers say, “Dad always liked you best.” In this case it was true. The brothers go out and fake Joseph’s death. They bring back some bloodied clothes and say to their father, “He is dead.” In actuality they have sold him into slavery in Egypt. Time passes. Famine comes to Israel. These brothers are forced to go to Egypt and ask the king for food. Traditionally, the king has been their enemy. Can you imagine the drama of that moment when they get close enough to recognize and see their brother? The excitement of the moment and then they’re guilt must’ve swept over them. There probably was an exchange of words and in 45:8 we read; Joseph said to them: ”it was not you who sent me here, but God.” I don’t believe at that time, that feeling of remorse and the forgiveness Joseph expressed took root. Because at the end of the story of Joseph, in Genesis 50:15 we read:”When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, what if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?” Again Joseph reassures them with these most important words. Joseph looks upon them with the eyes of forgiveness and says, “Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me , but God intended it for good.” (Genesis 50:19b-20a)

You see, the noblest revenge is to forgive your enemy, and it’s perhaps the last of the lessons that we learn from Jesus. Luke records for us Jesus words as he hung on the cross. “Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).

The words of Jesus that we would like to duck most are the ones in front of us, the ones about forgiving enemies. They are so difficult.

April and her grandmother, a very forgiving and religious soul, were sitting on their porch discussing a member of the family. “He’s just no good,” April said. “He’s completely untrustworthy, not to mention lazy.”

“Yes, he’s bad,” the grandmother said as she rocked back and forth in her rocker, “but Jesus loves him.”

“I’m not so sure of that,” April persisted.

“Oh, yes,” assured the grandmother. “Jesus loves him.” She rocked and thought for a few more minutes and then added, “Of course, Jesus doesn’t know him like we do….” That’s probably the way Joseph’s brothers felt about their younger brother. Let’s take a closer look.

Joseph had a way of getting under their skin. It wasn’t all Joseph’s fault. His father, Jacob, favored him and gave him a coat of many colors. His ten brothers were furious when they saw Joseph walking around like a king in the coat. They accused Joseph of spying on them, to report back to their father.

To make matters worse Joseph dreamed that one day his brothers would bow down before him. It’s one thing to have such dreams, but another to tell your brothers or sisters about it. Joseph’s brothers had enough. They decided to get rid of this spoiled brat once and for all. They stripped Joseph of his beautiful robe and threw him in a deep pit, a dry well. It was their intention to leave him there to die.

But before too long a band of slave dealers appeared. One of the brothers persuaded the others to pull Joseph out of the pit and sell him as a slave. That way they would be rid of him and make a small profit besides. Then they told their father Jacob that a wild animal had attacked and killed Joseph. All that was left was his coat of many colors which they had found in a field. This news left Jacob grief-stricken. His favorite son was dead. Years passed, and the brothers continued with their lives, almost forgetting the terrible thing they had done to their brother. But nagging in the back of their minds, the guilt.

At first it appeared that Joseph would do all right in Egypt. He worked hard and his master trusted him. He was thrown into prison for an offense he didn’t commit, but Joseph continued to have dreams and gained a reputation for interpreting them.

Eventually he found himself in the Pharaoh’s service. A terrible famine spread throughout the land, and Joseph was in charge of storing and rationing grain. His position was second only to the Pharaoh’s. The famine worsened and spread to other nations, but Joseph’s plan saved many lives.

Then one day a group of Hebrews came in search of food. Joseph immediately recognized his brothers. They didn’t recognize him. Joseph didn’t reveal his identity. He chose to speak through an interpreter. He gave them the grain they desired, but accused them of being spies. He told them, they could prove they weren’t spies if they returned with their youngest brother.

The men returned and had their youngest brother, Benjamin, with them. They still didn’t know that Joseph, whom they sold into slavery, was standing before them. Joseph played another trick on them, placing his favorite silver cup in Benjamin’s sack without their knowing.

Upon inspection, before their return home, they were told Benjamin would now have to stay in Egypt. Remembering their past mistakes, the brothers pleaded with Joseph telling him that if they returned without their youngest brother it would kill their father. Each brother said that he would stay in Egypt as a slave if Benjamin was allowed to return home.

That brings us to our reading today. Joseph called his brothers closer. This was the moment of truth; there would be no more tricks. “I am your brother, Joseph,” he said, “whom you sold into Egypt.” The brothers were shocked. They stepped back, fearing the worst. Then Joseph spoke one of the most profound and one of the most faith-filled statements in all the Scripture: “Do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here for God sent me before you to preserve life.”

How was Joseph able to forgive his brothers? That’s the question Jesus answers for us in his plain talk on loving our enemies. Joseph was able to forgive his brothers, first of all, because he trusted God. He believed God was with him.

Even in times of great uncertainty, in times of questioning and in times of struggle, God’s hand can be felt in our lives.

It was a moment of faith and maturity for Joseph when he told his brothers, “God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth…” Joseph was able to forgive his brothers because he trusted God.

If we are to love our enemies as Jesus taught, we are first of all to believe that, God is with us. Have the faith and maturity to trust in God. We who reside in this country should know this all to well. Isn’t that what is written on our currency in this country? “In God We Trust”.

I realize in our culture today, less often do we pay in cash, as in years past. And when we do we rarely take the time to really look at the money we use for purchasing or paying bills that statement,”In God We Trust” written on it.

It doesn’t say, “In Men We Trust” or “In The Government We Trust”. It says, “In God We Trust”. Our forefathers believed that, Joseph believed that, Jesus believe that! As Christians if we are to learn how to love our enemies we need to believe that. Only then can God’s hand be felt in our lives, and give us the strength and wisdom to love our enemies.

Joseph was also smart enough to realize, there comes a time when we must forgive and move on. It’s hard to forgive someone who has wronged us. It’s hard to forgive someone who meant evil against us. It’s hard to break with the past, but that’s exactly what Joseph did. Maybe Joseph wanted revenge when he was first sold into slavery. Maybe he thought of ways to get even with his brothers. But as years passed he saw God’s hand at work in his life and his anger began to subside.

All his buried thoughts and emotions surfaced the day his brothers stood before him. They came in desperate need of his help. Some suggest that in Joseph’s long conversations with his brothers, he was trying to decide what to do with them. Should he get even or should he forgive them? He was in a position of power. He could give them a taste of their own medicine and have them thrown into prison. At the end, though, his love for his brothers won out.

Joseph forgave his brothers for everything they had done to him as a youth. The brothers who were afraid of this powerful man who stood before them now embraced him as their long lost brother. “And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers talked with him.” The power of forgiveness works both ways. Joseph forgave the brothers for what they had done. The brothers forgave Joseph for being a spoiled brat.

Gandhi once said something that deserves our thought. “The weak,” he said, “can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”

Consider this lesson learned. A woman stood peeking out from behind the curtains. As the jogger passed her house, he recalled the hurt she had inflicted upon his mother. At one time she had been the matriarch of the congrega­tion. His memories of her were not fond. He recalled her wicked tongue and the way she used it to cut down others. He never forgot the day she used it against his mother making her cry. That inci­dent caused their family to leave the church where he had been baptized and confirmed. Here it was fifteen years later, and now all he saw was a picture of someone desperately needing to be loved. Praying for the ability to forgive her, he stopped and went to her door. The curtain quickly closed as he rang her doorbell. Hesi­tantly she cracked the door.

“Hello, Mrs. Ski. Do you remember me? I’m Marge’s son.” Her eyes widened in surprise as a note of recognition appeared. “I live in Arizona now, and I’m here on vacation. I saw you in the window and just wanted to stop and say hello. May I come in?” She hesitated and then opened the door and asked him in. “For­give, and you will be forgiven” Jesus tells us (Luke 6:37).

Seeing God’s hand in his life allowed Joseph the freedom to become a brother again. He forgave his brothers for what they had done to him years earlier. The family was restored.

It was an emotionally charged moment as he and his brothers embraced. Apparently Pharaoh was moved by the events between Joseph and his brothers as well. Pharaoh was pleased. The final piece of the puzzle was now in place. Pharaoh told Joseph, “Take your father and your households and come to me, so that I may give you the best of the land of Egypt.” They would not starve to death; instead they would have plenty of food, and they would prosper.

Joseph invited his brothers to come and live with him in Egypt. Joyfully they returned home to tell their father that Joseph was alive and in charge of the grain. The very best of Egypt would be theirs. What a beautiful, happy ending to a story brought about by the willingness of a brother to forgive.

Joseph trusted God. Joseph wouldn’t let past grievances spoil today’s opportunities. Even more important, he showed he trusted in God, by his willingness to forgive. That’s the message Jesus gave in the Sermon on the Plain, when he spoke of loving our enemies.

Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

So the next time you you feel hated or mistreated, abused or ripped off, remember the words from Jesus. “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:31). “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful”(Luke 6:36).

And as a reminder pay heed to the writing on the money in your pocket.

“In God We Trust.” Amen.

In His Service,

Pastor Joe

Listen To Audio: Sermon 20220220

Listen To Audio: Service 02202022

Prayer of Confession:   Mighty and Loving God, we confess that we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves.  We seek our own way.  In your mercy, cleanse us and heal us.  Let the words of our mouths, the thoughts of our hearts, and everything that we do be filled with faith, hope, and love. Amen.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

Pastor Joe will be available at the church on Thursday afternoon from 2 to 4.  If you need to speak to him, contact Pastor Joe at570-267-4570 (cell) or Email: joe.s.travis@gmail.com

Loose change goes to Kenya/Rev. Malaho

Sunday School starts at 8:30am

Choir practice will be on Thursday at 1:00! Please come a join us in singing praises to Jesus! 

Newsletter Deadline – Tuesday, March 1st, 2022.

February 27th, 2022 Transfiguration of Our Lord

Ash Wednesday, March 2nd, begins The Season of Lent

Presbyterian Women will meet on Thursday, March 10^th for

Cleaning the Community Building 10-11am and meeting 11 to 1.

Listen to WPEL 96.5 for church cancellation if your internet is down during a storm this winter.