Proper 14A’26
9 August 2026
Genesis 37.1-4, 12-18
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
North Little Rock, Arkansas
The Rev. Carey Stone <+>
Give thanks to the Lord, and call upon his Name; make known his deeds among the people. Amen.
– from Psalm 105
How many here today have ever attended a Vacation Bible School? Something many of us have in common. What was it that fueled those memorable summer experiences besides lots of Kool-Aid, popsicles and dedicated volunteers? Great bible stories from the Old Testament! Featuring Noah and the Flood, The Creation story, Moses and the 10 commandments, Ester’s bravery, and in those heroes and heroines from the New Testament Peter who walked on water, Mary Magdalene and the first witness and evangelist of the resurrection, just name a few. Besides having some cool storylines, and with props like arks, chariots and slingshots these stories tell us the deeper truths about ourselves as human beings and the fuller divinity of God.
In today’s reading from the Old Testament, we meet another biblical character from the Hall of Faith, Joseph. His story makes us listeners feel a little bit better about ourselves because he and his family definitely put the “fun” in dys”fun”ctional. He’s the next to last of 12 brothers, so not quite the baby of the family but almost – there were ten older brothers. As we would say “he was spoiled rotten” by his dad who played favorites with Joseph definitely being his favorite. The first prop in the story that’s introduced is a handmade 17th birthday present, a coat made of varied and brightly colored cloth. Dyes for dyeing cloth was very expensive – so this gift was an extravagant over display of his dad Jacob’s favoritism. As in all families that set Joseph up for some delicious mischief, and bragging but also a heap of hate from his brothers, and ensuing sibling rivalry. Besides gifting the coat, Jacob also used his son Joseph as his eyes and ears; to spy on his brothers to make sure they were doing good and honest work out in the fields as shepherds. On several occasions he tattled on his brothers and got them in trouble with their dad. This 17-year-old spoiled brat who wasn’t doing the hard work they were, had the audacity to tell Jacob that they weren’t really doing the work. He was also gifted with the ability to interpret dreams. He had two dreams that would later prove to be prophetic. The first was of 12 sheaves of wheat – one sheave stood up while the other sheaves bowed down to pay it homage. He told his brothers – their hatred increased. The second was similar the planets, sun, moon, and stars bowed down to him.” He of course couldn’t wait to share these dreams of exaltation to his brothers. Joseph sprinkles some narcissism into the pot and stirs it. In the words of the Rev. Andy Jackson, “I don’t b’lieve I’da told that!”
The brothers were so disgusted that they were ready to kill him; and were about to, but the oldest of Jacob’s sons, Reuben, said that they should not kill their own flesh and blood. He suggested they throw him into a pit, get the coat of many colors, dip it in blood and take it to their father Jacob and tell him that Joseph had been killed by wild animals. Lots of deception and trickery in this family, but God was with Joseph in the pit.
Isn’t it good to know that God is with us when life is the pits? But I digress.
A caravan of slave traders was seen coming in the distance and another of Joseph’s brothers, Judah said, “Hey why don’t we turn a profit and sell Joseph off as a slave. They do, for 20 pieces of silver, and he is taken to Egypt where he is purchased by Potiphar, the high official of the Pharoah. The brothers return home to Jacob bearing the bloody coat, Jacob wails, mourns and tears his clothes as a sign of intense suffering and grief. Jacob, the one who tricked his father into giving him Esau’s blessing, is now tricked in the cruelest way to believe that his pride and joy is dead – what goes around comes around.
But God was with Joseph, how fortunate to be placed in the highest commander just under the Great Pharoah. He intended to do his job, and stay out of trouble but Potiphar’s wife had other plans, who multiple times attempts to seduce him. Finally, one day, in desperation she grabs his cloak and Joseph makes a run for it leaving his cloak in her clutches, giving her material evidence to show her husband, who gets enraged, arrests Joseph and throws him into prison – but God was with Joseph. “Some ruler you are, hunh Joseph? What about your dreams now?” As the taunts of his older brothers filled his mind. But God was with Joseph.
While in prison he is able to put to use his god given gift of dream interpretation. Pharoah had become offended by the c chief cupbearer and the chief baker and he threw them into prison where Joseph was being held. They both had dreams on that first night. The next morning Joseph asks them what’s wrong they tell him about having troubling dreams. Joseph, gives credit to God for the interpretation and asks them to tell him their dreams. The cupbearer dreams that 3 vines spring up, bud, and they turn into clusters of grapes, which cupbearer squeezes their juice into the cup. Joseph interpreted by saying the three vines are three days and after them the Pharoah will lift you up and restore you to your previous position. Both prisoners like the sound of it. So, the baker tells joseph his dream: I had three baskets of baked goods for Pharoah, but the birds were eating them out of the top basket. Joseph said, the three baskets are three days, and after three days the Pharoah will lift you up and lift off your head! His interpretations proved correct. In three days, the cupbearer was restored and the baker met his maker. He had told both of them to remember his good deed when they got back to the palace. At such time the cupbearer promptly forgot about Joseph’s comforting gift and Joseph continued his sentence for another two years – but God was with Joseph.
Then one night the Pharoah has two troubling dreams with some similarities. In the first dream there are seven healthy cows that come up out of the Nile, followed by seven thin and unhealthy cows come up from the Nile and devour the healthy cows. The dream ended. He fell back asleep and the second dream consisted of seven healthy stalks of corn followed by seven blighted stalks of corn spring up and devour the healthy stalks of grain and the dream ended. Here we will put a comma on the story and next week we will learn what happens. Will anyone be able to interpret Pharoah’s dreams? What will happen to Joseph? But before we go what are some of the elements of the story? God’s promise of a bright future for Joseph revealed in his dreams. There are dreams, family dysfunction, parental favoritism, sibling rival, betrayal, hatred, imprisonment, seduction, and somehow, and a teaser for next week – God’s awesome plan to save a man and save two countries from starvation. To be continued next week
Danish philosopher Soren Kirkegaard clearly understood that hindsight is 20/20 when he said,
“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.”