Genesis 45:3-11, 15 1 Corinthians 15:35-38,42-50 Luke 6:27-38 Psalm 37:1-12, 41-42

Jesus said, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” [Luke 6:27b-28]

Jesus is speaking of transformation.  As in last week’s lesson, we are hearing the words of the Sermon on the Plain; the crowd remains seated in this level place, eye-to-eye with Jesus who is speaking to them of their shared poverty and hunger and earthly burdens.  Last week, we heard the dire warnings of allowing our desire for earthly prosperity to distract our sense of dependency on God. In our poverty and hunger, God is our central focus.  Woe to us if we come to believe that earthly wealth and joy are of our own making, or for that matter, are even relevant in our place within the Kingdom of God that is here now and is to come.

Discipleship, Jesus assures us, is costly.  Discipleship requires our continued central focus on God’s guidance, especially when confronted with the inevitable difficulties that tempt us away from the path.  Last week’s lesson provided the assurance that being hated, excluded, reviled, and defamed on account of our faith in Jesus Christ is, in fact, cause for rejoicing in anticipation of our heavenly reward.

As faithful disciples, focused on God’s guidance, Jesus is giving us instructions as to how we are to respond to those who treat us so harshly.  We read in the verses that follow last week’s verses that we are to love those whom we consider to be our enemies; we are to do good to those who hate us, bless those who curse us, and pray for those who abuse us. We are not to judge or condemn; we are to forgive.  These are truly tough tests of our discipleship.  Jesus’ power went out of him so that the sick within the crowd on the plain were healed and transformed into healthy disciples.  Just so, through the power of our faith in Jesus Christ, we can expect to be transformed, putting aside our hatred – God’s grace transforming our wounds into deeper faith – deeper commitment to God’s guidance – transforming our wounds through God’s restorative mercy directed toward those who have wounded us – healing and restoration, rather than our ongoing quest for retribution.

Likely, there is no better example of restorative relationship through God’s transforming mercy than that of Joseph and his older brothers about whom we read in our Old Testament lesson for today.

Recounting the history, Joseph was the younger of the two sons born to Jacob, Father Israel, by his most beloved second wife Rachel who had died giving birth to Joseph’s younger brother.  Of his twelve sons by four different mothers, Joseph was by far his father Jacob’s favorite; Jacob made no effort to hide his preference, and Joseph made every effort to flaunt his position as his father’s favorite child.  Of course, Joseph became an intolerably spoiled brat; he sneakily spied on his ten older brothers, then tattled to his father on their actions, intentionally inciting his father’s displeasure toward them.  To add insult to injury, Joseph had visionary gifts; he had distinct dreams of future times when his brothers would pay homage to him; and he relished in the opportunity to share the lofty details of these dreams with his incensed older brothers.  This is the Joseph of the “Coat of many Colors”; imagine Joseph strutting and sashaying in his luxury in front of his brothers as he displayed this emblem accentuating himself as the favored son.

Finally, pushed to the brink of their tolerance, a rare opportunity presented itself: Joseph arrived one day to bring a message to his brothers, out on the pastures, far from their father.  The brothers had Joseph to themselves without their father’s supervision.  As it happened the pastures were along the well-traveled trading route to and from Egypt.

Upon Joseph’s arrival, the thought of murdering their younger brother in this isolated place was tempting.  Fortunately for all, the more reasonable and humane decision was made to sell Joseph to the passing slave traders.  Their deed accomplished, having stripped away the fancy coat and having soaked it in animal blood, the brothers headed home to convince their father that Joseph had been attacked and mauled to death by a vicious animal.  Father Israel lived with this grief for many years to come.

However, in reality, during these many years held captive in Egypt, Joseph had lavished in God’s blessings.  In the years that followed his capture, Joseph’s gift of dream interpretation and his diligence to seek God’s guidance led Joseph to navigate through difficulties, to find favor with the Egyptian pharaoh, and to rise to a position of great prominence in Egypt.  All this gained prestige allowed Joseph, with God’s help, to provide the resources needed to accommodate his family’s desperate needs – the remnant of God’s people preserved through Joseph’s willingness to forgive and restore his relationship with his brothers.  Escaping famine in their homeland, the people of Israel joined Joseph in Egypt where they made their home for the next 400 years, until the time of Moses.

The horrendous unthinkably evil deed of Joseph’s brothers, through God’s transformation, had culminated in their preservation.  Guided by his faith in God’s mercy, by virtue of Joseph’s transformation into a healthier, more humble child of God, there was no misdirection toward retribution; the relationship with his family was restored, Israel was preserved.  Joseph “kissed all his brothers and wept upon them.”  [Genesis 45:15]

If you truly want to experience the transformational power of your faith, begin today praying diligently for someone in your life with whom you are estranged; pray diligently, make this your Lenten discipline.  Pray intentionally and diligently every day, every time thoughts of this person come into your mind.  Pray diligently that your own position will be clarified and transformed.  Pray diligently to experience the power of Jesus Christ to heal the brokenness.  This is not to say that all relationships are meant to be restored in a conventional sense; perhaps it will be best that the relationship can come to a healthy closure. Nevertheless, you will experience God’s healing mercy; the relationship will be restored in a meaningful way that will allow you to live into this healing mercy.

One of the most meaningful prayers in our Book of Common Prayer is the Prayer for our Enemies.  It is most meaningful in that it doesn’t cast blame; it simply allows us to consider more intentionally God’s presence in the healing process – the third presence that we are called continuously to acknowledge. Turning now to that prayer on page 816, let us pray together.

For our Enemies

O God, the Father of all, whose Son commanded us to love
our enemies: Lead them and us from prejudice to truth:
deliver them and us from hatred, cruelty, and revenge; and in
your good time enable us all to stand reconciled before you,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.