18 - "Forgotten! And Why Do You Look So Sad Today?" Genesis 38-40

This reading makes one wonder why God would choose the lineage of Judah to spring forth His Son. Man is evil.  This family of Abraham, sons of Jacob, they are so dysfunctional. Judah insists on friendship with the Canaanites, his downfall. May we live bereft of demands.  Look where it leads Judah:  Judah commits incest with his daughter-in-law.  We see here why Christ came to save the chief of sinners---that would be me.  We are saved by grace not by how well we live our lives.  

Joseph stood tall one day in a multi-colored robe of favor.
Joseph stooped low in a waterless pit with no human escape.
Joseph stood tall again in an Egyptian palace finding favor again.
Joseph served low in a palace prison, overseeing all, touching so many.

Yet, Joseph is forgotten by the chief butler who now advances back into the kingdom.  The butler is free---and free to forget Joseph.  Do we forget about people in our lives?  Probably.  Our larger offense is forgetting about God in our daily lives.  We forget in the good times of our days; we forget in the bad times that we have a Keeper of our soul, our Shade.  God is one word away.  

The most touching moment of this passage for me is Genesis 40:7 - Why do you look so sad today?  May we reach out to those in our path and express to them true concern, even in the midst of our own pushing and profound needs. We so need Your Help to care with dungeon strength.  For Joseph was more concerned for others than he was about what had happened to him.  

May we remember well Joseph's expression of his own dilemma in few words:  "I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews; and here also have I done nothing that they should put me in a dungeon." Genesis 40:15. Joseph summed all of his abuse up in a tweet.  May we be more concerned about others than about ourselves.  

Forgotten. More than a decade ago on January 13th, something happened to me that changed my world upside down forever. I forgot about it this January 13th. But then---I didn't think I could go on. God empowers us and gives us our very breath to fall forward and trust. The chief butler forgot about Joseph. We forget about God. God never forgets. And one commentary says: We must not think it strange, if in this world we have hatred shown us for our love, and slights for our kindness. See how apt those who are themselves at ease are to forget others in distress. Joseph learned by his disappointment to trust in God only. We cannot expect too little from man, nor too much from God. 

PHOTO:  Flickr photo credit.  An Egyptian dungeon.  I observed the dungeon that they lowered Jesus into. How did they live in a dungeon with no offense?