Lessons from Joseph

"Joseph! How could you do this? Rape my wife while I am away - even after all I have done for you? I have given you power! Trusted you!" Potiphar paced the hall. 

"Guards, out!" All the guards left and only Joseph and Potiphar were left alone together.

"Look Joseph, I know you better then to believe this story. I know the trouble my wife can make, but if I don't punish you in some way, my whole house will be in disgrace. I know you are innocent, I have seen how faithful you are to your God, please forgive me for what I must do... I must keep in mind my family's honour..." Joseph just looked at Potiphar patiently. He knew. "Guards! Come take this wretch to the dungeon. Hurry up! And then Potiphar turned his face away.

 Many of you are familiar with the story of Joseph in Genesis. How he was favoured by his father, sold by his brothers, betrayed by his mistress, trusted by the jailer, and eventually honoured by the king. We can only guess what Potiphar said to Joseph when his wife accused the slave of rape. It is clear Potiphar did not fully believe her story, as he was not killed but rather put in the dungeon instead. But it is also clear that Potiphar did not care for Joseph enough to sacrifice his pride and status. 

After Joseph had spent some time in jail, the jailer noticed his character of integrity and set him over all the other prisoners. Then, two men, the chief butler and chief baker for the king came under Joseph's care. The scripture doesn't record why these men were imprisoned, but they were, and Joseph was in charge of them and we read that he served them. It is here that we will meditate. Joseph served the prisoners who were under his care. 

Some background information makes this even more interesting. Joseph came from a godly family, and was a direct descendant of Abraham whom God talked with. He was unjustly sold into slavery by his brothers to a heathen people and unscrupulously sent to prison for a crime of which the only evidence was a lie. He now lived with vile and evil men for no fault of his own. And all the while he had preserved his integrity and faithfulness to God. Joseph, had every reason to believe himself way better then anyone around him. 

And yet, Joseph served the prisoners. Joseph had learned the lesson of humility. He had learned how to abound in all things and how to be abased. He had learned to associate with the humble and to consider others as being better then himself.

Paul talks a lot about this principle. He talks about setting self aside and loving your enemies. Jesus does too. They both talk about not being big in our own eyes. And in the story of Joseph we find an example of this. 

Many times, we meet people who we do not agree with, or who seem to be so much less then who we think we are. They might be poor, rich and snobbish, a teenager with a bad attitude, a health freak, or a cheater. We also meet people who are less fortunate than ourselves, doing jobs we would never think to stoop to. And so, we gloat over our success and our brains and how everything has gone so well for us. 

There are also those times we feel so proud of our relationship with God and our piety. We feel so much better about ourselves when we see a poor, struggling teenager or backslidden friend. We even congratulate ourselves for our good choice.

But then there is the Holy Spirit, gently rebuking us and pointing us towards the story of Joseph. The Joseph who could have justified treating everyone else as inferior to himself. The Joseph, who chose to love his enemies, pray for those who persecuted him, and serve the prisoners who were under him.

This is our lot. We have all sinned and gone astray. We are all responsible for the death of Jesus. But perfect Jesus did not think it too humiliating a thing to give His life for poor sinners like us! Who are we to think ourselves so much better than the others we meet? Jesus would have us do as Joseph did - serve those we lead. Serve the heathen and debased. We are here to serve the ones under us and by so doing we learn humility.

“God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.” (Hebrews 6:10)