“But God Meant It for Good” This is what Joseph said in the Old Testament text for today. “But God meant it for good…”
This is one of the toughest lessons to get straight. It flies in the face of our emotions, our natural reactions, and our reason. Yet it is the lesson of God’s care and providence working through the difficulties that we encounter in this life. In our society, the devil uses the comforts of wealth, ease, free time, and good health to tempt us to expect only these physical comforts in this life. In this way, the devil tempts us to be complacent in our faith in God, to grow in our hearts a sense of entitlement. That we are “entitled” to only good things here in this life. Because of that sense of entitlement, when anything goes wrong, or we don’t get what we feel that we deserve (which are, of course, only good things) we blame God and our faith is challenged more than we feel that we can bare.
We Americans have been blessed in many ways. Our basic minimum tolerable condition standards are far higher than most other countries in the world. Our standards by which we judge our happiness is far higher than most of mankind has ever known throughout history. So, it doesn’t take much to make us feel really miserable. Yet because we live in a sin-filled world, and as Christians we are attacked and besieged by the devil, the world, and our flesh misery must come, hardships, betrayal, and bitterness do come upon us. When those miseries arise, though it is difficult, let us keep the message of the Old Testament lesson and the Epistle in mind. “God meant it for good.”
Joseph is one of the true heroes of the faith. Through various terrible trials, Joseph did not curse God nor did he despair but acted with dignity, morality, and faith.
Overtaken by his older brothers when he was just 17, tossed into a dry pit to die, then sold into slavery. It is interesting to note that Joseph was from a rich family in comfortable conditions for that day and age – and he was favored by his father. The transition he faced was incredibly abrupt and extreme. Taken to Egypt and sold in the slave market, he was brought very low. However, in whatever circumstances he found himself, he simply did the work appointed to him without complaint in faithfulness to God. Because of that faith, God was with him and blessed everything he did. He worked his way up to head of his master’s house, second only to Potiphar himself.
Then Potiphar’s wife was attracted to him, tried to seduce him, Joseph did what was right and good, uttering those faithful words, “How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” When he failed to join in that sin, she avenged herself by accusing Joseph of rape and so His faithfulness was rewarded with punishment and prison. One day, after several years of imprisonment, he interprets dreams for some of the more important prisoners, only to be forgotten when the cupbearer was returned to his original post. He languishes in prison for another two years.
Finally, Joseph interprets the dreams of Pharaoh, and is made the highest ranking officer in the court of Pharaoh, second only to the Pharaoh himself. And you know the story of how he saved the food and rescued his family, and brought them to Egypt. His goodness and holiness cost him just as dearly at times as it brought him success.
In our OT text today, Jacob, Joseph’s father, had died and his brothers are faced with the reality of what they did, and what they deserve, and what Joseph has the power to do to them. They came to Joseph pleading for their lives – dishonestly even at this point. Joseph, on the other hand, deals with them in mercy.
Joseph teaches his brothers, and us, the truth that whatever we may face, whatever God allows for us, our heavenly Father is far more merciful than we deserve, and God will mean it for good! Joseph said, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to preserve many people alive.” Joseph knew that God’s hand was behind it all. The evil they did was still evil. They were still accountable for their actions, but Joseph understood God can take the evils we do or have experienced and turn them for good, using our wickedness to accomplish His holy will!! And so, Joseph forgave them instead of punishing them.
The same thing is still true today. God never changes. If He worked good out of evil back then, He will do it today.
So when people turn on us, and do evil to us, and events conspire against us and cause us frustrations, pains, fears, and troubles, we may take comfort and be confident in the truth that God is at work none-the-less. God sometimes pushes us to do things we don’t want to do, and He takes us to places that we don’t necessarily want to go. He works through events and people – even the wickedness and evil of people around us – to put us in places and situations where He will use us for His purposes. To bless us with spiritual growth, to cling to Him all the more, even as people are then blessed through the witness God uses within us.
The sin and wickedness of others is not created by God, nor does His use of them to accomplish His holy will change their evil to good or give them or us some excuse for being wicked. They must face their wickedness, and answer for what they have done or said. Even as we must face our wickedness and repent. But God is still so wonderful and wise that He can take evil and use it for good, just as He did with Joseph. Most of the time God’s use of our circumstances is not as noteworthy to the world, we may not even know what God is doing, but He is there to call us to Himself, bless us, and to protect us, and to work His good will in all things — even things that are not good or pleasant. And what is the will of God for us?
Our salvation.
Like Joseph, we are to be holy. We are to repent for the evil we have done knowing that we don’t deserve mercy. We are to see the will and hand of God by faith, and trust Him, and show mercy to forgive those who sin against us. We have the example of Joseph. We have the example of Jesus. By the will and hand of God we are shown the power to forgive as He forgave us and laid down His life for us. In fact, He takes the evil that we have done and He places it upon someone who only did what was right and good: His only son, Jesus Christ. He took the evil that was done to Him in His betrayal by Judas, His rejection and false accusations levied by the Jewish leaders, the scourging, binding, and being crucified. The conspirators meant evil for Jesus but God meant it all for good. In His innocence, Jesus took all the unrighteousness of the world’s sin including yours and mine upon His innocent flesh. He took all this evil, and worked it out for the good of our salvation and all those who have and will believe in Him. Our entitlement should be for punishment, but instead of being punished like we deserve, He shows us mercy by the forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ. He takes our sin and washes it away in baptism and absolution. He rebukes our sin but makes us stronger in repentance and faith in that renewal of His forgiveness in Christ. He feeds us in the midst of a spiritual famine and drought in the world: here with His body and blood in the bread and wine so that we are blessed with His mercy and strength. He does not reject us, but rather gathers us to himself and embraces us with His love and rejoices over us and the faith that He gives, works, and uses for our eternal good.
Your sins, whatever they may be, have been paid for. You have been redeemed at the price of the suffering and death of the only-begotten Son of God. You are forgiven! He that believes and is baptized shall be saved!!
So, now, you are free to imitate Joseph, and imitate Jesus. You can trust God, that in all things He means it for good. You can forgive those whose wickedness and evil have caused your troubles and pains, but which God has used for His holy will. You don’t have to know what it is that God is doing. Joseph didn’t until the very end.
The lesson is to do what is right and holy – to live out our faith, and trust God to do what He has so often promised He will do – bless us, protect us, and bring us to eternal life.
In all things, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good”. God’s good for you. Make use of His good gifts of mercy and love in His Word and Sacraments. Rejoice in these comforts which are far more than material comforts. Show mercy as our heavenly Father has shown us mercy. “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” In all things, give thanks knowing that God is blessing you and working all things in this life for your good and your eternal salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Pr. Aaron Kangas