It’s been an interesting – and rewarding – time for Joseph. From the arrogant ambition of his teenage dreams to the harsh reality of life under the whim of his first master, Joseph had to learn to survive without any of the usual support networks.

His brothers plotted his demise, and then launched a cover story meant to erase his memory. There would be no rescue party from his Canaan kin. Then falsely accused by his boss’s wife, he is left to ‘learn his lesson’ as a prisoner.

But he has learned. You could argue that he ‘found God’ – and along the way, his approach to life changes. He has developed useful skills. He has earned the trust of some unlikely people (his enslavers/his captors/his oppressors) and his reputation led him to the feet of Pharaoh, who rewarded him with power, responsibility, status, and a new identity.

Joseph’s story might have ended there, but there’s a promise at stake.

The promise made to Abram – confirmed for Isaac and Jacob. And whether he knows it or not, Joseph is embraced by that promise.

It might be fun to debate this ‘chicken and egg’ style: does Joseph’s story confirm the promise, or did the communal memory of the promise give rise to this story about a once wayward son. It fits the family profile, but our concern is less academic.

Our questions might include ‘how do we turn this into a good news story?’

Joseph spends some time tormenting his brothers. The large section of the story that we did not read (ch 41 through 45) concerns the power that Joseph exercises, and the brother’s real fear that this ‘Lord of Egypt’ might – at any moment – decide that they were an unnecessary annoyance.

We are given the occasional glimpse into Joseph’s agony, but the game he is playing has real consequences for the brothers…until, with Reuben’s defense of Benjamin’s innocence, Joseph understands that lessons have been learned all around, and he reveals his true identity.

He forgives them (what a moment for the brothers – still trembling in fear of the right hand of Pharaoh) and then declares that they were only bit players in the drama. God did this…for our mutual benefit.

Now, before we wrap this up in a nice, neat package – let’s consider something.

Is it right…or even good…or particularly healthy to imagine that our suffering is (a) beneficial and (b) part of God’s plan?

That is the usual conclusion presented to us at the conclusion of the Joseph saga. (It was good enough for Sir Andew Lloyd Weber, after all) Bad things happen, and if you dig hard enough (and endure long enough) you will see that God was only acting in your best interest.

But isn’t that just as selfish – just as arrogant – as declaring “I had a dream that you would all bow down to me.”?

Joseph’s early assumption is that there would be no consequences associated with his dreams of glory. (the truth is always different). And Joseph’s final takeaway seems ready to confirm that. (Hey – here we are. You are hungry, and I can feed you. Isn’t that great how God let us suffer just to the point of real misery?) But this ‘conclusion’ challenges our idea of a loving, caring God.

And it would be better if we did not allow the family dysfunction built into this ancient story to infect our ideas about God.

It is fairer to say that God intervened IN SPITE of Joseph’s bumbling attempt at raising himself up to his brothers- in spite of the failure of (or one-sided success of) the Egyptian system of justice – That God saved, not just the hard luck family of Jacob but offered an intervention that saved a culture that never chose to recognize God as supreme (a good god, but not one of ours…)

The hopeful business of Joseph’s gradual transformation acknowledges the constant/persistent/pervasive work of God No. Matter. What.

God with us – Emmanuel – the point made by the gospels. The ‘point’ of Jesus.

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We’ve created for ourselves a mythology of salvation. The notion that Christ ‘came to save sinners’ and that some of God’s best work is done when we think we have no where else to turn. This mythology is so much a part of Christian culture that I remember feeling – for quite some time – that I had not suffered enough to call myself a Christian. It’s easy to get the wrong end of the stick – to declare (as Genesis does) that God is waiting to subvert our wickedness and do good in spite of us. But the good news is this: what Joseph’s story reveals – and what Jesus’ life, death and resurrection demonstrate – is that God is redeeming. God is offering grace. And that we see only glimpses of that blessed, Holy gift is due entirely to our (selfish ambition). God is not playing tricks on us. God did not design the wild and wobbly path that took Joseph from a pit in the wilderness to the Pharaoh’s throne room – Human pride, selfishness and arrogance paved that path. God walked and waited – always ready to show a better way.