Genesis 39:1-21; St Luke 22:31-51
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
God tempts no one. But what did you sing tonight? The Lord tests the righteous (Ps 11:5). It is the Lord who commands Abraham to offer his son, his only son whom he loved, as a whole burnt offering. It is the Lord who suggests Job to the Adversary and allows him to be afflicted. It is the Lord who gives Paul his thorn in the flesh, his messenger of Satan sent to harass him. It is the Lord who allows Satan to sift Peter and the Twelve like wheat. It is the Lord who sends Joseph down to Egypt. God tempts no one. The Lord tests the righteous (Ps 11:5).
So it appears as though Joseph was sold three times. First by his brothers to the Midianites. Then to the Ishmaelites. Finally to Potiphar. The Lord was with him and he became a successful man. This may correspond to our Lord Jesus who was handed over first by His brethren, His own people to Pilate, then Pilate handed Him over to Herod and finally He was handed over to the Cross. But the Lord was with Him. For the Lord tests the righteous.
What’s more, these men, though they suffered such agony, continued to entrust themselves to the will of the Father. You catechumens, learn here from Joseph. All Christians, head his example. His instruction and catechesis in the Christian faith turned out extraordinarily well! Jacob loved his son and favored Joseph above his brothers. Partly because he was the son of Rachel, his beloved wife, but also, perhaps, because in him we see the working of the Holy Spirit to such a great extent.
He listened to and retained the catechesis of his father. For even while he was a youth, a teenager, he is hounded by the worst misfortunes and tempted mightily, but he is not overcome. Like the Canaanite woman from Sunday, great is his faith! Great his modesty, chastity and patience! The prophet Jeremiah writes, It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth (Lam 3:26-27). And so Joseph waits patiently for the Lord. His heart was strong and of good courage. He waited for the Lord (Ps 27:4). The same Lord who tests the righteous.
And while he waited for the goodness and loving kindness of God his Savior to appear, Joseph confessed his hope and trust. He not only prayed for himself and his master, but undoubtably taught his fellow slaves. He catechized them to call on the name of the Lord in true worship, to repent of their sins. No doubt he converted some of them to true faith in the Lord God.
Is this not, again, like our Lord Christ? While His disciples bicker over earthly greatness, His own soul sorrowful even to death, He tenderly catechizes Peter and prays for him. When you repent, Simon, strengthen your brethren. Be of good courage and comfort others with the comfort with which you yourself are comforted. Are not all Christians called to do the same? St Paul writes to the Christians in Corinth, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God (2 Cor 1:3-4).
Yet Joseph and Jesus receive little comfort at this time. Joseph found favor in the sight of Potiphar. He was made overseer over all that he had and the blessing of the Lord was on all the Egyptian’s possessions because of Joseph. Truly it was no different for Christ Jesus. He had the favor and blessing of His Father and all that was put into His hand prospered. Not in the same earthly manner as Joseph, of course, yet nevertheless, He is successful; which is to say, He is faithful.
Beloved, it is no different for the Church. Commenting on Joseph’s narrative, Luther wrote, “One must note carefully that God blesses the ungodly for the sake of the Church. For if the world were without the Church and the Gospel were not taught and learned, the world would have perished long ago” (AE 7:62).
Yet you look around and see the world, our own country, going to ruin and villainy. The wicked bend the bow; they have fitted their arrow to the string to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart (Ps 11:2) Is it, perhaps, because the Church conceals the Word of Christ? Hides it away in shame and fear, unidentifiable from the worldly and ungodly? Joseph fled sexual temptation. He would not even go near Potiphar’s wife. Adultery was a great sin against God. We however, chase headlong into it.
We flirt with the Devil with every lustful glance. We put ourselves in harms way every time we visit those websites. In this way Satan is sifting us like wheat, but Jesus continues to pray for us that our faith may not fail. You heard the exhortation of St Paul in Sunday’s epistle to the Thessalonians, For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immortality. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness (1 Thess 4:3, 7).
For it is true, as you are taught to pray, God tempts no one. He is faithful and provides the way of escape. He does as He did for Jacob in Sunday’s Old Testament text. He wrestles with you. Grapples with your faith to strengthen it, that you may be able to endure. Hold fast to His Word of promise. Pray that you may not enter into temptation.
God tempts no one, but He does test the righteous. “He lets Joseph be a slave for so many years and finally, as a reward for his servitude, lets him be cast into prison in utter disgrace. This is how God rewards the saintliest people! The ones who do the most good. Those who are the very blessing of the world get a disgraceful reward like this” (AE 7:62). Does not Jesus preach and catechize, Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on My account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you (Mt 5:11-12)?
These are hard lessons, dear Christians. Hard lessons. Taught only by the Holy Spirit in the school of experience. But you have before you two wonderful examples. Joseph, our brother in the faith, and our Lord Jesus Christ. The truth is that while Joseph was poor and needy, falsely shut-up in prison, our Lord did not abandon him.
Moses writes, the Lord was with Joseph. This does not mean that He merely remembered Joseph with fondness and had pity on him. Rather He was with him. He sent His angels to keep watch over him that the evil foe may have no power over him. He had the Word of Christ, the promise and hope. And where His Word is, there is Christ, to strengthen and uphold, to comfort and encourage. Truly, even though Joseph was in prison, hidden away from everyone, he was the greatest treasure in all of Egypt, and the means by which God was to save the nation and His people.
So it is with our Lord Jesus Christ, too. Even as He grew in favor with both God and man, His Father handed Him over to the crowd. It was His will to crush Him for our iniquities. To pour out the full cup of His wrath upon His beloved Son, for in this way, He tests the Righteous One. The Scripture is fulfilled: He was numbered with the transgressors. Though He kept the Law perfectly, was pure and holy according to the Sixth Commandment, and all the Commandments, He was sifted like wheat, stripped of His garment, and struck with the sword as the Father’s anger was kindled against Him. “Man forfeited his life and is acquitted; God is committed” (LSB 439:5).
But the Lord was with Him and showed Him steadfast love and raised Him from the dead, never to die again. He has come to you and touched your ears that you may hear and believe. His blessing is upon you. His steadfast love surrounds you. You have favor in His sight. You do not even need to be concerned about the food you eat, for He feeds you.
For as it was for Joseph in prison, so it is for you, His Church. He is with you. Though unseen and unappreciated by the world, here is the greatest Treasure on earth: the very Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins, life and salvation.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
God tempts no one. But what did you sing tonight? The Lord tests the righteous (Ps 11:5). It is the Lord who commands Abraham to offer his son, his only son whom he loved, as a whole burnt offering. It is the Lord who suggests Job to the Adversary and allows him to be afflicted. It is the Lord who gives Paul his thorn in the flesh, his messenger of Satan sent to harass him. It is the Lord who allows Satan to sift Peter and the Twelve like wheat. It is the Lord who sends Joseph down to Egypt. God tempts no one. The Lord tests the righteous (Ps 11:5).
So it appears as though Joseph was sold three times. First by his brothers to the Midianites. Then to the Ishmaelites. Finally to Potiphar. The Lord was with him and he became a successful man. This may correspond to our Lord Jesus who was handed over first by His brethren, His own people to Pilate, then Pilate handed Him over to Herod and finally He was handed over to the Cross. But the Lord was with Him. For the Lord tests the righteous.
What’s more, these men, though they suffered such agony, continued to entrust themselves to the will of the Father. You catechumens, learn here from Joseph. All Christians, head his example. His instruction and catechesis in the Christian faith turned out extraordinarily well! Jacob loved his son and favored Joseph above his brothers. Partly because he was the son of Rachel, his beloved wife, but also, perhaps, because in him we see the working of the Holy Spirit to such a great extent.
He listened to and retained the catechesis of his father. For even while he was a youth, a teenager, he is hounded by the worst misfortunes and tempted mightily, but he is not overcome. Like the Canaanite woman from Sunday, great is his faith! Great his modesty, chastity and patience! The prophet Jeremiah writes, It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth (Lam 3:26-27). And so Joseph waits patiently for the Lord. His heart was strong and of good courage. He waited for the Lord (Ps 27:4). The same Lord who tests the righteous.
And while he waited for the goodness and loving kindness of God his Savior to appear, Joseph confessed his hope and trust. He not only prayed for himself and his master, but undoubtably taught his fellow slaves. He catechized them to call on the name of the Lord in true worship, to repent of their sins. No doubt he converted some of them to true faith in the Lord God.
Is this not, again, like our Lord Christ? While His disciples bicker over earthly greatness, His own soul sorrowful even to death, He tenderly catechizes Peter and prays for him. When you repent, Simon, strengthen your brethren. Be of good courage and comfort others with the comfort with which you yourself are comforted. Are not all Christians called to do the same? St Paul writes to the Christians in Corinth, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God (2 Cor 1:3-4).
Yet Joseph and Jesus receive little comfort at this time. Joseph found favor in the sight of Potiphar. He was made overseer over all that he had and the blessing of the Lord was on all the Egyptian’s possessions because of Joseph. Truly it was no different for Christ Jesus. He had the favor and blessing of His Father and all that was put into His hand prospered. Not in the same earthly manner as Joseph, of course, yet nevertheless, He is successful; which is to say, He is faithful.
Beloved, it is no different for the Church. Commenting on Joseph’s narrative, Luther wrote, “One must note carefully that God blesses the ungodly for the sake of the Church. For if the world were without the Church and the Gospel were not taught and learned, the world would have perished long ago” (AE 7:62).
Yet you look around and see the world, our own country, going to ruin and villainy. The wicked bend the bow; they have fitted their arrow to the string to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart (Ps 11:2) Is it, perhaps, because the Church conceals the Word of Christ? Hides it away in shame and fear, unidentifiable from the worldly and ungodly? Joseph fled sexual temptation. He would not even go near Potiphar’s wife. Adultery was a great sin against God. We however, chase headlong into it.
We flirt with the Devil with every lustful glance. We put ourselves in harms way every time we visit those websites. In this way Satan is sifting us like wheat, but Jesus continues to pray for us that our faith may not fail. You heard the exhortation of St Paul in Sunday’s epistle to the Thessalonians, For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immortality. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness (1 Thess 4:3, 7).
For it is true, as you are taught to pray, God tempts no one. He is faithful and provides the way of escape. He does as He did for Jacob in Sunday’s Old Testament text. He wrestles with you. Grapples with your faith to strengthen it, that you may be able to endure. Hold fast to His Word of promise. Pray that you may not enter into temptation.
God tempts no one, but He does test the righteous. “He lets Joseph be a slave for so many years and finally, as a reward for his servitude, lets him be cast into prison in utter disgrace. This is how God rewards the saintliest people! The ones who do the most good. Those who are the very blessing of the world get a disgraceful reward like this” (AE 7:62). Does not Jesus preach and catechize, Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on My account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you (Mt 5:11-12)?
These are hard lessons, dear Christians. Hard lessons. Taught only by the Holy Spirit in the school of experience. But you have before you two wonderful examples. Joseph, our brother in the faith, and our Lord Jesus Christ. The truth is that while Joseph was poor and needy, falsely shut-up in prison, our Lord did not abandon him.
Moses writes, the Lord was with Joseph. This does not mean that He merely remembered Joseph with fondness and had pity on him. Rather He was with him. He sent His angels to keep watch over him that the evil foe may have no power over him. He had the Word of Christ, the promise and hope. And where His Word is, there is Christ, to strengthen and uphold, to comfort and encourage. Truly, even though Joseph was in prison, hidden away from everyone, he was the greatest treasure in all of Egypt, and the means by which God was to save the nation and His people.
So it is with our Lord Jesus Christ, too. Even as He grew in favor with both God and man, His Father handed Him over to the crowd. It was His will to crush Him for our iniquities. To pour out the full cup of His wrath upon His beloved Son, for in this way, He tests the Righteous One. The Scripture is fulfilled: He was numbered with the transgressors. Though He kept the Law perfectly, was pure and holy according to the Sixth Commandment, and all the Commandments, He was sifted like wheat, stripped of His garment, and struck with the sword as the Father’s anger was kindled against Him. “Man forfeited his life and is acquitted; God is committed” (LSB 439:5).
But the Lord was with Him and showed Him steadfast love and raised Him from the dead, never to die again. He has come to you and touched your ears that you may hear and believe. His blessing is upon you. His steadfast love surrounds you. You have favor in His sight. You do not even need to be concerned about the food you eat, for He feeds you.
For as it was for Joseph in prison, so it is for you, His Church. He is with you. Though unseen and unappreciated by the world, here is the greatest Treasure on earth: the very Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins, life and salvation.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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