A Future made by our past reflected in the life of the old testament saint Joseph
11th after Trinity
Old Testament Lesson- Genesis 37:3-4,12-35
Trusting in the Fruits - from Henri Nouwen's Bread for the Journey
"We belong to a generation that wants to see the results of our work. We want to be productive and see with our own eyes what we have made. But that is not the way of God's Kingdom. Often our witness for God does not lead to tangible results. Jesus himself died as a failure on a cross. There was no success there to be proud of. Still, the fruitfulness of Jesus' life is beyond any human measure. As faithful witnesses of Jesus we have to trust that our lives too will be fruitful, even though we cannot see their fruit. The fruit of our lives may be visible only to those who live after us.
What is important is how well we love. God will make our love fruitful, whether we see that fruitfulness or not."
As I reflected again on the life of Joseph from its inception in Genesis 37, I thought of the above quote. Often it does not appear that we will receive the fruits of our life here. It may be in the years to come as Nouwen so aptly tells us above.
Joseph was a highly favored son of Jacob in fact . In 37:3 we read that Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors (or long sleeves).
Joseph brought a bad report of the brothers back to his father. They got after him for that. They " conspired ...to kill him." vs 18
He was thrown into a pit instead because of the intervention of Reuben. v. 21
I was watching the end of the movie "Mr. Holland's Opus" , starring Richard Dreyfuss, and found it applicable to today's lesson. What Joseph did not get , he got thru hard times, and I think he often felt like giving up. But as a person of faith he did not give up. " By faith, Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones." Hebrews 11:22
Mr. Holland thought he would write a wonderful piece of music but took a job in a high school teaching music to have income. He struggled thru the years and even had to fight the school board that wished to cancel the music program. The school's former vice principal, now promoted to principal, works with the school board to eliminate funding for the music program along with other fine arts programs, thereby leading to Holland's early retirement at the age of 60. Holland realizes that his career in music is likely over. He believes that his former students have mostly forgotten him and is dejected at his failure to ever have his composition, which he views as his life's work, performed.
"On his final day as a teacher, Iris (his wife) and Cole ( son), now an adult and a teacher himself, arrive to help Holland pack up. Sensing his dissapointment over his self-perceived lack of achievement, Iris and Cole lead Holland to the school auditorium where he is surprised to find a gathering of many of his former students, now grown. Hearing that their beloved teacher is retiring, the students have secretly returned to the school to celebrate his career.
Holland's orchestral piece, never before played, has been distributed to the students by Iris and Cole. One of his most musically challenged students (Alicia Witt as a child and Joanna Gleason as an adult), who is now governor, sits with her clarinet. The students ask their former teacher to serve as conductor for the premiere performance of Mr. Holland's Opus ("The American Symphony"). As Holland conducts the orchestra of his former students, a proud Iris and Cole look on, appreciating the affection and respect that Holland receives. Holland, overwhelmed with emotion, finally realizes his masterpiece." Wikipedia on line
Is it possible some of us need this encouragement as we see our lives piece by piece and our dreams partially unfullfilled or not fulfilled at all at least in our plan?
God is working the musical notes of our Opus that one day it will be played just as it was for Mr. Holland, and our fears, disappointments and unmet goals will lead to the tears of happiness. We will see the faces of those we have influenced for spirtual good and all the pieces of our lives that looked as the jigsaw puzzle that never got finished will be together.
What we need is to keep pressing on to this goal of doing God's will here for our lives that we may have the result of our lives in the life to come. What we need is endurance.
I read this from Spurgeon this week on endurance: "
Whole-heartedness shows itself in perserverance; there may be failure at first, but the earnest worker will say, ' It is the Lord's work, and it must be done; my Lord has bidden me do it, and in His strength I will accomplish it.' Christian , art thou thus ' with all thine heart' serving thy Master? Remember the earnestness of Jesus! Think what heart-work was His! He could say, ' The zeal of Thine house hath eaten Me up.' When He sweat great drops of blood, it was no light burden He has to carry upon those blessed shoulders; and when He poured out His heart, it was no weak effort He was making for the salvation of His people."
Those of who heard the lesson today and remember the OT story of Joseph heard again about the difficulties he faced. Jacob his father thought he was dead thanks to the trickery of the brothers soaking his coat of many colors in blood. He had been sold into slavery. " And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold himto the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt." vs 28
As Nouwen said in our beginning, " we have to trust that our lives will be fruitful even though we cannot see their fruit." " The fruit of our lives may be visible only to those who live after us."
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Old Testament Lesson- Genesis 37:3-4,12-35
Trusting in the Fruits - from Henri Nouwen's Bread for the Journey
"We belong to a generation that wants to see the results of our work. We want to be productive and see with our own eyes what we have made. But that is not the way of God's Kingdom. Often our witness for God does not lead to tangible results. Jesus himself died as a failure on a cross. There was no success there to be proud of. Still, the fruitfulness of Jesus' life is beyond any human measure. As faithful witnesses of Jesus we have to trust that our lives too will be fruitful, even though we cannot see their fruit. The fruit of our lives may be visible only to those who live after us.
What is important is how well we love. God will make our love fruitful, whether we see that fruitfulness or not."
As I reflected again on the life of Joseph from its inception in Genesis 37, I thought of the above quote. Often it does not appear that we will receive the fruits of our life here. It may be in the years to come as Nouwen so aptly tells us above.
Joseph was a highly favored son of Jacob in fact . In 37:3 we read that Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors (or long sleeves).
Joseph brought a bad report of the brothers back to his father. They got after him for that. They " conspired ...to kill him." vs 18
He was thrown into a pit instead because of the intervention of Reuben. v. 21
I was watching the end of the movie "Mr. Holland's Opus" , starring Richard Dreyfuss, and found it applicable to today's lesson. What Joseph did not get , he got thru hard times, and I think he often felt like giving up. But as a person of faith he did not give up. " By faith, Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones." Hebrews 11:22
Mr. Holland thought he would write a wonderful piece of music but took a job in a high school teaching music to have income. He struggled thru the years and even had to fight the school board that wished to cancel the music program. The school's former vice principal, now promoted to principal, works with the school board to eliminate funding for the music program along with other fine arts programs, thereby leading to Holland's early retirement at the age of 60. Holland realizes that his career in music is likely over. He believes that his former students have mostly forgotten him and is dejected at his failure to ever have his composition, which he views as his life's work, performed.
"On his final day as a teacher, Iris (his wife) and Cole ( son), now an adult and a teacher himself, arrive to help Holland pack up. Sensing his dissapointment over his self-perceived lack of achievement, Iris and Cole lead Holland to the school auditorium where he is surprised to find a gathering of many of his former students, now grown. Hearing that their beloved teacher is retiring, the students have secretly returned to the school to celebrate his career.
Holland's orchestral piece, never before played, has been distributed to the students by Iris and Cole. One of his most musically challenged students (Alicia Witt as a child and Joanna Gleason as an adult), who is now governor, sits with her clarinet. The students ask their former teacher to serve as conductor for the premiere performance of Mr. Holland's Opus ("The American Symphony"). As Holland conducts the orchestra of his former students, a proud Iris and Cole look on, appreciating the affection and respect that Holland receives. Holland, overwhelmed with emotion, finally realizes his masterpiece." Wikipedia on line
Is it possible some of us need this encouragement as we see our lives piece by piece and our dreams partially unfullfilled or not fulfilled at all at least in our plan?
God is working the musical notes of our Opus that one day it will be played just as it was for Mr. Holland, and our fears, disappointments and unmet goals will lead to the tears of happiness. We will see the faces of those we have influenced for spirtual good and all the pieces of our lives that looked as the jigsaw puzzle that never got finished will be together.
What we need is to keep pressing on to this goal of doing God's will here for our lives that we may have the result of our lives in the life to come. What we need is endurance.
I read this from Spurgeon this week on endurance: "
Whole-heartedness shows itself in perserverance; there may be failure at first, but the earnest worker will say, ' It is the Lord's work, and it must be done; my Lord has bidden me do it, and in His strength I will accomplish it.' Christian , art thou thus ' with all thine heart' serving thy Master? Remember the earnestness of Jesus! Think what heart-work was His! He could say, ' The zeal of Thine house hath eaten Me up.' When He sweat great drops of blood, it was no light burden He has to carry upon those blessed shoulders; and when He poured out His heart, it was no weak effort He was making for the salvation of His people."
Those of who heard the lesson today and remember the OT story of Joseph heard again about the difficulties he faced. Jacob his father thought he was dead thanks to the trickery of the brothers soaking his coat of many colors in blood. He had been sold into slavery. " And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold himto the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt." vs 28
As Nouwen said in our beginning, " we have to trust that our lives will be fruitful even though we cannot see their fruit." " The fruit of our lives may be visible only to those who live after us."
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
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