Thumbnail - What began with Abraham, continued with Isaac, now finds fulfillment in Jacob. Jacob’s grandfather Abraham and father Isaac could only claim to be sojourners and resident aliens in Canaan; but Jacob, the third generation in Canaan, settles there.

No Saint - Joseph is often portrayed as a holy dreamer, a model believer. However, the actual account suggests gapping character flaws that get him into danger. First, Joseph has become his father’s pet. He’s also a tattle tale. He lacks discretion; he blathers about his dreams that subordinate his entire family-under him.

The Problem of Shalom -Jacob sends Joseph to look into the shalom of his brothers and report back-even though his previous “reports” suggests the absence or breach of shalom. Makes us wonder about Jacob’s motivation. Does Jacob have any inkling about the explosive situation he’s created by sending Joseph out to the brotherhood?

NIB:

No individual in this story emerges innocent. Even Joseph, though certainly the primary victim, furnishes fuel for his own troubles. Everyone in their own way contributes to the mess in which the family finds itself . . . Sinful behaviors do indeed frustrate the divine purposes in the world, but they do not, finally stymie them. [1]

How well did you get along with your brothers and sisters growing up?

• When-if ever-have you received a “bad report” in school? What for?
• Why does Joseph behave as he does?
• If you were Jacob, why play favorites?

The Power of Dreams:

Block #1- reflect on why dreams are powerful (take us out of everyday life, give us vision of new way of living, new ideas, etc.). [2]

Block #2-examples of great dreamers: Martin Luther King, Jr., Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Oscar Romero, Malcom X; tell some of their stories.

Block #3-return to Joseph’s dreams and move to the dream-killer part of the story. How have we been guilty of putting dreamers and dreams away from us?

Block #4 -God grants dreamers the special gifts of vision and faith. If we seek to recognize these gifts rather than putting them away, we can truly see what will become of these dreams.

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[1] New Interpreter’s Bible I (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1994), page 601.
[2] The Abingdon Preaching Annual 2002 (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2001), page 283.