When Apples Fall Close to the Tree

But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” Genesis 50:19-20

I have spent the last 23 years in education serving in several roles ranging from soccer coach, Spanish teacher, and Director of Admiss. As a teacher, I always looked forward to Parents' Night, when we got to spend a portion of a class period with the parents of our students. At the beginning of the evening, after a brief welcome from the Principal or Divisional Head, the parents would receive and follow their child’s schedule visiting classes and getting to know their teachers and other parents. On a number of occasions, I was amazed to find that as the parents entered my classroom, though they were completely unaware of their child’s seat assignment, they would somehow select their child’s seat. In most cases, whether by physical likeness or quirks, habits, or behaviours, it was also quickly evident which parents belonged to which child. As the saying goes, “the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.”

It is not uncommon, however unfortunate, to see our flaws and imperfections manifest in our children. It can be as simple as a tendency, habit, temperament, or learned behaviour. Nonetheless, despite our greatest efforts, it can be hard to see our children commit the same errors we committed in our youth. In last week’s reflection, we examined the life of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the patriarchs of our faith, and how a simple act of deception sparks a chain reaction that spans multiple generations. 

• Abraham deceives Pharoah by presenting his wife, Sarai as his sister.

• Isaac, Abraham’s son, commits almost the identical sin by presenting his wife Rebekah to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, as his sister. 

• Jacob, Isaac’s son, deceives his elderly father by posing as his older brother Esau to receive the blessing reserved for the firstborn son. 

• Jacob’s sons deceive their father by selling his favoured child Joseph for a profit to passing Ishmaelites, telling their father Jacob that a  fierce animal had devoured him.

As you can see, the sin of deception though small and seemingly insignificant at first like a fist-sized snowball tumbling downhill, quickly gains momentum and size, crashing from one generation to the next, leaving in its wake a trail of broken relationships and heartache. However, we can also look to the lives of these pillars of our faith, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and gain valuable lessons on how we should respond to the sin in our lives and how our response can be an example and a blessing to future generations. 

1. Do not sit in failure, but hold on to God’s promises. Both Abraham and Isaac commit the sin of deception almost immediately after receiving a promise and a blessing from the Lord. For Abraham, the blessing occurs in Genesis 12:1-3. Yet, seven verses later in Genesis 12:10-13, Abraham, out of fear, deceives Pharoah by saying that Sarai is his sister rather than his wife. In Genesis 26:3-5 the Lord reaffirms to Isaac the promise he made to his father, Abraham. However, in the very next verse, Isaac follows in his father’s footsteps and presents his wife, Rebekah, to Abimelech as his sister. We see that Abraham and Isaac are tested immediately after receiving their blessing, and both fail.

Nonetheless, neither Abraham nor Isaac allowed their failure to stop them from grasping onto the Lord's promise. They did not sit in their failure; instead, they ventured forward toward the land that was promised to them. I have heard it said that faith is reaching for the stars, even when we cannot see them. By faith, both Abraham and Isaac kept God’s commandments; because of that faith, they and their descendants were blessed. 

2. Be humble, seek forgiveness, and repent. In Hebrew culture, names are like a book; they tell a story and point to one’s potential and perhaps mission in life. Jacob’s name in Hebrew can be interpreted as a person who supplants or circumvents. We know that Jacob does exactly that by unfairly seizing onto his older brother’s blessing by exploiting his elderly father’s poor eyesight. However, in Genesis 33, we find Jacob humbly bowing to his older brother, seeking his forgiveness and repenting for the wrong that he has committed. By doing so, he changes the course of his life and takes on a new nature. We go on to learn that the Lord eventually changed Jacob’s name to Israel, which means, “Let God Prevail.” Genesis 32:28. If we humble ourselves, seek forgiveness and repent from our wrongdoings, the Lord can work in our lives, changing our very nature and transforming us into the likeness of his son Jesus Christ. 

3. Grace and Mercy are powerful weapons against sin. In last week’s reflection, I likened the bible and the stories contained within to a telenovela with all the drama one could ever imagine. In last week’s episode, we left with Joseph, Jacob’s favourite son, captive in Egypt, having been betrayed by his brothers. By God’s grace, twenty years later, we encounter Joseph, having ascended from prison for a crime he did not commit, to the position of Governor over all of Egypt and second in command only to Pharoah. There was a famine throughout the land, and Jacob sends his sons to Egypt to purchase grain. 

In an emotional series of encounters, Joseph meets with his brothers, who are unaware that the powerful figure they are meeting is the brother they had betrayed. Though Joseph has the power to punish his brothers for the evil that they committed against him, he responds in Genesis 50:19-20 with this famous verse. 

But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” Genesis 50:19-20

Despite all the hardship and hurt his brothers had caused him, Joseph chooses to look beyond his own pain and their offenses and focuses on the bigger picture and God’s ultimate plan for Him and His people. By choosing to forgive them, being merciful, and extending grace, Jacob’s people are moved to Egypt, Joseph is reunited with his father Jacob, and God's promise to Abraham and Isaac is one step closer to being fulfilled. 

Prayer

You know us better than we know ourselves. You understand that we often fall desperately short despite our best efforts to walk in faith. When we err, please give us the strength to humbly ask for forgiveness and to repent of our sins. Transform our hearts so that we might act mercifully towards those who hurt us, forgiving them as you have forgiven us. As you transform us to the likeness of your son Jesus Christ, may our children see you in our actions and how we live our lives so that they may come to know you. 

In Christ,

Amen