Standing in the place of God

STANDING IN THE PLACE OF GOD
GENESIS 50:15-19

15 When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.” 16 So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died, 17 ‘Say to Joseph, Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? 20 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. 21 So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:

This past week at VBS I had the opportunity to teach the pre school children. One of the techniques that were suggested in teaching 3, 4, and 5 year olds was play-acting. When one play-acts in teaching children, the teacher lead the children in acting out the story being told. For example, in the case of Moses parting the Red Sea, the students will act out with their arms the separation of the waters, and make believe that they are walking through the Red Sea as on dry ground. These types of techniques can be helpful in learning.
In the area of the fine arts and drama, actors will attempt to learn all they can about a character in the part that they play in the drama. Actors will seek to get inside the character to actually and accurately portray the part. They will, in a sense, stand in the place of the person they are trying to portray.
All of this is in good fun and is entertaining for the actors and those engrossed in the story. There are times we need to be engrossed in such types of entertainment, to divert us from the problems and trials we all face. We need to be engrossed because life itself is all too engrossing. It is easy to get all wrapped up in our own problems that we fail to not only see the big picture, but that we also lose perspective. The Old Testament lesson for today serves as a reality check for us today.
The story in the familiar story of Joseph, he of whom Andrew Lloyd Webber popularized in his play: “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream coat”. Joseph, one of the 12 sons of Jacob, was an interpreter of dreams. His God given ability to interpret dreams got him into trouble with his jealous brothers, who sold him to traders when he was young, then lied to their father Jacob over Joseph’s whereabouts, saying the Joseph was dead!
God however had amazing plans for Joseph, even though those plans led him to an unjust imprisonment over the false accusation of Potiphar’s wife. While in prison, Joseph was able to interpret a butler and baker’s dream, and once Pharaoh got wind of Joseph, the Egyptian leader summoned Joseph to interpret his own troubling dream. Pharaoh, upon hearing of an impending famine through Joseph’s interpretation, appointed Joseph to be one in charge of preparing for the famine. Joseph, because of God’s blessing and God’s gift of interpretation of dreams, became second in power only to Pharaoh in all of Egypt.
The famine was severe, and Jacob, along with his family, was suffering back home. Jacob sent his sons to see if they could buy any food in Egypt to bring home with them. They came to Joseph, who told them that they could have food only on one condition that they would leave Benjamin behind. The sons reluctantly agreed to this and brought food home with them to Jacob and the family but Jacob was none too pleased. Thinking Joseph was dead, he wondered if Benjamin would meet the same fate. Soon the food bought from Egypt would run out and Jacob once again sent his sons to buy some in Egypt. Once again the brothers approached Joseph, who gave them food along with returning the money they used to purchase the food. Upon returning to Egypt, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, and they in turn went to get Jacob, to take him and the rest of the family to Egypt, there reunited with Joseph, and Jacob with all of his children, lived until he died.
After Jacob’s death, the sons of Jacob were fearful. Would Joseph now seek retribution? Would he now act in vengeance toward those who had wronged him? This was the question, the big elephant in the room so to speak, that everyone wondered about. And this is where we pick up our text for today. And we read: “15 When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.” 16 So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died, 17 ‘Say to Joseph, Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? 20 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. 21 So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.”
Note Joseph’s powerful words: Am I in the place of God? Can I stand in God’s place and judge you? Heaven forbid, says Joseph, for God is only the one true Judge. He alone brings about good from evil, and because God has shown mercy to me and has used this to His glory many people are alive today! Joseph thus spoke kindly to them and comforted them, for Joseph rightly understood that he could not stand in the place of God and judge his brothers.
You see, God was merciful to Joseph, so he in turn, in thanks to God, was merciful to those others, even though they wronged him. Joseph trusted in God’s mercy throughout his life and having been a recipient of His mercy, he could do no less than share that mercy with others.
Do you stand in the place of God? In one respect, yes , you stand in the place of God when you seek to take matters into your own hands. When you are wronged and then stand in judgment against the one who has wronged you, you stand in the place of God. When you seek retribution and harm over and against those who have wronged you, you stand in the place of God. And this is not pleasing to God. Who are you to judge or to stand in God’s place to work your will when He alone is God and is able to do anything, which pleases Him? God doesn’t call you to take out your anger on another! Listen to what God says: “Vengeance is mine, I will repay.” (Romans 12:14-21). When you condemn another or seek to avenge yourself, you put yourself in the place of God, seeking to stand in God’s place. Does not God say that you shall have no other gods besides Me? To seek vengeance fails to trust in God that He is just and that He will do what is right by you.
This is what God has exactly done! He has sought vengeance and accomplished justice on your behalf. It is not as a result of anything that you have done or what you could accomplish. God has done this solely by His almighty power and His justice flows from His everlasting love.
For God’s good News is that Jesus has stood in your place! He accomplished all that you could not do by keeping God’s Law perfectly. When wronged, Jesus did not seek retribution but turned the other cheek, again, and again, and again. Jesus is the Lamb of God and when led to the cross He was like a lamb led to the slaughter, not opening His mouth but He willing lived, suffered, and died on the cross to pay the price for all sin and injustice. God’s justice in found in the cross of Christ, His only Son who gave His life for your sins and the sins of the world.
Only Jesus is merciful, as His Father is merciful. Just as Jesus forgave those who condemned Him to death so He also forgives you. His blood washes even the vilest sin away. He doesn’t condemn you today, rather He gives newness of life! Jesus places you in Him so that by God’s grace you can stand as His child. In Baptism God has placed you in Jesus so that now you are in good standing with God. Today He feeds you with His true body and blood. Nourished by Jesus you now by His grace stand in His place to share His mercy and love with others.
In Jesus you are now a son of the Father. In Jesus you are called to be merciful to those who have wronged you, forgiving those who have hurt you, doing good even to your enemies. For this is God’s good and gracious will; that you would “be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” For as you stand by grace through faith in the mercies of God in Christ, you are now sent to stand in His mercy to share His mercy with others.
To God be the glory.
Amen