For the past couple weeks, we’ve been looking at the family dynamics in the lives of Jacob, Rachel and Leah from the Hebrew Scriptures. Leah and Rachel had a competition over the number of children and the status that provided in the tribal culture. Their antagonism trickled down to their sons. This caused the sons of Leah to hate their half-brother, Joseph.
As the proud, and seemingly oblivious, father, Jacob doesn’t
help the situation. Jacob loved Joseph more than all his other sons,
because he had been born to him when he was old. He made a long robe with full
sleeves for him. When his brothers saw that their father loved
Joseph more than he loved them, they hated their brother so much that they
would not speak to him in a friendly manner. (Genesis 37:3-4)
The sons of Rachel band together to throw Joseph into a pit
to die, then decide to sell him into slavery. “What will we gain by killing
our brother and covering up the murder? Let's sell him to
these Ishmaelites. Then we won't have to hurt him; after all, he is our
brother, our own flesh and blood.” His brothers agreed, and
when some Midianite traders came by, the brothers pulled Joseph out
of the well and sold him for twenty pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites, who
took him to Egypt. (Genesis 37:26-28)
As we look at our own tendencies to dislike or even hate
someone (or some culture) because they are different, how might living as
Christ taught change our response?
Jesus says, You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your
neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for
those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He
causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the
righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love
you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than
others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as
your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:43-48)
Jesus expands the meaning of neighbor in the Parable of the
Good Samaritan, where it is the unexpected (hated) Samaritan who helps the
wounded man. Jesus, on the cross, cries out Father, forgive them. Jesus
calls us to go beyond the personal and cultural norms to build relationships
and bridges instead of burning them.
