Lectionary for Feb. 23, 2025
Seventh Sunday after Epiphany
Genesis 43:3-11, 15; Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40;
1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50; Luke 6:27-38
My kiddos watch a lot of Star Wars and frequently quote Yoda’s warning: “Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” If I were a better dad, they might quote angels who repeatedly offer the comforting words of “do not fear.” Whether our source is Star Wars or Scripture, however, the message around fear is the same: it does not lead to the things of God. In this week’s lectionary readings, Judah walks a path away from fear toward trust and preemptively follows the commands of Jesus.
When Joseph prophesied that his brothers would bow to him, Rueben and Judah had much to fear. They came from a family in which elder sons were deposed and sent away in favor of the younger ones. Abraham sent Ishmael out into the wilderness in favor of Isaac. God and Rebekah conspired to give Jacob the blessing in place of Isaac’s favored son, Esau. It stands to reason that Jacob’s sons should expect that they would be displaced in birth order and geography. That well-founded fear, coupled with Jacob’s obvious favoritism toward Joseph and Benjamin, had some of the brothers planning to kill Joseph before he could deliver another bad report about them to their father (Genesis 37:2-3). Reuben prevented the fratricide, but Judah foiled his rescue plans by selling his brother into slavery (21-22, 26, 29).
After Joseph was sold, we have the parallel stories of Judah’s and Joseph’s descents. The Hebrew uses the verb “to go down” to describe how Joseph descends to slavery in Egypt before being raised to Pharoah’s service (39:1). Similarly, Judah descended (38:1) to practice abusive family politics against Canaanite women. It was only in recognizing that his daughter-in-law, Tamar, was more righteous than he was that Judah is reborn into the righteous family leader that he would become.
Where once Judah had led his brothers in selling Joseph into slavery because of his fears of Rachel’s son displacing him, in this week’s reading he takes personal responsibility for ensuring the safety of Rachel’s other son, Benjamin. “I myself will take responsibility for him” (43:9). This is a sort of moral resurrection for Judah. He sinned against his family and God, descended for a time, and then was raised up again. Judah led the way to rescue the imprisoned Simeon and offered himself as a prisoner so Benjamin could go free (44:14-34). Judah has truly been remade!
Whether our source is Star Wars or Scripture, the message around fear is the same: it does not lead to the things of God.
Hundreds of years later, Jesus would teach that when someone wrongs you, do not respond with anger or violence but with moral strength. If someone slaps you (Luke doesn’t specify the cheek side) turn the other cheek as well. If someone takes your cloak, prepare to give your tunic. If someone asks something of you, give it without hesitation (Luke 6:29-30). We are not just to love those who love us first, but also those who do evil.
Joseph gave bad reports about his brothers to their father. Jacob, who should have known better, played favorites with his sons until the day of his death (Genesis 49). Judah initially responded to this toxic family situation by refusing to murder Joseph, as other brothers wished, but by selling the threatening sibling into slavery. After descending, experiencing humility and then rising again, Judah performed sacrificial love even for the brother who was the biggest threat to his position in the family.
What is resurrected is not the same as what has been put to death (1 Corinthians 15:36-37). When we put to death the deeds of the flesh (Romans 8:13), we are remade a new creation in Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17). We no longer act like the rest of the world, loving only those who love us; doing good only to those who do good to us; lending only to those from whom we expect repayment. Jesus says even unrepentant sinners do that. Instead, we are to give good in return for evil.
If we worry, as individuals or a community, that someone means us ill, we can be like young Judah and preemptively strike against them. Or we can be like the mature Judah and take a special interest in protecting and safeguarding the one who is the biggest threat to our own position and interest. That is what it means to follow Jesus, who gave himself up for sinners.
