May 11, 2008 - Dreams Come True
This Sunday we will see the realization of Joseph’s dreams after 22 long years. Joseph’s dreams seemed to be about him alone, but they were really God’s dreams for all the family. They were dreams of life coming to fruition in the midst of death, that is, the death of famine. We might have more understanding if we put it into another context. Do you remember what Jesus said to the crowds? “Blessed are you that hunger now for you shall be satisfied” (Lk 6:21), or “Do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink” (Mt 6:25). God is a gracious God who operates to save his people from certain annihilation.
Emotion fills today’s passage as Joseph reveals himself. His revelation was a time of dismay for the brothers because of the burden of their guilt. Joseph, however, having now experienced the way God moved him into positions of blessing, interprets everything that happened in the paradigm of faith. The fruition of his dreams meant the culmination of the greater divine plan. Surely his tremendous tears expressed feelings of the deepest appreciation for God’s work, along with the true emotion of being reunited with his family. He freely allowed reconciliation and new beginnings, even though he had been deeply, deeply offended. What a blessing to be able to let go of all that is in the past.
Joseph understood the dreams in terms of God’s activity, and continued to operate in that framework. Much in this world pressures us to live and act otherwise, to question and second guess God and God’s purposes. This passage is a must to ponder, because of its encouraging lesson that God is indeed at work in the world.
Let’s consider these questions between now and Sunday (after reading the rest of the story in Genesis 42-45!):
- What emotions do you recognize in this passage?
- Do you think joy was one of them?
- God has been hidden for the most part throughout this story and only at the end are God’s decisive acts revealed. How does this help us regarding our own dreams, both personally and as the community of faith at FPCD?
Sermon: Genesis 45 - Dreams Come True