Advent Devotions

Today’s author is Prince of Peace member Caryn Josephson.

This week’s reading (Genesis 39:1-23) finds Joseph falsely accused and thrown into prison. This isn’t the first time Joseph has found misfortune: his brothers sold him into slavery, and he was taken to Egypt. In both Potiphar’s household and in prison, those in authority recognize Joseph’s God-given talents and entrust him with responsibility. First, he manages Potiphar’s household, and later he is placed in charge of his fellow prisoners. Ultimately his gift of interpretation of dreams draws the attention of Pharaoh and his skills and insights save the people of Egypt and his own family from famine.

Genesis 39:23 ends with the words ‘… whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper’. As I contemplated this story, I was struck by parallels with the verses that the St Paul Area Synod has chosen as its theme for the year: Jeremiah 29:4-7, 10-11. The verses from Jeremiah were lifted up at the installation of Bishop Justin Grimm, and were also a key part of the synod’s Mission Support Thank-You dinner (which I’ll write about in Friday’s devotion).

Jeremiah 29:11 is often used as a confirmation or graduation card verse: “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” But, the rest of the passage provides a deeper context for those encouraging words:
4 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 [Make families and form relationships there]; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. … 10 For thus says the Lord: Only when Babylon’s seventy years are completed will I visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. 11 For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.

The words of Jeremiah speak to people in exile. Experiences of exile are not all the same, but they can lead to feelings of uncertainty or despair. In Joseph’s case exile was forced upon him when he was being sold into slavery and then being falsely accused and thrown into prison. Some people experience exile as immigrants or refugees experiencing violence or hardship to provide a better life for their families. Others may intentionally choose exile by moving away from family or friends to take a new job or to be closer to needed care. Whether intentional or imposed, exile can leave us wondering how to live faithfully in a time or place we didn’t expect.

Joseph’s story helps us hear Jeremiah’s words more fully. Joseph could not choose where he lived or what happened to him, but he could choose to remain faithful where he had been placed. In Potiphar’s house, in prison, and later in Pharaoh’s court, he used his gifts for the welfare of those around him. His success was not an escape from hardship; it was God working through him in the midst of hardship. Jeremiah offers a similar invitation to the exiles in Babylon – to build, plant, pray and seek the welfare of the place where you are even during times of uncertainty. This example can be the invitation for us as well: when life feels unfamiliar, confining, or far from what we hoped, we don’t need to wait for better circumstances before serving our neighbors. We can plant, build, pray, and seek the good of the place where we are, trusting that God is already at work there—and that even in exile, God is preparing a future with hope.

Questions to ponder:
• What periods of exile have you or your community experienced?
• How has God shown up during those periods of exile?
• What gifts can you use to help others during times of challenge?