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God Says, "I Put You in Charge"

            How is it possible that a crooked politician like Michael McGee could gain such trust from the voters that they made him an alderman? Why would a company risk losing accounts by offering early retirement packages to its veteran sales staff so it can hire college grads for half the cost? And would someone just tell us where Brett Favre will be playing quarterback? Sometimes the decisions that hire and fire, recruit or replace people in positions don’t make sense. The American public will never allow a 30-year-old ex-convict to take office as vice-president, especially if he’s not a U.S. citizen. But that’s exactly what happened to Joseph in Egypt. And the only explanation is that God orchestrated the circumstances, working behind the scenes for his divine purposes – which included providing for Joseph, but also providing for the Egyptians and the Israelites through Joseph. Then, and today, God Says, “I Put You in Charge” to believers, working behind the scenes to provide us with resources and responsibilities that don’t always make sense but always allow us to make a difference in this world … and the next. And you don’t have to be appointed governor of a world empire to be in charge either. God Says, “I Put You in Charge” of whatever gifts he gives you. How are you using yours?

Of the gifts he gives you

                Part of the drama that grips us in the story of Joseph is his underdog role – whether he’s the youngest brother sold as a slave, the virtuous worker unjustly imprisoned, or the faithful friend forgotten by his fellow prisoners. As an innocent victim stepped on by life circumstances, Joseph definitely not the kind of person we see taking the controls of a dynasty. But God is at his best when he’s working with the least. God promised Abraham and Sarah, unable to bear children, that they would have a son. God reduced Gideon’s army from 32,000 soldiers to 300 before defeating the Midianites. God sent a little shepherd boy to topple an undefeated giant with a stone. You may not be a Rudy Guliani or a partner in the firm. You may not have a pension plan, much less a plan for your life. But Jesus multiplies what you put in his hands. “’We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,’ they replied. ‘Bring them here to me,’ [Jesus] said” (Matthew 14:17,18).

            “I can’t” are two words that are not part of the Christian vocabulary. Yet we too easily excuse our lack of love for others on the false perception that we don’t have enough. Not enough time. Not enough people skills. Not enough money. Not enough training. Not enough opportunity. Others need me – my wife, my children, my classmate from long ago, my neighbor, my parents, a friend, fellow Grace members – but I claim I’m not equipped with enough to help (funny, how we always have enough when we need to take care of me). So we are not what we’re supposed to be. We are a mass of underachievers whining about what we don’t have when others have even less. God observes this and gathers each complaint, each faithless turning away, into one ugly heap of sin and condemns it. Kills it. Sends it to hell in the body and soul of his own dear Son. “Bring them here to me.” Jesus takes even our sins. Then he makes us into something miraculous. He makes us kings and priests. Can you look into the mirror of faith, willing to see that he has made you to be a giant conqueror nervously handling small but mighty stones destined for his purpose?

            Joseph’s stone – his gift – was an uncanny ability to interpret dreams. He had humbly used it to help even some pagan Egyptians. He told people it wasn’t his doing but God’s. Pharaoh, troubled by a dream that his counselors couldn’t interpret, heard about Joseph and summoned him to give his interpretation. Pharaoh was so impressed he told Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” He then gave Joseph his signet ring, robes of fine linen, gold chains and a place in the chariot – marks of authority, but it was really God giving Joseph gifts for service. Pharaoh gave Joseph an Egyptian name and an Egyptian wife to acclimate him to the culture and people, but it was really God giving Joseph opportunities for service. What has God given you? Maybe not superhuman powers or a prestigious position at the top like Joseph, then again the point is not how much Joseph received but how he used it for God’s glory. What has Jesus given you? A special ability to plan and organize, a steady salary, a passion for engineering? “Bring them here to me.” Still searching for what makes you special, barely making your paycheck stretch for two weeks, discouraged about your job? “Bring them here to me.” The resources and responsibilities that make each of us who we are may not mean a whole lot to us, as much as a cup of cold water or hot coffee cheerfully held out may not mean a lot. But Jesus says, “They mean something to me.”

To be a blessing to others

                The History Channel recently aired two programs taking viewers deeper into the bat cave to discover whether Batman is an ordinary person like the rest of us, or if he’s superhuman. In one of the programs, called “Batman Tech,” they demonstrate the incredible array of bat gadgets at Batman’s disposal (if you or I drove the batmobile we could take hairpin turns at 100 mph too). So you really don’t have to be a superhuman to be a superhero. As long as you’re willing to use your gifts, gadgets, resources, and opportunities to help others. In his younger days Joseph was given his share of gifts, including a beautifully designed coat. Instead of wearing the coat humbly and responsibly, however, Joseph abused it and showed off in front of his brothers. Joseph was given a job by his father, Jacob, to report to him about the needs of his brothers working in the fields. But Joseph abused that too, spying on his brothers and bringing reports to his father that made them look more badly behaved than they really were. Young Joseph even had his own dreams but interpreted them with selfish pride about his future. Dreaming about a better life, better position, or better relationship isn’t necessarily what we need to fulfill our God-given calling. Prof. Mark Paustian, in an essay called, “Unleashing Our Calling,” writes,

            God has simply not commanded us to go after our dreams; when was our old flesh ever right about what would make us happy, anyway? Far from occupying our callings for the sake of our own personal fulfillment, we instead find ourselves participating in the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ, emptied by the demands of our callings, by the necessary denial and crucifixion of our flesh with its endless childish clamoring and selfish misery, and the shame-faced realization of what we are really like…emptied out to be filled with Jesus. We are driven to somehow make sense of the futility and failure, the search that exhausts every resource of our own, until it leads us back to him, that is, to the peace this is found in Word and Sacrament. He waits for us there. And it all takes place through vocation, in the context the Lord has chosen for each…with the result that the neighbor gets loved.  When a person’s calling is not the one he or she would have chosen, and in fact, they are unhappy there, this is not evidence of having missed calling, or all by itself a reason to change one’s circumstances.  It is here that our sinful self is daily disciplined, even as the groans and pleas rise up from every true calling and echo through the loving mind of God. (delivered on September 19, 2006 at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary symposium on vocation).

            God, in his mercy, continued to bless Joseph and, enduring through his trials and hardships, Joseph grew to become a blessing to others. As governor of Egypt he administered a system of storage during seven years of bounty that saved Egypt and even the surrounding nations during the seven years of famine that followed. Among the people saved from starvation were not only the Egyptians, but also Joseph’s father and brothers and nephew Perez whose descendant, born 1900 years later, was named Jesus. And there’s more than a family connection between Joseph and Jesus. “Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh.” Jesus was thirty years old when he began his public ministry. “Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah (‘sustainer of life’).” Jesus is the life-giving Savior. Both were rejected by their brothers, both countered by false religion and betrayed by those they trusted, both sold for silver and unjustly condemned, both suffering in a strange land for the good of those who betrayed them, both willing to forgive, using their gifts for believers and heathen alike, both exalted to positions of power. God made Joseph like Jesus, and makes you like Jesus according to this Bible passage, “If anyone serves, they should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory” (1 Peter 4:11) …

            In the movie “Bucket List” the happy, endearing character played by Morgan Freeman addresses the grumpy, selfish character played by Jack Nicholson about what truly matters in life as they befriend each other after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. “There are two things,” he says, “that make a good life. One is – do I have joy in my life? The second – do I bring joy to others?” Supposedly that came from Egyptian religion. Good questions. Good self awareness. And for Christians, we have the best answer and conclusion. Each of us not only has gifts from God that bring us joy, but each of us is a gift that God gives to other people to bring them joy. The Bible says, “God richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment … be rich in good deeds … be generous and willing to share … take hold of the life that is truly life” (1 Timothy 6:17,18). Find your joy in the calling God has given you to be husband, mother, banker, consultant, designer, friend, musician, teacher, son, sister, Grace member. Share you joy by using your gift at home, at work, and at church. Take the gifts that Jesus gives you and give them to him to multiply to others. Then, like Joseph and the disciples, you too can feed thousands. Amen.

Preached at Grace Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, WI (www.gracedowntown.org) on July 27, 2008

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Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church | 1209 North Broadway Milwaukee, WI 53202 | (414) 271-3006

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