Moses - murderer.  Yes to save another but a murderer nonethelessNote - another "Well" momentHoly Ground - the place where we learn the deepest truth of the world?Name of God - truly this is an unpronounceable and nearly-impossible-to-translate word Why did Matthew put this healing here.  No other healings around this one.  Temple tax - another one that I am honestly not sure what to do with it Ps...  Read More

When the days of weeping for him were past.  What a beautiful description of grief.  Joseph's graceWhat was the progression of the Egyptians' hatred for the Hebrews?Courage of two women - Shiphrah and Puah - Moses would likely not have survived without their courageous disobedience Who do you say that I am?  Who do others say Jesus is?  How do we put ourselves in the way of God's work?Reading the ...  Read More

Cycles repeating themselves is a theme in the Bible.  The last first, the first last.  Where else have you seen this?Last blessing - yikes.  Better to be flatly honest in the blessing or not?Jacob - gathered to his people.  Once again, I love this phrase.   Healing on the Mount - and then a feeding on the mount!Request for a sign - Oh how we are never satisfiedJesus uses yeast here in a negative w...  Read More

This Jacob has become so different.  Do we allow space for people to truly change?  "We are more than the worst mistake we ever made" - Bryan StevensonVerse 28 - how does your translation cover it?  In the Hebrew, it is simply "he".  However, NRSV says "Israel" - example of an interpretation decisionJoseph acknowledges the prejudices of the EgyptiansBut notice what Joseph and the Pharaoh do when t...  Read More

The reveal - so now that it is all "out" - how do you feel about what Joseph did?  Serves his brothers right?  Over the top?  Other?Joseph - Coming to see God's hand in how things turned out.  But was it that God guided the whole thing or that God worked in the midst of it?  Changes our way of understanding God depending on our answer?  What a gift for Jacob to hear that Joseph is alive Context - ...  Read More

Joseph feels like he's really piling on here.  Remember Joseph's dream that he had back in the day?  Well, it is fulfilled here.  His brothers bowing down to himI call this section "grace-ish" from Joseph Another kingdom parable - justice and choosingMessage translation of 13:52 - Helps me in the understanding of what is said there - He said, “Then you see how every student well-trained in God’s k...  Read More

Again, how is God still speaking today?  Do you feel God is still speaking in new ways today?  Why or why not?Joseph - interpreted as his faithfulness is rewardedHow do you feel about what Joseph is starting to do here with his brothers? Weeds and wheat - How do we view others and trust in how God works?Kingdom Parable Section - kingdom is compared to that which is tiny, unnoticed, yet transformat...  Read More

God working through awful circumstancesPotiphar's wife - more trials for Joseph with still more to come.  Its not easy and never simpleDreams - how do you feel about what dreams say to us?  Does God speak through dreams still today?  When have you had a dream that was significant?  Ask me about the mountain lion sometime... Jesus redefines family here.  "Chosen" family and not just "born-into" fam...  Read More

Technicolor Dreamcoat time!  What's your favorite song from the musical?Family dysfunction again...One of those stories of having to go through the trials before coming out the other sideQustion - Did God put Onan to death or is that simply how the people of his time interpreted his death?  Remember we're dealing with ancient cultures hereAnd more family weirdness... Blaspheming the Spirit - lots ...  Read More

Renaming of Jacob.  "Israel" means "struggled" or "wrestled" with God.  This is something that has stayed with the Jewish people - tradition of midrash, arguing, debating, wrestling with the stories and with God. God reaffirms the covenant once againThings are being set up for the story of the brothers, Joseph, etc.  I love the phrase - that Isaac was "gathered to his people." Jesus is once again ...  Read More

Wrestling story - was it an angel?  Was it God?  Someone/thing else?  There's a literal meaning here and a figurative one. On the figurative side, I love how this story notes that when we encounter God, we are marked and we are changed.  Note the grace of Esau - no reason he had to be grace-filled with Jacob but he is.  A lesson in there for usStory of Dinah - Horrible story.  No way of trying to ...  Read More

Jacob continues his trickery,but somehow God is still at workRachel seems to be a good match for him...Notice though that Laban still makes a covenant with Jacob in spite of it allNow Jacob has to deal with EsauIs Jacob starting to "get it"? What is Jesus meaning here with the sword?  I thought of the message of Bonhoeffer in Life Together - When Christ calls a person he bids them come and die.  I...  Read More