READING: Genesis 36-37, Matthew 12:15-37
Sometimes I forget what sin does to us.
I’m reminded of that truth today as I read about Joseph’s brothers putting him in a pit and then selling him off as a slave. Their jealousy of Joseph so consumed them that “they plotted to kill him” (Gen. 37:18). He was their brother, but that relationship apparently didn’t matter to almost all of them. Rueben at least attempted to save Joseph, but to no avail. Even when Judah said not to kill their own flesh and blood, we must wonder about his motive. Joseph would still be alive, but he was now no more than a piece of property to sell.
What most strikes me in this text, though, is what the brothers did after they threw Joseph into the pit: “Then they took him and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it. Then they sat down to eat a meal” (Gen. 37:24-25, emphasis added). Seemingly, the brothers were able to feed their bellies while their brother was jailed in a pit near them. It’s even hard for me to imagine – somehow they were so un-convicted about their actions that they could share a meal together. Jealousy had trumped relationship and erased love.
That’s what sin does to us. It hardens us. It numbs us to the hurt of others around us. It consumes us even while it convinces us that we’re justified in our actions. It allows us to eat a temporary meal and ignore the eternal consequences of our actions.
And, it’s just not worth it. Disciples of Jesus understand that truth.
Prayer: “God, deal with my heart so I never become numb to my sin.”
Tomorrow’s reading: Genesis 38-40, Matthew 12:38-13:17