Sunday
March 22, 2009

Scripture

Genesis 48:17-19 (ESV)

“When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of

Ephraim, it displeased him, and he took his faither’s hand to move it

from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. And Joseph said to his father,

‘Not this way, my father; since this one is the firstborn, put your

right hand on his head.’ But his father refused and said, ‘I know, my

son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be

great. Nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and

his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.’”

Reflection

Joseph didn’t reach his position in Egypt by traditional means, but it
is obvious by this passage that tradition was important to him.
Tradition dictated that the elder son receive the greater inheritance,
or blessing. However, God had other plans, as Isaac informed Jacob
through the act of blessing the younger.
Traditions are very important. They establish meaningful connections
among a group of people – family, church, college, business,
government. They remind us of who we are, where we come from, how much
we’ve grown. Yet, often, traditions become something we “just do”
without meaning or thought. Jesus honored the tradition of the
Passover Supper, even as he prepared to make the sacrifice of a
lifetime. This was especially meaningful, as the tradition
foreshadowed the sacrifice.
At this season of the year, many church members practice the tradition
of giving up, or sacrificing, something for Lent. For the 40 days
leading up to Easter, this serves as a reminder of the sacrifice Jesus
made for us. As a result, people give up the radio, TV, video games,
coffee, desserts, chocolate. But is this truly done as a remembrance,
or just as something they’ve always done? When the desire to eat that
chocolate bar hits, do people use that time to thank Christ for his
sacrifice and consider the meaning, or do they just try to hang on for
“x” more days to be able to eat it again?
Whether this is your practice or not, I hope you will use this special
season to reflect on the traditions you have. Some traditions may have
changed as you matured in your life or faith. You may have begun new
traditions or lost traditions as you’ve faced challenges or added new
connections to your life. May your reflections guide you to honor
those traditions with a renewed sense of how special they are.
And may you honor Christ’s sacrifice this Easter with a renewed sense
of reverence and awe in the power of God that raised Christ from the
dead - the same power that led Isaac to bless Manassah over Ephraim in
anticipation of the blessing yet to come.

Written by a PC Staff

Today Please Pray For:
Students studying abroad