Tenth Sunday after Trinity 09 08 2026
OLD TESTAMENT READING: Genesis 37.1-4,12-28
NEW TESTAMENT READING: Romans 10.5-15
GOSPEL: Matthew 14.22-33
We heard a very sad story in the Old Testament reading. Jacobs family were farmers and the entire family were involved in sheep rearing. The twelfth child of Jacob was a dreamer, a prophetic dreamer. He saw dreams and also interpreted the dreams. And Jacob was very affectionate to Joseph because he was born to Rachel after several years. Jacob made a multi coloured coat to Joseph.
Josephs brothers were irritated by his dreams and were bit jealous because of the multi coloured coat. It is very sad when we see jealousy and hatred amongst children. Jealousy can be very serious as it eventually turns into hatred. The brothers went to the extreme of plotting to get rid of their brother. Jacob sends Joseph to find about the brothers as they had been away from home sometime. When the brothers saw Joseph come all alone to look for them they used this as an opportunity to kill him. Two of the brothers however intervene and stop the plot to kill him. They do something atrocious. They get hold of Joseph and tear his multi coloured coat and throw him into a pit. Later They see traders travelling in that direction and sell their brother to them as a slave. The traders take Joseph and go on their way to Egypt.
The bible tells us how God was with Joseph even while his own brothers hated him so much and even got rid of him. This unfortunate event which was a misfortune for Joseph later turned out to be an amazing experience for Joseph as he experienced God’s saving help when he had to face such great number of difficulties and hardships and later God helped Joseph to become an important official in Egypt which was a strange land.
Joseph was in a land where he did not know anyone, absolutely no influence, yet God was with him and changed his life upside down. A slave who became a very popular governor in Egypt and to become the right hand man of Pharoah.
That is the experience the power of God in his life. God can make an adverse situation a blessing. The power of God is to do the impossible the unlikely thing a possibility.
We also heard the power of God in Jesus as he reaches out to his disciples who were stranded in the big lake, battered by the waves. Jesus does the most impossible thing of walking on the water. To be with his troubled disciples. Peter so amazed wanted to have the experience of walking on the water as well. Jesus invites Peter, yes come. Jesus was telling Peter you can also do the impossible thing. He started walking and when he saw the strong winds he got frightened and began to sink. Jesus rescued him and said why did you not have faith. When Jesus reached the boat the winds ceased and there was calm. This was an amazing event as the disciples could see that Jesus is God and began to worship him.
God was with Joseph when his own family disowned him and abandoned him and threw him into a pit and sold him as a slave. There was one thing that Joseph held on to that was God as he was working as a slave and later when he was thrown into prison. Jesus was far away when the disciples were in trouble he knew and came to them walking on the water.
We are encouraged to believe without doubt that God will be with us when we walk in the midst of trouble to even change an adverse situation a blessing.