Rooted - Vision

Perhaps when we think about a list of things that help keep us rooted in faith, the thing that I am going to show us in scripture today is not on your list because it does not come to mind as something which keeps us rooted. In fact, maybe there are a number of us who would not put this anywhere on our list of things that are connected with faith at all. It is the idea of vision.

Perhaps the reason we do not spend time considering the role of vision in our life of faith is because we don’t always understand what vision is all about. Vision itself is simply a reference to a person’s ability to see—it has to do with eyesight. But the idea of vision goes deeper in organizational leadership settings. In that context vision has to do with defining and projecting an organization’s preferred future. Organizations look to leaders who will cast the vision.

One of the misunderstandings about this is an assumption that visionary people are somehow especially gifted to imagine the possibilities and create vision. The truth is that vision is not created. Visionary leaders do not come up with vision. Good vision is being able to see and articulate the current reality of what is already there and point that in a direction which lands towards a preferred future outcome. In this sense, vision is not something reserved for just organizational leaders. Rather, vision is something we all do (or perhaps ought to do, but struggle to grasp). What I am going to lay out today is the way in which each one of us can be rooted in a sense of vision which empowers renewal in our own faith. Consider how it plays out in the story of Joseph here at the very end of the book of Genesis.

Genesis 50:15–26 (NIV)

Genesis 50:15–26 NIV

15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?” 16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died: 17 ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept. 18 His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said. 19 But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 21 So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them. 22 Joseph stayed in Egypt, along with all his father’s family. He lived a hundred and ten years 23 and saw the third generation of Ephraim’s children. Also the children of Makir son of Manasseh were placed at birth on Joseph’s knees. 24 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” 25 And Joseph made the Israelites swear an oath and said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.” 26 So Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten. And after they embalmed him, he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.

Exodus 13:19 (NIV)

Exodus 13:19 NIV

19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the Israelites swear an oath. He had said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place.”

the death of Jacob terrifies the brothers of Joseph

There are a few details in this story that should catch our attention. Just look at the way in which the death of Jacob terrifies the brothers of Joseph. It’s almost like the author of Genesis pulls back the curtain and gives us a glimpse into their minds to see exactly what they are thinking. It is obvious that the bothers of Joseph are holding onto an assumption that Joseph is really out to get them, and the only reason Joseph has not taken revenge on his brothers for past cruelty is out of respect for their father, Jacob. It is as though they think Joseph is only pretending to be nice as long as their father is alive. And now that their father is gone, they seem to agree that nothing will now stop Joseph from getting even.

It is not clear in this passage if these brothers of Joseph actually feel any remorse for what they did to Joseph so many years ago. They do not go to Joseph with an apology of their own. In fact, they are still trying to leverage the authority of their father. They do not say to Joseph, “we want you to forgive us.” They say to Joseph, “dad wanted you to forgive us.” And several biblical commentators suggest that Jacob may have never actually given this instruction, but that the brothers made it up just trying to save themselves from Joseph.

the vision of the brothers

Let’s pause right here for a moment and consider what is taking place. The brothers of Joseph are—perhaps unintentionally—acting here with vision; but not a vision which is rooted in faith. Let’s unpack this. These bothers of Joseph are looking ahead towards a preferred future. In their case, it is a future in which their brother Joseph does not capture and horrifically torture them for the rest of their lives in vengeance for the cruelty they inflicted upon Joseph years ago. They reach for a vision in which they can remain in a good relationship with Joseph.

Perhaps even that may be a little too gracious. What they do is fall at the feet of Joseph and beg Joseph to allow them to be his slaves. Perhaps the best vision they can come up with here is that being a slave is better than being tortured or killed. Wow, that’s a pretty lousy vision; but in this Bible story it seems like the best they can imagine hoping for.

inwardly focused — ignores or refuses to accept the activity of God

What can we say about this vision of the future we see coming from these brothers of Joseph? There is one feature I want to highlight for us. This is a vision that is entirely inwardly focused and concerned only with self-preservation. Now let me be clear on this; self-preservation is not in itself necessarily a bad thing. The farmer who plants a field in the spring in order to harvest food for the family to eat demonstrates a vision which looks to a preferred future—a future in which the family has food to eat. This is self-preservation. But what we see in these brothers of Joseph is something different. It is a vision that springs forth from a place of fear and anxiety. It is a vision that takes shape because they are afraid.

self-preservation — it is just about them and their survival

And because they are afraid, something else gets lost. It is a vision which completely forgets God. These bothers of Joseph who have themselves experienced being saved from a famine and welcomed into a place of privilege in the land of Egypt completely miss the way God has been at work in all these activities. Their vision for their preferred future does not leave room for God. It is a vision which is not rooted in faith.

fear — it comes from anxiety about unresolved conflict

I wonder how often that same tendency bends our way. Maybe it is not intentional, but it still happens that fears take over and shape the vision we embrace of the future. We live in a world where churches all around North America were rocked by changes that occurred during the covid pandemic. Some are inclined to circle around a vision for church that may be about self-preservation; it is inward focused and only concerned with survival. Let’s be honest for a moment; 75% of all churches in North America are in a state of decline, and this church has seen its share of that.

But I think we have more to see here than just an option of embracing a vision of self-preservation. There is more we can do than just focusing on a vision of survival that hinges on fear. We can be people who see a vision which is rooted in faith. There is space here for all of us to see a way in which we can view our lives with a God-filled vision that is rooted in faith. Who among us would not want to see our preferred future in ways that are centered around a God-filled vision? I think we are given a wonderful picture of that example in this passage from Genesis as well.

Look again at Joseph’s response to his brothers. He says in verse 20.

Genesis 50:20 (NIV)

Genesis 50:20 NIV

20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

the vision of Joseph

Joseph has vision here too. But the kind of vision that Joseph demonstrates is very different than that of his brothers. Joseph embraces a vision that does not come from a place of fear and self-preservation. in fact, Joseph recognizes that the struggles that came upon him at the hands of his brothers would turn out to be for the preservation of others—the saving of many lives.

outward — attentive to what God is doing

God as the primary actor

Let’s identify some of the features we see in this God-filled vision that is rooted in faith. there are a few things we can learn here from the example of Joseph that show what a God-filled vision rooted in faith could look like in our own lives today. First, Joseph is attentive to what God is doing as he works towards a vision of a preferred future. You get the sense in this story that the brothers pay no attention at all to what God is up to or where God is leading. But Joseph is very attuned to God’s activity. In fact, Joseph places God as the primary actor in his explanation of how events have unfolded. And it carries forward into Joseph’s explanation of how he envisions the future unfolding as well. In Joseph’s view, God is the one who is at work in the events of the world. And so, Joseph’s accounting for the reality of his world and his vision of where it is headed stays focused on where he sees the activity of God showing up.

difficult to see a God-filled preferred future of where we are headed if we do not see the ways that God fills our world right now

Having a vision that is rooted in faith starts by being attentive to the places where God is at work right now. It is difficult to see a God-filled preferred future of where we are headed if we do not see the ways that God fills our world right now, the places where God is already showing up and being actively present in today’s world. Joseph sees God at work in his vision of the days to come because Joseph is able to see God at work in his present. That’s true for us too. The best way to begin answering the question, “where is God taking my life?” is by answering the question, “where is God already at work in my world right now?” Joseph’s brothers were not aware of what God was doing; and so, their vision of the future missed where God was leading. Joseph remained aware of God’s activity in the events around him; and so, Joseph’s vision of the future is also able to remain focused on where God is active.

expansive — it sees beyond himself

Second, we see in the example of Joseph a vision that sees beyond himself. The brothers were only concerned about their own self-preservation. Joseph sees a vision that is bigger than himself; he sees beyond himself. Joseph recognizes that what God is doing in his life is taking shape for the good of others. It is not about Joseph getting the life he wants for himself; it is about Joseph getting the life God is arranging for him.

love — it is a vision that includes and embraces others

Look again at just how deep this vision goes into the faith of Joseph. His final instruction he gives before dying is that his bones will be taken from Egypt and carried to the promise land of Canaan in the future. Joseph recognizes that he given his life toward setting up a vision of a preferred future that he himself will not get to see with his own eyes. It is a vision of what God is doing that extends even beyond Joseph’s own lifetime. But because Joseph is so attuned to the activity of God in his world around him, he is able to see and share this vision with confidence that God will continue to be active in and among his people. And so, in the day when God brings his people back into the promised land, Joseph wants his bones laid to rest there too.

It is a good reminder for us that a God-filled vision rooted in faith is able to envision your own walk with God in ways that can see beyond just you. Joseph shows us a faith that sees beyond himself because it is a faith that is rooted in a vision of the bigger activity of God in and around him. God is certainly active in and around us in our world today as well. Which means you and I can have a faith rooted in a larger vision of what God is doing. And that means a faith for each one of us that is able to see beyond ourselves.

Joseph provides a picture that points forward to Jesus

And finally, we should not miss the way these Old Testament stories in the Bible demonstrate a faith that points forward to Jesus. Joseph clings to a vision in which God is the one who comes to rescue his people. Joseph knows that salvation comes from God, and that it is only by the direct activity of God that his people can be saved. Joseph submitted himself to the activity of God; Joseph was willing to lose everything so that God could bring about saving the lives of his people. Joseph provides a picture that points forward to Jesus. It is the Son Jesus who submits to the appointed will of the heavenly Father to give everything—even his own life on the cross—to bring about the saving of his people.

In God’s vision you are his beloved creation, his special child

In the bigger picture, we see here that God himself carries a vision of a preferred future for his people. Way back in the garden of Eden in Genesis 3 God declares to the tempter that a day will come when the serpent will be crushed. All of the history of God’s people in the Bible leads up to the unfolding of that vision, when Jesus would die on the cross and be raised from the grave on the third day so that you and I and all of God’s people may have the guilt of our own sin taken away, and that we may now be covered in the perfect righteousness of Christ. God has a vision. In God’s vision you are his beloved creation, his special child. And God envisioned a way for all the brokenness you carry in this sinful world to be removed and held against you. God envisioned a way that he himself would place his righteousness upon you. Jesus came into this world, not for his own self-preservation, but to give himself for you and for me.

The cross and resurrection are at the very center of the faith we carry. The story of Joseph points forward to the cross. And the activity of God in our world today should always point us back to the cross. In the cross we remember the vision God has for his people to be made holy by the sacrifice of Christ. In the cross we remember that the vision of our faith extends beyond just me. In the cross we remember that our faith carries us to a future that is rooted with God.