Dysfunction

There are no perfect families

But there is a perfect God, full of mercy & love. A perfect God, who came and dwelt among us, who is familiar with our frailties, familiar with our flaws as individuals, families, cities, and countries. Familiar enough that he doesn’t want us to stay in our dysfunction.

Can’t we all just get along - Exhibit A. Joseph & his brothers Genesis 37:5–12 “And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers. And they hated him even more. And he said to them, “Listen now to this dream that I dreamed. Now behold, we were binding sheaves in the midst of the field and, behold, my sheaf stood up and it remained standing. Then behold, your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf.” Then his brothers said to him, “Will you really reign over us? Or will you truly rule over us?” And they hated him even more on account of his dream and because of his words. Then he dreamed yet another dream and told it to his brothers. And he said, “Behold, I dreamed a dream again, and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” And he told it to his father and to his brothers. And his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Will I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the ground to you?” And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in …”

Learning about God’s love through dysfunction: while I have said it and the scriptures tell us the end results, playing favorites in a family leads to problems. I would not recommend it, yet we find that God will use dysfunction to bring about his will, his plan. God’s love is not impersonal, it is very personal. Psalm 8 “For the music director, on the Gittith. A psalm of David. Yahweh, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth, who put your splendor above the heavens. From the mouth of children and infants you have founded strength on account of your enemies, to silence the enemy and the avenger. When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you set in place— what is a human being that you think of him? and a child of humankind that you care for him? And you made him a little lower than heavenly beings, and with glory and with majesty you crowned him. You make him over the works of your hands; all things you have placed under his feet: sheep and cattle, all of them, and also the wild animals of the field, the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea, everything that passes along the paths of seas. Yahweh, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all of the earth!”

Jesus said it: Matthew 10:26–33 ““Therefore do not be afraid of them, because nothing is hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light, and what you hear in your ear, proclaim on the housetops. And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul, but instead be afraid of the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And one of them will not fall to the ground without the knowledge and consent of your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all numbered! Therefore do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. “Therefore everyone who acknowledges me before people, I also will acknowledge him before my Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies me before people, I also will deny him before my Father who is in heaven.”