Today’s first reading begins the great Old Testament adventures of Joseph (remember the amazing technicolour dreamcoat).

This section of the book of Genesis tells of Joseph’s brothers wanting to get rid of their father’s favourite son and selling him to passing slave-traders who sell him on when they arrive in Egypt.

The account that follows is one of the greatest tales of human history, a story that children love and adults find liberating since it is a journey from captivity to freedom.

This saga continues (I’ll leave out all grammar to save time) with a famine prompting Jacob to send his sons (Joseph’s brothers) down to Egypt (a distance of approximately 900km) to find food Joseph reuniting with his brothers and the group of them setting up home in Egypt then becoming unpopular because a new Pharoah (who did not know Joseph) feared that these Israelites breeding so prolifically that they were overtaking the country then Moses leading the people from captivity (after plagues) across the desert through the parted Red Sea receiving Ten Commandments to arrival in the Jerusalem land of milk and honey.

That’s the short version journey of the wonderful story.

The entire Old and New Testaments of the scriptures are about human error and God’s loving response. God turns a tragic human event (brothers selling one of their own into slavery) into a gift. That’s good news for people like me, to be reminded that God uses my mistakes, when I acknowledge my failure, to make even better than before. The things that we might label errors or slip-up’s are often used by God (if I am co-operative) for God’s purposes.

God delights in writing straight with the crooked lines of our lives.

As Jesus reminds his listeners quoting the scriptures in today’s gospel:

The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes.

An Invitation:

• Take 12 minutes in the next day or two to watch this great animation (at this link) of the Joseph story with children, grandchildren, nephews, nieces, godchildren or the children you teach. I guarantee you also will learn a lot about the power that God wants to be invited to unleash in your life.

• We can easily believe that God worked these great miracles with those who lived in the days of Joseph. The fact is that in Jesus God is waiting to be asked to work miracles in your life today. NOTE this is a much better offer than getting three free wishes from a magician! SO ASK GOD NOW AND OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS FOR THE MIRACLE THAT YOU NEED IN YOUR LIFE. Then wait in expectant hope for the evidence that God has heard your prayer.

• The number of readers who have contributed to the financial support of FFF has exceeded our expectations and as a result we have had to set up a receipt system which is now in place. Receipts for all who sent their email or postal address have been sent today. If you have not received a receipt and would like one please send an email to john@fff.org.nz. Future donations will be automatically receipted within a few days of being received. If you would like to join the team who provide financial support for FFF follow this link. SUPPORTING FFF