Children’s Message--Sibling Rivalry—Genesis 37:12-28--Aug. 7--8th Sunday after Pentecost

Lots of us have brothers or sisters. I have a big sister. The story goes that when I was born and came home from the hospital, my sister got kind of jealous. She got pretty sick of people coming in and cooing at me and saying how pretty I was and bringing me presents and all of those other things that happen when a new baby comes. Eventually she got fed up, and, as the story is told in our house, finally told someone who was goo-goo-gaa-ing over me, that if they liked the baby so much, they could just take her home! I’ve heard other stories where big brothers or sisters were even craftier than my sister and offered to sell the new baby to visitors! Now, as you can imagine if you have a sister or brother, my sister eventually decided that I was OK and I could stay in the family.

Today’s Bible reading focuses on some brothers who even as grown men got jealous of their little brother. Joseph, known to many of us as the man with the coat of many colors, was the youngest son of Jacob, who we have been hearing about lots over this summer. Joseph had special dreams. When he told his brothers about his dreams, they didn’t like what he dreamed about. They got so jealous that they did sell him to get rid of him!!

Yes, Joseph’s brothers were mean, and they even sold him away to get rid of him. He ended up in jail, but eventually the very thing that got his brothers so mad—his dreams-- ended up being what saved him. It is funny how in families we get mad, we argue, we do things we sometimes feel really bad about, but we always hope that in the end, our love of each other, and our love of our families will be the most important thing for us.

Let’s pray:
Loving God
We thank you for the love of our families.
Help us to care for each other
And love each other
As you love us. Amen.

(This is a re-post of a 2008 message)