As a child, 

my mother would often read Bible stories to me before bedtime, 

and one of my favourite stories was the one about Joseph.

The story still sparks my imagination because it has all the elements of a powerful drama: jealousy, betrayal, false accusation, political intrigue, disaster, and reconciliation. 

Many of the elements of the Joseph saga are things we can relate to, esp. the family dynamics, and the sibling rivalry.

In our reading this evening, jealousy plays a big role in setting the stage 

for what is to befall poor, poor Joseph.

As our story opens, we are introduced to Joseph as a teenager, 17 years old, 

almost a man, who is a bit of a tattle-tale, 

he’s snitching on his stepbrothers (whose mothers were just concubines of his father), telling his dad that “ Dan and Naphtali and the others weren’t doing their job properly.”

Already there is some tension in the air!

Then we hear that Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, (which is perhaps understandable 

as he’s the first son of his favourite wife Rachel, who had just recently died. So Joseph was the main connection remaining to the love of his life.)

To show this favour he had for Joseph, Jacob made (he didn’t buy it) a special robe.

What precisely was unusual about this coat is a little unclear 

in the original Hebrew, but most translations describe it as being ornamented or else that this tunic was long, reaching to his feet.

It was not a practical robe if it was long like that, but something to show off, something a ruler would wear sitting on a throne, but not a boy who was out helping his brothers tending the flocks!

Interestingly, it doesn’t say that the brothers were envious of this coat, but that the brothers saw that Jacob loved him more than them, they “hated him” and they had some pretty rude things to say to him.

The coat itself was not such a big deal but it was more of a symbol, 

and perhaps it was the proverbial straw 

that broke the camel’s back: 

Jacob was being really unfair, treating the favourite son of the favourite wife in this way.

And then came the dreams, where Joseph was implying that his whole family would be bowing down to him, something which even upset his father.

And the brothers hated him even more and were truly jealous.

Now, Joseph isn’t completely innocent here. He seems a little immature in his showing off and provoking of his brothers, maybe to get back at them for this and that. He doesn’t know how to keep quiet, 

he’s digging his own hole, he should have just kept that bragging to himself and be a little more discreet!

But he doesn’t, and so his brothers stew with anger.

//

Meta Herrick Carlson (ChurchAnew: Lent to Go 2026) 

raises the question of whether the brothers’ bitterness and jealousy 

is more than personal.

Perhaps the story of the brothers’ jealousy 

isn’t just about Joseph and Jacob, 

but is part of patterns that extend far further up 

into their Family of Origin.

Playing favourites in (the book of) Genesis goes back to Chapter 3,

Where God had regard for Abel but not Cain.

Abraham had a favourite son in Isaac, 

but sent his other son Ishmael with his mother Hagar 

away into the wilderness.

Isaac had Esau as his favourite son, 

Rebekah had Jacob as hers, and there was a lot of jealousy between the two boys.

Jacob had a favourite wife (Rachel), 

and so it’s understandable that he would favour her children 

over the children of Leah, the wife he didn’t really want in the first place.

But it’s Leah who is constantly pregnant with his sons, 

but she can’t seem to win over his heart, 

(and she’s jealous of Rachel and vice versa) 

and so…

are her sons then trying to protect their mother by ganging up on Joseph? 

As Carlson writes: 

“Genesis is filled with stories about family systems, 

dysfunctional relationships, 

and some chosen while others are simply blessed…

I am convinced that most of the patriarchs needed 

more hugs 

while they were growing up, 

embodied reminders that love is not scarce 

and you don’t have to make someone else feel small to puff yourself up.”

Jealousy is nothing new in this world 

and is something we are all familiar with.

—

Brené Brown (“Atlas of the Heart”) defines jealousy as something that happens “when we fear losing a relationship or a valued part of a relationship that we already have.” 

Jealousy is a “response to feeling anger, sadness or fear.”

In the example of Joseph

Jacob loves Joseph more; 

the other sons fear losing Jacob’s love, 

So they become jealous, as a response to this fear. 

Ideally, the sons would have confronted their father who would have realized he was being unfair, and he could have corrected the situation.

But likely the sons couldn’t challenge the patriarch. 

In this hierarchical family system, 

Jacob makes all the rules,

And so the men further down in the pecking order take it out on the even younger boy.

============

Where do we fit into all this?

I think we can all identify with the emotion of jealousy, that "tangle of scarcity, suspicion and feeling threatened”. (Brown)

We all have insecurities, and we resort to measuring our loved ones’ affection and vying for their attention, esp. if we fear we are losing out.

We all probably have experienced the fear of a loss of a loved one’s fondness.

What is your experience of jealousy?

What part do you play in your family system?

Do you have a favourite child, or parent or sibling?

Do you notice how someone else is perhaps 

not as favoured as the others?

As we well know, 

playing favourites in families gets messy and causes fractures. 

Jealousy is a powerful emotion that can help (us) address unfairness (and inequity), but can also lead to rash action, and violence.

—

In this Season of Lent we are called to honesty and introspection, being frank and coming to terms with ourselves, our neighbours and God.

A particular part of this 

is our rite of Confession and Forgiveness, with which most Lutheran churches would begin their Lenten Sunday services. 

The rite we use at St. Matthews has us confessing how

"we have acted out of fear, placing blame on others, yet holding ourselves apart.”

I’d challenge you to add jealousy to the list of things 

to be mindful of this season, 

and how hurt can come about with all its underlying emotions.

And as we confess and are honest to God, we also receive Forgiveness:

Remembering that God came that all might be saved through him,

And knowing that ultimately, we are enough, we are loved and we are free.