On this day of reflection, spend some time contemplating the word of God.

Jesus didn't just come for the special people. He came for all people. To him, everyone is special. The 6th chapter of Mark ends with sick and crippled people clamouring to touch his clothes. And they were all healed. Not just 1 or 2. Not even a handful! I bet that if I was to do a study of the original Greek in the book of Mark, that word "all" would still mean all! Jesus didn't come for the few. He didn't come to save only the cool kids, or the most popular, successful, and influential folks of society. He came for all. That means he came for you. He came for me. He came for that guy who cut you off on the way to work this morning… hmmm... I wonder if that might change the response we have towards people who seemingly don't care about or respect others. I think back when Jesus walked the Earth, some people already understood this. Like the woman who had been bleeding for years. She knew without a doubt that he had healing for her. She is only mentioned once in the Gospels, so it is easy to assume that she was just a regular, average lady who had a problem that she knew Jesus would fix. All she had to do was touch his clothes. That healing and freedom is available to us too! Jesus is there for each and every one of us. None of us is perfect. We all have baggage and pain or hurting in our lives. Why do we hold on to it? Why are we comfortable settling for the way things are? Like the bleeding woman, Christ is there. Within reach. All we need to do is reach out and touch his clothes…

Who are my brothers? The gospel written by Mark is a quick, to the point book about the incredible things Jesus did. The unbelievable love he had for everyone. The truly amazing miracles he performed through the spirit of God. Mark wastes no time in describing healings, deliverance, and all sorts of miracles. He immediately establishes who Jesus is, and why he is come. From Jesus' 1st words in this gospel we know that he is serious: "the time has come. The Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" Make no bones about it, Jesus was here to seek and save the lost. The time had finally come for God to set the stage for our return to him. To bring restitution for our original sin, so many years ago in the garden. Jesus came to show the religious leaders that there is much more to life and freedom than following laws and practicing rituals, simply because that's the way it's been done for years. He came to upset the preconceived notions that the lower class were unable to receive blessings and freedom's. Even tax collectors and sinners were able to enter the Kingdom of God. To him, everyone is equal, and all have access to the blessings and freedom he provides. He came for his bride! He is the bridegroom! While he is here with us, let's party! Let's enjoy his presence!

So ends the 1st book of God's word. Genesis is the foundation of all that is to come. The gospel of Luke talks about the man who built his house after digging deep, down to rock, for his foundation. The stories we read about these past few weeks serve as the beginning. These sometimes unbelievable stories of faith and tragedy lay the cornerstones of what would become the greatest story ever told. Of how God allowed us to fall, to separate ourselves from him. To make a choice about whether to follow him or not, and then ultimately give of himself by the ultimate sacrifice, so we could have a clear path back to him. These great mothers and fathers of the faith that we've heard about come alive in the book of Genesis. We can almost feel what they felt, although we will never know the struggles of survival in a brand new, freshly created world. Somehow through these struggles, They managed to keep the faith alive. They experienced such intimacy with the Lord, but still had their moments of terrible weakness. I still think of the anguish Abraham went through, as he travelled to the high place, fully expecting to sacrifice his only son. The teasing Noah must have endured, as he built a huge boat in the middle of the desert. The complete abandonment Joseph experienced when his brothers sold him to slave traders. I could go on, but these stories all tell of faith in God, and how he can use even the simplest man and consequences to do amazing things!

Imagine Jacob's surprise when he learned that his son who had been dead for years was alive! For many years he had been wallowing in self pity, because he was sure that his beloved Joseph was dead. This was great news! This was absolutely amazing! Not only was Joseph alive, but he was the 2nd in command of all of Egypt! I am sure Jacob was feeling the stress and pressure of sustaining his fuge family through this, the worst famine they had ever experienced. Just think, if he hadn't swallowed his pride and sent his sons to Egypt to buy food, he never would have found out that his beloved Joseph was alive, and orchestrating the survival of the entire known world through this famine! All of a sudden, Jacob went from the stress of providing for dozens of people, to not worrying at all where tomorrow's dinners would come from. I'm sure Jacob thought many times over the years about Joseph's dreams long ago, where he and his family would bow down to joseph. Now to see those dreams come to fruition. Wow! His God is so faithful! He promised prosperity, and he came through! God had a plan. There were times when everything seemed so bleak. How could we possibly get through this time? In the end, God orchestrated everything, in order that Israel's entire household would not only survived the famine, but flourish during it! He also made a way for us to flourish, no matter what our circumstances. He sent his son Jesus. If we only believe in him, not only will we live, but we will live abundantly!

Webster's dictionary defines "compassion" as a sympathetic consciousness of others distress together with a desire to alleviate it. I would be confident to say that the Old Testament's description of compassion would be the life and actions of Joseph. He exemplified the compassionate heart of God. Both as a business man, preparing to feed Egypt and the rest of the known world during a terrible famine, and as a brother, Wanting in the worst way to reveal himself to his brothers, just so he could hold them and laugh with them. Joseph truly wanted the best for everyone, and he allowed God to guide him in everything he did. His compassion, integrity and steadfastness earned him the favour of Pharaoh, the most powerful man in the known world. And it happened fast! Like, overnight in fact. Just imagine… one day you're wallowing in the pit of an Egyptian dungeon, and the next day your 2nd in command of the most powerful country in the world! Joseph's faith, and his ability to walk out that faith with boldness and compassion completely turned his world around in a matter of just a couple of days! His dreams from years ago, where his family bowed down to him, all of a sudden came true when his brothers came to ask for food during the famine. They bowed before their little brother, without even knowing it! Wow, God is so faithful with his promises, and he rewards those who are true, real, and unashamed . From this day forward, let's walk with boldness and compassion. As Joseph did!

How do you handle being treated poorly? When it seems like nothing is going your way, and everybody insists on ganging up on you, how do you react? Personally, I tend to hide, feel sorry for myself, and become withdrawn. It takes a strong person to go through abuse, teasing, wrongful mistreatment, and still keep a good attitude, making the most of a bad situation. I think Joseph was one of those strong people. He managed to keep his chin up, no matter how the people around him were treating him. No matter what situation he found himself in, he made friends there, and advanced into greater and greater positions. Sure, he had the favour of God, but I think he probably had a very contagious like-ability about him as well. To grumpy people, he was probably 1 of those annoyingly happy people… you know the ones! In my opinion, of all the people in the Old Testament. OK. I am going to say it. And I am probably going to be blasted by someone. Joseph was the most like Jesus. He forgave unconditionally. He loved and accepted people, even after they were truly brutal to him. He always did the right thing, even if it meant going to jail for it. I imagine the jails in Old Testament times weren't the most comfortable places to spend a few years. We can learn a lot about how to treat people from the life of Joseph. He treated everyone with respect, and valued all people. It's no wonder that insecure and grumpy people were always trying to stop him, and make him look bad. He was that guy from high school… remember him? The guy who was the captain of the football team, valedictorian, class president, dated the most popular girl, and was a really nice pleasant honest and genuine person. All the haters hated him!

Take today to reflect on what God's doing through His Word in your life.

Today we read 2 very different stories in the book of Genesis. The 1st is a story of reunion, and forgiveness between 2 brothers, Jacob and Esau. Esau had every right to be angry with Jacob. The guy had stolen his birth right and his blessing, through lies and deceit. Jacob was fully expecting Esau to unleash his wrath on him when they met after all those years. Instead, when Esau saw Jacob in the distance, he ran to embrace and kiss his brother! Esau had decided to take the high road, and let bygones be bygones. The next story, however, is a story of revenge and hurt pride. Jacob's daughter, Dina, was defiled. This act was terrible for sure, but instead of taking it to the Lord, Jacob's sons decided to take the matters into their own hands. They convinced an entire city to get circumcised, and as the men were healing, the sons of jacob went in and killed them all with swords. They allowed their pride to turn into anger towards a whole city. Not much forgiveness was shown there . Again, they had every right to approach Shechem, the guy who defiled their sister, but deceive and kill every man in his city? Jacob wasn't too pleased. Matthew chapter 5 talks about making amends with your brother, before offering your gift at the altar. This could be a really humbling thing! I am not denying how hard it is to approach somebody who's wronged you and say "you did this, I forgive you." In Luke chapter 7, Jesus commands us to forgive them if they repent of their actions. Is there anyone today in your life who has hurt you, and may not even know it? You know what to do…

Perseverance. A no quitting attitude. Pushing through to the end, even when the chips are stacked against you. James chapter one says "blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the Crown of life that the Lord has promised." Jacob spent a good chunk of his life struggling to stay on top. From birth, he struggled with Esau, but he stuck to his guns. For 20 years, he struggled with being taken advantage of, and the mistrust he got from Laban. He ended up moving away from Laban a rich man, with a huge family. Now we see him locked in a wrestling match with an angel of the Lord. They wrestled all night, and Jacob refused to let go, even after the Lord touched his hip socket, crippling him. "I will not let you go unless you bless me!" Was his reply. God wants us to pursue him. To wrestle with his word. He calls to us with the scripture, and is pleased when we seek after him, because when we seek him, he will be there! Jacobs tenacity finally paid off when the Lord asked him "what is your name?" Right then, the Lord changed his name from Jacob, to Israel, which means he who struggles with God. Clearly, this is a huge moment in history. This is clear confirmation that Jacob, now Israel, will be the father of a great nation. A nation that exists even to this day. I would say his perseverance definitely paid off!