The Joseph Story Ep. 2

Because of the additional “duties” that Holy Week brings, I was unable to write up an overview of this week’s class. I’m sure that with Easter Sunday on the horizon you will all find it in your hearts to forgive me.

Here is the diagram of Joseph’s family tree that I drew in class:

And here is the quote from Bonhoeffer:

“So people called by Jesus learn that they had lived an illusion in their relationship to the world. The illusion is immediacy. It has blocked faith and obedience. Now they know that there can be no unmediated relationships, even in the most intimate ties of their lives, in the blood ties to father and mother, to children, brothers and sisters in marital love, in historical responsibilities. Ever since Jesus called, there are no longer natural, historical, or experiential unmediated relationships for his disciples. Christ the mediator stands between son and father, between husband and wife, between individual and nation, whether they can recognize him or not. There is no way from us to others than the path through Christ, his word, and our following him. Immediacy is a delusion…any time a [relationship] lays claim to immediacy, it must be hated for Christ’s sake.”

(Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Discipleship, p. 94–95.)

Finally, I was drawing heavily in this class from an incredible teaching from Chris Green on “Family Matters.” You can (and should!) listen to that here: The Ties That Bind.

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