Queerying 10th after Pentecost A

River Needham M.A., queeries the Tanakh reading.

Authors Note: In the narration in this text, pronouns for Joseph are inconsistent and changing, while in the spoken words the classical he/him pronouns for Joseph are retained. How does this enhance or distract from the reading of this text? What queeries does it prompt in your mind?

Tanakh: Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28

Now Jacob was settled in the land where his father had sojourned, the land of Canaan.

This, then, is the line of Jacob: At seventeen years of age, Joseph tended the flocks with her brothers, as a helper to the sons of faer father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah. And Joseph brought bad reports of them to their father.  Now Israel loved Joseph best of all his sons, for fae was the child of his old age; and he had made them a princess dress. And when her brothers saw that their father loved faer more than any of her brothers, they hated them so that they could not speak a friendly word to her.

[...]

One time, when faer brothers had gone to pasture their father’s flock at Shechem, Israel said to Joseph, “Your brothers are pasturing at Shechem. Come, I will send you to them.” 

Joseph answered, “I am ready.”

And Israel said to Joseph, “Go and see how your brothers are and how the flocks are faring, and bring me back word.” So he sent faer from the valley of Hebron. When they reached Shechem, a man came upon her wandering in the fields. 

The man asked them, “What are you looking for?”

She answered, “I am looking for my brothers. Could you tell me where they are pasturing?”

The man said, “They have gone from here, for I heard them say: Let us go to Dothan.” So Joseph followed faer brothers and found them at Dothan. They saw them from afar, and before she came close to them they conspired to kill faer.

They said to one another, “Here comes that dreamer!

Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; and we can say, ‘A savage beast devoured him.’ We shall see what comes of his dreams!”

But when Reuben heard it, he tried to save them from them. He said, “Let us not take his life.”

And Reuben went on, “Shed no blood! Cast him into that pit out in the wilderness, but do not touch him yourselves”—intending to save her from them and restore faer to their father.

When Joseph came up to her brothers, they stripped Joseph of faer dress, the princess dress that they were wearing, and took her and cast faer into the pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.

Then the brothers sat down to a meal. Looking up, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, their camels bearing gum, balm, and ladanum to be taken to Egypt.

Then Judah said to his brothers, “What do we gain by killing our brother and covering up his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let us not do away with him ourselves. After all, he is our brother, our own flesh.” His brothers agreed.

When Midianite traders passed by, they pulled Joseph up out of the pit. They sold Joseph for twenty pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites, who brought Joseph to Egypt.

Queeries for the text:
What is missing from this passage?

What does it mean to be the favorite son? What are the consequences?

What's that about a princess dress? Why is that important?

What is the difference between Ruben's intention and impact?

What are current responses to human trafficking?

Who is most affected by human trafficking?

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Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

Gospel: Matthew 14:22-33

²²Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. ²³And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, ²⁴but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them.

²⁵And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. ²⁶But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is an apparition!” And they cried out in fear.

²⁷But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”

²⁸Peter answered him, “Guide, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”

²⁹Jesus said, “Come.”

So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. ³⁰But when Peter noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Guide, save me!”

³¹Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught Peter, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” ³²When they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

³³And those in the boat worshiped Jesus, saying, “Truly you are the Divine One.”

Queeries for the text:

Who values solitude?

How did the disciples think Jesus would catch up with them on the sea?

What ghosts haunt us today?  What messages do they have for us?

Why does Peter need proof?

How is the strong wind blowing today?

Who is beginning to sink now?

Who else has little faith?  What good is little faith?

What are your queeries?

7th after Epiphany year C

Periodic queerier, River Needham, queeries the Tanakh reading.

Tanakh: Genesis 45:3-11, [12-14], 15
Joseph said to eir brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still well?”

But eir brothers could not answer em, so dumbfounded were they on account of em.

Then Joseph said to eir brothers, “Come forward to me.”
Then, when they came forward, ey said:

“I am your brother Joseph, ey whom you sold into Egypt.

Now, do not be distressed or reproach yourselves because you sold me to them;

it was to save life that God sent me ahead of you.

It is now two years that there has been famine in the land,

and there are still five years to come in which there shall be no yield from tilling.

God has sent me ahead of you to ensure your survival on earth,

and to save your lives in an extraordinary deliverance.

So, it was not you who sent me here, but God;

and She has made me a parent to Pharaoh, sovereign of all his household,

and ruler over the whole land of Egypt.

“Now, hurry back to my father and say to him:

Thus says your son Joseph, ‘God has made me lord of all Egypt;

come down to me without delay.

You will dwell in the region of Goshen, where you will be near me—

you and your children and your grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all that is yours.

There I will provide for you—for there are yet five years of famine to come—

that you and your household and all that is yours may not suffer want.’

[You can see for yourselves, and my brother Benjamin for himself, 

that it is indeed I who am speaking to you. 

Then, you must tell my father everything about my high station in Egypt and all that you have seen;

and bring my father here with all speed.

With that ey embraced eir brother Benjamin around the neck and wept, 

and Benjamin wept on eir neck.]

Ey kissed all eir brothers and wept upon them; only then were eir brothers able to talk to em.

Queeries for the text:
What does Joseph's first question point to?
Who else in Torah is dumbfounded?
Why does this famine get extensive Biblical coverage? Where are there famines today? What causes the famine?
Is God condoning or partaking in human trafficking?
Why is it important for Joseph's father to come to em?
Where is Goshen?
What happens to all of the people who live in Goshen?
What do Benjamin's tears portray?
What might Joseph's brothers say to em?

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Rev. Emily E. Ewing queeries the Gospel reading.

Gospel: Luke 6:27-38
Jesus said:
²⁷“But I say to you that listen,

Love your enemies,

do good to those who hate you,

²⁸bless those who curse you,

pray for those who abuse you.

²⁹If anyone strikes you on the cheek,

offer the other also;

and from anyone who takes away your coat

do not withhold even your shirt.

³⁰Give to everyone who begs from you;

and if anyone takes away your goods,

do not ask for them again.

³¹Do to others as you would have them do to you.

³²“If you love those who love you,

what credit is that to you?

For even sinners love those who love them.

³³If you do good to those who do good to you,

what credit is that to you?

For even sinners do the same.

³⁴If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive,

what credit is that to you?
Even sinners lend to sinners,

to receive as much again.

³⁵But love your enemies,

do good,

and lend,

expecting nothing in return.

Your reward will be great,

and you will be children of the Most High;

who is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.

³⁶Be merciful,

just as the One who made you and loves you is merciful.

³⁷“Do not judge,

and you will not be judged;

do not condemn,

and you will not be condemned.

Forgive,

and you will be forgiven;

³⁸give,

and it will be given to you.

A good measure,

pressed down,
shaken together,
running over,

will be put into your lap;

for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”

Queeries for the text:
What does it mean to love your enemy?
How do you pray for those who abuse you?
Why would you offer the other cheek?
Why would you strip naked for someone?
How is our relationship with money life-giving?  How is it life-taking?
When is it not good to do to others as you would have them do to you?
How has this text been harmful?
A good measure of what?

What are your queeries?