It's a tiny little word. It shows up two times in this gospel reading today, verse 23, and verse 25. But there it is, B-U-T, but. Every time I think about, but, in the Bible, I think about Joseph in the book of Genesis. Because, like the Canaanite woman whose daughter is possessed by a demon in this gospel today, Joseph understood the power of that one little word, B-U-T. Joseph was a devout dreamer with his coat of many colors, and at the tender age of 17, he'd been assured by God through dreams that he would one day be a ruler, and his older brothers would be subject to him. God's dream was clear. Joseph was foolish enough to share that dream with his brothers. And they hated him for it. They resented him further because he was their father, Jacob's favorite. So one day out in the fields, they decide to kill Joseph, but the oldest brother Rubin prevented the murder, and they sold him instead to a camel caravan of traders heading toward Egypt.
Imagine yourself as Joseph, your hands tied behind you, transported as a hostage to uncaring strangers toward a foreign land, your status plunged from favorite son and future ruler to a slave worth 20 shekels. Less than a camel's value. Where is God in this dream? Sounds more like a nightmare. But Joseph knew that two of the best words in the Bible are but God. That pairing occurs at least 42 times in scripture. Words that mean that God is about to do something. Maybe going this way, but God, regardless of appearances, things may be going one way, and God is about to intervene. But God, David's in the wilderness, Saul's in hot dispute, searching to kill David. But God didn't give David into his hands. The Israelites are fleeing the Egyptian army, and pharaoh, not knowing how to escape. But God led the people around by the desert road through the Red Sea. But God, it's a reminder that God protects, God delivers, God intervenes, God saves.
So it's no surprise that Joseph, knowing full well, the dream that God has in store for his life, when he encounters opposition, and he gets a bunch. Hostility, he gets a bunch, even failure, yes. Two words to lean on, but God. In the book of Acts, it says the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph and sold him as a slave in Egypt, but God was with him. The situation worsens, yet Joseph at the end of his life is able to look at his brother and say, "You intended to harm me. But God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." When there appeared to be dead ends, look for God's detour signs. His course corrections. Because what we learn from the Canaanite woman in the gospel, and from Joseph in Genesis, or the dead ends may actually turn out to be holy moments. If the dream for your life is truly God's dream, if he has given the destination, he will make the necessary course corrections. There are no dead ends. Nothing is impossible with God.
Down in Egypt, God helps with the first detour. Joseph gets sold to a good man named Potiphar, who put him in management over the household. Joseph manages an ability to discern God's purpose through dreams, a stay on Potiphar. But Potiphar's wife, sexually harasses, sexually assaults Joseph. And when he wouldn't agree to the affair, she falsely accuses him of assault. So he goes to jail. Another dead end. But in jail, God found another good detour. The jailer puts Joseph in charge of the prison, and he interprets dreams of two different inmates who worked in Ferris household. One of them, the cupbearers released and returns to the pharaoh. And he promises to remember Joseph and help him, but he forgot. Another dead end.
Two years later, pharaoh has a dream and desperately wants somebody to interpret it and the cup bear goes, "Ah. I remember this guy in prison named Joseph. He was filled with God's wisdom. He interpreted dreams." He also advised pharaoh on policies for government and became the second in command. Joseph has been transformed. It was a dead end. And God turned it into a holy moment. What seemed unholy has become holy. Joseph learned to trust God-- trust God. Joseph had dreams. His jealous brother sold him into slavery, but God was with him. He was accused by Potiphar's wife in jail, but God was with him. He was forgotten by the cupbearer, but God was with him. It took 23 years for the dream to become a reality for Joseph. With a lot of twists and turns, false accusations, ungrateful friends, Joseph could have invented country music if the jukebox took teardrops like a dance on [laughter] high law. But Joseph had patience and persistence to wait and trust God.
So I invite you today as you read this Gospel and you think about Joseph as well, learn those two words-- but God. They work in every situation-- when you're alone, when you're laundering, when you're struggling, when you're tired, when you're accused, when you're teetering-- but God. Joseph trusts God. And as a result, 23 years of detour, prison, poverty suffering, and Joseph actually gets better, not bitter. God has a dream for your life. And it will require your cooperation. There will be challenges. Everyone's not going to be excited about God's dream. You'll hit what appear to be dead-ends, setbacks disappointments. There will be times when you want to give up. In those moments -in those very moments- turn to God. I mean, really [laughter], where else will you go? Don't give up. He will help turn what could make you bitter into something that will make you better because there truly are no more beautiful words than but God.