My Uncle Joe, last of my father’s brothers, passed on Sunday morning. I learned late morning, between giving my sermon on Elijah with big gusto joy – and the Eagles superbowl big gusto win, important win for the city of Brotherly Love. My Uncle Joe was many years active and his body was giving out – but his spirit was certainly flying high all the time – he had the best smile and laugh – level headed and much success in business, not that that matters in ALL of life’s purposes, because LOVE is most important, read Corinthians 13 for anything without love is just noise. GRATEFULLY, my uncle – all my uncles and dad and our families were and are FILLED with LOVE.
In general for my uncle, we saw that emotional calmness plus good and God smarts goes far. Uncle Joe lived not extravagant but smart for allowing and building comfort in his family. This was and is a success story of taking care of family in big ways – and them taking care of each other – brotherly love – they cared for each other – and our immediate family traveled a lot to see each of them, my Dad was youngest, the oldest was a number of years older then the other 5, as his mom passed away young and their father, my grandfather whom I never met, remarried to my grandmother. So grateful their blended house was never an issue according to my dad and uncles – of course they were all great and they were all different too.
Ah – Joseph of the bible, was taking care of his brothers – I just finished watching Sight and Sound production of the story, link is below, marvelous story, of trouble and redemption, pain and forgiveness, this is a story we find Jesus in spirit and strength for sure inside Joseph’s character. We also see troubled brothers with jealousy but ultimately the best line in this section of the Bible: “what you meant for evil, God meant for good.” Because Joseph became the ultimate rags to riches who then saved nations and families and these brothers and families who become no less than the twelve tribes of Israel.
Building upon brotherly love – brotherly shove AND brotherly love. May we all be so faithful and so forgiving as Joseph. If you haven’t read the story or watched the story, I highly recommend it.
And as we connect with family now during these newly tough days after my uncle has passed, we are GRATEFUL for these brothers who became pillars for our families now.
And thank you Lord for building families, Yours from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob into David and Jesus and opening for Gentiles and Jews alike. Leading the Way for us all to understand LOVE in Jesus, ultimate LOVE.
Amen and thank you for prayers for my uncle’s family.
1 Corinthians 13 NKJV
The Greatest Gift
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
SIGHT AND SOUND – I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE ONLINE STREAMING SUBSCRIPTION, I’m going to use a couple months at only $9 to watch them all this winter: https://www.sight-sound.com/tv
And the long wonderful scripture story of Joseph, Jacob, from Genesis 37-50:
Debbie Upper 