Genesis 39:13-18: a reflection

13When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and had run outside, 14she called to the men of her house, and spoke to them, saying, “Behold, he has brought a Hebrew in to us to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice. 15When he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment by me, and ran outside.” 16She laid up his garment by her, until his master came home. 17She spoke to him according to these words, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought to us, came in to me to mock me, 18and as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment by me, and ran outside.”

Joseph, who had fled from his master's wife rather than sin against God, finds himself falsely accused for his very integrity. Having refused her advances and run, leaving his garment behind, he is now accused by that same garment: she uses it as evidence for a lie, claiming he had assaulted her, when in truth he had fled from wrongdoing. Joseph does right, flees temptation, and is punished for it, falsely accused and, as the story goes on, imprisoned. He suffers unjustly for doing right.

Notice Joseph's situation: he suffers unjustly, falsely accused, precisely for doing right. He had done the right thing, fleeing from sin rather than committing it; and for this very integrity he is falsely accused and will be imprisoned. His doing right did not spare him suffering; it brought him suffering, through a false accusation. He was wronged for doing right, punished for his integrity. It is a hard truth: that doing right does not always spare us suffering, and can even bring it, when others wrong us for it. Yet, as the account will show, God was with Joseph through it all.

That is worth taking to heart, for we too may suffer unjustly for doing right, and must trust God through it. We can do the right thing and, rather than being rewarded, suffer for it, wronged, falsely accused, punished for our integrity, as Joseph was. This is hard, and can tempt us to doubt whether doing right is worth it; but God was with Joseph through his unjust suffering, and worked it for good. When you suffer unjustly for doing right, do not conclude that doing right was in vain, or abandon your integrity; trust that God is with you, as he was with Joseph, and can work even your unjust suffering for good. Hold to doing right even when it brings suffering rather than reward, trusting God through the injustice, as Joseph kept his integrity and suffered for it, yet God was with him and would work it, in time, for great good.

Lord, Joseph, who had fled from his master's wife rather than sin against you, finds himself falsely accused for his very integrity. Having refused her advances and run, leaving his garment behind, he is now accused by that same garment: she uses it as evidence for a lie, when in truth he had fled from wrongdoing. Joseph does right, flees temptation, and is punished for it, falsely accused and imprisoned. He suffers unjustly for doing right. Show me Joseph's situation: he suffers unjustly, falsely accused, precisely for doing right. He had done the right thing, fleeing from sin; and for this very integrity he is falsely accused. His doing right did not spare him suffering; it brought him suffering. He was wronged for doing right. It is a hard truth: that doing right does not always spare us suffering, and can even bring it. Yet you were with Joseph through it all. Take that to my heart, for I too may suffer unjustly for doing right, and must trust you through it. I can do the right thing and, rather than being rewarded, suffer for it, wronged, falsely accused, as Joseph was. This is hard, and can tempt me to doubt whether doing right is worth it; but you were with Joseph, and worked it for good. When I suffer unjustly for doing right, keep me from concluding that doing right was in vain, or abandoning my integrity; help me trust that you are with me, Lord, as you were with Joseph, and can work even my unjust suffering for good. Help me hold to doing right even when it brings suffering rather than reward.