Come as you are

All of us know what it is to present our good side to the world, the polished version of ourselves, and hide what we think will go against us. What we read today is a great example of grace.

“Joseph went and told Pharaoh, ‘My father and brothers, with their flocks and herds and everything they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in Goshen.” ² He chose five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh. ³ Pharaoh asked the brothers, “What is your occupation?” “Your servants are shepherds,” they replied to Pharaoh, “just as our fathers were.” ⁴ They also said to him, “We have come to live here for a while, because the famine is severe in Canaan and your servants’ flocks have no pasture. So now, please let your servants settle in Goshen.” ⁵ Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you, ⁶ and the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability, put them in charge of my own livestock.” (Genesis 47 v 1-6)

Joseph, second only to Pharaoh, dressed in the finest of clothes, operating with the greatest of authority in the whole of an empire, is not ashamed of his family or his roots.

My father and brothers are here.

Joseph is not ashamed of them in front of the most powerful man in the world.

The brothers tell the truth (for once) and tell of their occupation. They do not inflate their family story. In Egypt, being a shepherd was the lowest occupation; it meant you had to live on the outskirts of the country.

They did not try to be who they were not. They did not inflate themselves. They came as they were.

Pharaoh gave them the best – Goshen.

This family arrived with empty hands. They receive abundance not because they earned it

This is a great example of grace.

Grace says, “Come as you are.” What we receive from the Lord far outweighs any credentials that could ever be secured.

The brothers brought nothing impressive as they stood before Pharaoh. Just the truth of who they were. They received far more than their heritage expected.

The Lord works this way. He doesn’t ask us to come to Him polished and to perform our best act. He asks for honesty. Come as you are. Warts and all. What He gives far exceeds anything else we can secure for ourselves.