It seems to me that to be a dreamer does not make one popular. In fact, it seems that being a dreamer can be risky business . . . even life-threatening to a point. Dreaming can get you killed. Think about it . . . think about some of the dreamers we all know. Mohandas Gandhi. With his dreams of non-violence and peace to achieve freedom for the Indian people from British rule cost him his life. He was assassinated. Martin Luther King, Jr. Again, another person who had dreams of leading a non-violent and peaceful movement to bring his people their civil rights as citizens of this country . . . he, too, was assassinated. Some say John F. Kennedy was a dreamer . . . at least it seemed that way from the speeches he gave. He was assassinated. Being a dreamer can be detrimental to one’s life. There seems to be no place for dreamers.
Consider our scripture reading this morning and the story of Joseph . . . Joseph and the coat of many colors. Joseph was a dreamer. The scriptures tell us he was a dreamer . . . and, it also tells us that his dreaming did not make him popular, especially with his brothers.
As we know, Joseph was his father’s favorite son. He had been a birth that came late in Israel or Jacob’s life. He doted over the boy and even gave him what we refer to as a “coat of many colors” to show his love for the boy. Of course, this did not make Joseph real popular among his other eleven brothers. No, they hated him. They hated him because of his special relationship with their father, and they hated him because Joseph could not keep his dreams to himself.
Joseph was a dreamer. He saw things that no one else could see. He saw the potential of what the future held . . . the possibility of things that could be. And, being young, he spouted them out to those around him . . . even his brothers. Therein lies the problem. Joseph has two dreams in which the symbols in the dreams represent him and his brothers. In both dreams the brothers end up bowing down to Joseph. This did not make him popular with his brothers, in fact, it worsened the relationships between them. He even told them to his father who did not give much credence to the dreams that are shared.
Needless to say, the relationship between Joseph and his brothers was not good . . . they were out for the dreamer. Eventually an opportunity presents itself for the brothers to rid themselves of Joseph once and for all. As the brothers are out tending the herds, Israel sends the boy out to find his siblings and make sure everything is okay. The brothers see Joseph approaching the plot is hatched. They decide to kill him and tell everyone that a ferocious animal has devoured him. With this they proclaim, “Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.”
Plans do not always go as planned. Yes, they throw him in a cistern and decide to allow fate to have its way with him. As fate would have it, a caravan of traders comes by on their way to Egypt. The brothers decide to sell him to the traders and allow the traders to do with him what they want. At least this way they rid themselves of taking the responsibility of killing their brother. So, Joseph is sold for twenty shekels of silver and dragged off to Egypt.
As the story goes, the brothers return to their father and tell him they have no clue what happened to their brother, told him that they assumed that he was attacked by a wild animal and killed. They found no body, only his blood-stained coat of many colors. Of course, life goes on. Joseph ends up a slave to a wealthy Egyptian matriarch who accuses him of sexual assault when he refuses her advancements. He gets thrown into prison. Interprets the dreams of two of Pharaoh’s workers. This leads to him interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams, gaining his freedom, and moving up the ladder in Pharaoh’s court until he becomes the second most important in Egypt . . . only Pharaoh is more important.
Meanwhile, back at the family. Things go south for Israel and his remaining boys. Drought hits the land. Livestock takes a beating as there is nothing to eat. The family pretty much loses everything. Desperate Israel sends the boys down to Egypt to seek help. There they encounter the Egyptian official they do not recognize who makes them bow down and grovel . . . imprisons them for awhile . . . and basically toys with them before revealing who he is. Of course, this proves Joseph’s dreams true. Joseph saves the day . . . saves his family as he offers them the help they need to survive.
Think about it . . . Joseph is a dreamer. His dreams did not make his life easy. He was practically killed. Yes, eventually his dreams were realized, but he never gave up either. As I said earlier, there is no place for dreamers. Dreamers make people uncomfortable . . . make them nervous. Dreamers go against the status quo . . . go against the norms, and often challenge the power structures around them. Instead of working with the dreamer to realize the dream, it is easier to just get rid of the dreamer. So, being a dreamer is dangerous occupation.
But, as we have seen, dreams die hard.
Ghandi’s dream of freedom for his people from the British without violence and war succeeded. Martin Luther King’s dream of equal rights for his people has not died and seems to be gaining momentum . . . the march is still on. The dreamer might die, but if the dream is true . . . if the dream is of God . . . then the dream lives on.
Isn’t that what we are about? As the followers of Jesus, as the children of God . . . are we not dream chasers seeking to realize the “dream” of Jesus?
Remember, Jesus was a dreamer. Jesus dreamed big. Jesus dreamed of establishing God’s Kingdom . . . of restoring the intimacy and relationship between God’s children and the Holy. He dreamed of a time when people would love one another as they have been loved by God. He dreamed of peace . . . justice . . . of a place for everyone at the table. And, he was not afraid to speak out about his dream. He was not afraid of living his dream in his own daily walk through life. Nor was he afraid of the repercussions his dream would create.
Jesus’ dream got him killed. He stepped on too many powerful toes. He made too many people in control nervous. His dream did not make him popular with those who liked things the way they were. They did not like the fact that his dream was empowering to those people they lorded over . . . that it gave them hope to step out of the shadows and take their place at the table. No, his dream cost him his life and we all know it. We all know it, but it is hard to deny that it doesn’t live in us . . . after all, why are we here this morning if the dream still did not spark us towards seeing it fulfilled?
Whether we want to admit it or not, we are in the footsteps of the dreamer . . . in the footsteps of Jesus. And, whether we want to accept it or not, we are called to pursue that dream. And, we know, because we have seen . . . we know what happens to dreamers. Maybe because we do know, we are reluctant to step up and work towards achieving the dream. It is a scary predicament.
None the less, if we are followers of Jesus, then we are followers of his dream. The dream does not die. That is the “good news” . . . the dream does not die. Because the dream does not die it is our responsibility to pick it up and carry it. To carry it to conclusion because that is God’s will. Let us embrace the dream . . . let us share the dream . . . let us live the dream.
Let us seek love . . . love of God, love of self, and love of others. Let us seek peace . . . justice . . . hospitality . . . compassion . . . welcomeness . . . a place for everyone at the table. Let us build the kingdom of God and let us do it now. Let us spread the dream and change the world. Dreamers may not have a place or purpose in the world in which we live, but in God’s world they are always welcomed. If it is God’s will . . . so be it! Go forth and live the dream! Amen!
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