The Right Thing

When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands.  "Let's not take his life," he said.  "Don't shed any blood.  Throw him into this cistern here in the desert, but don't lay a hand on him."  Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father."  Genesis 37:21

The Right Thing
By Rev. William Dohle

Why is it that the right thing is always the hard thing in any situation??

In school, NOT cheating on a test can get you shunned by your friends.  Cheating is much easier in this case to live with.

Growing up, NOT going along with the crowd is hard.  It can get you made fun of, picked on, and bullied.  Going along with the crowd is much easier.

As an adult, there are innumerable examples of this.  Passing by someone in need is much easier than taking the time to find out what's wrong.  Sitting at home is easier than stepping out to help in faith.  Saying nothing is easier than saying something.  Ignoring others is easier than addressing and greeting the people around you.

In every case, the Right Thing is the Hardest Thing to do!

In the Bible, Reuben, son of Jacob, brother of Joseph, experienced the same thing.  After Joseph's jealous brothers conspire to kill him, Reuben, the oldest, offers this suggestion.  "Don't shed any blood.  Throw him into the cistern, here in the desert, but don't lay a hand on him."  Scripture says he said this to rescue Joseph from them and bring him back to his father.

It might not seem like much, but it saved Joseph's life.  The brothers did not kill him.  Instead, they took him and threw him into the cistern.

Unfortunately Reuben wasn't around when his brothers also agreed to sell Joseph to the Midianite merchants.  "When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes and said, 'The boy isn't there!  Where can I turn now?'"(Gen. 37:29-30).

Reuben tried to do the right thing...though it didn't turn out right all at once.  Joseph was not immediately returned to his father.  Many more things would happen to this son of Jacob before he was reunited to his father.  But Reuben's actions did have some effect.  In the end, God used Reuben's crazy idea to save Joseph's life.

Our actions can take the same trajectory as Reuben's did.  We can do things that seem meaningless in our view.  Difficult as they can be, they may seem pointless at times.  A smile to the cashier at the store.  A kind word to a stranger.  A card sent to a loved one for a birthday.  What can such a small thing to do?  Wouldn't it be simpler to do the easy thing?

But the easy thing isn't the right thing and, despite its difficulty, we are called to do the right thing.  We may not know the effect our actions have upon the world, but we must trust that God, who works all things for good, will work with what we do fulfill his purpose in the World.

God give me strength that I may do the right thing, no matter how difficult it may be.  Amen.