Manasseh and Ephraim

Before the years of famine came, Joseph had two sons, whom Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, bore to him. -Genesis 41:46

Here are more foreign children brought into the fold. More than that, these foreign children (Manasseh and Ephraim) were adopted by Jacob who claimed them as his own sons and were made tribes in their father's place. Although they were Egyptian by birth and by the genes of their mother, they were welcomed into the "exclusive" chosen race.  This "pure" and "exclusive" people of God seems to become less pure and exclusive with each generation. And yet many Christians still try to exclude people from God's love. If they would only read the bible instead of allowing others to tell them what singled out verses are important. Jumping ahead in the Genesis story, we also find that Jacob switches the blessings of the older and younger son.  Another theme that continues since Abraham.

The Jewish culture has an important ritual of blessing their children. Many of them do it weekly at the Sabbath meal. The boys are always blessed by saying, "May you be like Manasseh and Ephraim." Manasseh and Ephraim were raised in Egypt which was a very secular society with people not necessarily of high moral character. Yet they remained faithful to the morals and ideals of their paternal roots. In blessing their children this way, parents are asking God to help their sons keep their beliefs whenever challenged by their peers, society or their environment. That's a blessing we all could use.

God of Our Environments,

Even when faced with pressure to deny you, help us to stand strong. Amen.