Thursday in Lent 1

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’ (Mark 2:5)

And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready, for you are still of the flesh. For as long as there is jealousy and quarrelling among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving according to human inclinations? For when one says, ‘I belong to Paul’, and another, ‘I belong to Apollos’, are you not merely human? (1 Corinthians 3:1-4)

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be moved, and though the mountains be toppled into the depths of the sea; Though its waters rage and foam, and though the mountains tremble at its tumult. (Psalm 46:1-3, BCP)

I was struck, in a new way, by the story of Potiphar's wife and young Joseph. When she couldn't commit adultery with the young Hebrew stud, she made false accusations and he landed in prison.

I cannot avoid political overtones these days. Not getting one's way and / or lying seem to be prominent themes in Washington, DC, at the moment.

But that is not what struck me. It was, instead, a reversal from the usual context in which "No" means "No." In te story of Joseph recorded in Genesis, Joseph keeps his healthy boundaries, his integrity, and his master's honor intact by saying "No." Potiphar's wife refuse to accept his healthy boundaries, transgressing several she should have in the process. Even when Joseph removes himself from the scene, she takes advantage of it to exact revenge for her perceived slight.

Men who "want one thing" are notoriously dense on the subject of what "No" means. The joke is "What part of 'No' don't you understand?" The retort would seem to be "all of it."

For the sake of good boundaries, healthy relationships, and the good of all, we need to learn how to say "No" and how to hear it. All of us, regardless of gender or any other category.
Strengthen us, O Lord, by your grace, that in your might we may overcome all spiritual enemies, and with pure hearts serve you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
--the BB