Naked as a jay-bird and proud as a peacock

"but he isn't wearing any clothes!" cried the young girl as the king paraded through town in The Emperor's New Clothes. Naked as a jay-bird and proud as a peacock he strutted about exposing his position. This tale always cracked me up as a child but now as an adult I am reminded almost daily this is indeed my reality. I am the emperor.

We expose ourselves all the time (pun intended) to God. We think we have control, we think we put ourselves in our positions, we think we are indeed the masters of our own destiny. We think we are kings in the finest of dress in our own eyes when in reality we are in naked paupers.

In today's reading from the lectionary we are nearing the end of the dramatic story of how God saved his people through a humble man who had experienced temptation, disgrace and attempted murder by his own brothers.

They were envious of his clothes. The magic coat of many colors was the focal point of their hatred and resentment. Through it Satan spoke lies to them; they were not loved in their fathers' eyes, they were insignificant, they were deserving of greater grace than everyone else. In their eyes it meant position and power. The same lies the Tempter used in the garden to convince Adam and Eve worked into their hearts as well.

But the truth was in deed the opposite. In the eyes of their father the coat was a symbol of grace and love.

They mocked him when he recounted the dream God had given him that they would one day his entire family would be  bowing down to him. "Are you to rule over us!" It was unheard off in their culture, a younger brother taking a position of prominence over the elders, even his parents!  So the brothers conspired against him and God. They ripped the grace and love off of him and threw their brother into a pit only to sell him later as a slave.

What they perceived as arrogance from his brother was in reality Providence from God.

In a wonderful twist of irony, Joseph, like Jesus, reverses death with live and hatred with love. He not only feeds them but he clothes them with new garments when they are reunited (Genesis 45:16-28).

To each of them he gave new clothing, but to Benjamin he gave 

three hundred shekels of silver and five sets of 

clothes.  

When we perceive that we are clothed in our own righteousness we get into deep trouble. We start with one thin strand of silk and spin and spin until we find that we have wrapped ourselves in a tangled web. We go to extremes to maintain our inner lie that we indeed are not naked as a jay-bird. We, like Herod who killed God's forerunner of Grace and the proud emperor  are so afraid that others will see our nakedness that we will do whatever it takes to maintain the lie. We cannot keep this up forever. 

At the final judgement God will indeed judge us by what we are wearing. Will we stand before Him naked as a jay-bird but proud as a peacock or in the finest of wedding clothes?

God is merciful and kind. When we can get over ourselves we can then get to God. When we are honest and admit that we are pitifully naked and in need of help he does not merely cover our nakedness, but gives us the best set of clothes in the house (read Luke 15:22).