More Treasure Than Pockets - A Deeper Dive
Scripture: Genesis 37:1-11
This week, we welcomed Reverand Corey Jones to bring the message. Corey was recently appointed Senior Director of the Warren Willis United Methodist Camp and Conference Center. In this new role, Corey and his family have the opportunity to travel around the Florida Conference and talk about the many great things the camp has to offer.
Message Recap
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you just had to cry out to the Lord? Have you ever made a wish for something more? All of us, at one time or another, have said a prayer, hoping for the best and hoping for it to come true. In this week’s message, we discuss how we receive the wishes and dreams God has for us and how we can become good stewards of those dreams.
The title of this week’s message, “Giving More Treasure than Pockets,” is based on a line from the children’s book, “I Wish You More.” Throughout the book, we find lines like, “I wish you more we than I” or “I wish you more will than hill.” It is a book filled with endless good wishes meant to inspire and encourage. In the book, we eventually come to the line, “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” This same sentiment is God’s wish for Joseph. God wished more for Joesph. Not solely for Joseph but more for the community around him. While Joseph’s complete story fills 13 chapters of the Book of Genesis, we’ll focus on the eleven verses from today’s reading to see that God wishes all of us more treasure than pockets.
The story of Joseph unfolds within the larger story of Jacob and his family line (see Genesis 37:2). Jacob had a number of sons, but Joseph was his favorite.
“3 Now Israel [Jacob] loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him. 4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.”
Joseph’s brothers were jealous and resentful. Not only did he have the favor of their father and the lavish gift, but Joseph had also been gifted a specific talent. Like his father, Joseph was a dreamer and an interpreter of dreams. Joseph's dreams were not the result of his subconscious memories or unfulfilled wishes. In Joseph’s time, dreams were considered divine inspiration. God was the giver of dreams. Throughout the story, God never appears. He never speaks directly to Joseph. God never intrudes into the text. But the story leaves no doubt that God is working behind the scenes. Many of us can see moments in our own lives where we know God was there working. God is always with Joseph, and that’s a word of encouragement - God is always with us.
John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, called this concept of God being with us prevenient grace. Think of any good gift you have in your life. That gift is from God. He has been with you, directing you, speaking into your life, guiding you long before you were aware. God’s nature is to give and to be gracious and generous. Through his gifts, God tells us, “I wish you more treasures than pockets.”
But, with God’s gifts and dreams for us comes a responsibility for stewardship. Like Josepsh, we are managers working on God’s behalf. Think about your life and all of the things God has given you. Those things had to be cared for. Anything worth having is worth caring for. Our relationships, homes, cars, and even our very selves need our care.
God gave Joseph the dreams described in the text we read this morning. But mishandles and mistreats them. He misuses those dreams for himself. Both times, in verses five and nine, Joseph is quick to tell his brothers that he will rule over them. In doing so, he’s adding insult to injury. His brothers are already jealous and resentful because he was Jacob’s favorite and had received the lavish gift. They interpreted Joseph’s dream as arrogance. They didn’t acknowledge the dreams as God-given or that they had a specific purpose.
As an interpreter of dreams, Joseph withholds his gift by not offering the interpretation. His silence about the meaning of the dreams intensifies the conflict with his brothers. Joseph’s pride and arrogance bring division and conflict rather than unity and harmony. He could have told his brothers that the sheathes of grain represented an abundance of food during years of famine and that the sun, moon, and stars meant he would play an astronomical role in God’s plan.
Sometimes, we receive a dream or a gift, but we mishandle and misuse them. We mistake them as something for ourselves. The life of stewardship is a life of managing our treasure in a way that acknowledges God’s graciousness and caring. We all have gifts and talents to share with the world. There is no higher priority than faithfulness unto God. There is no greater purpose for our treasures and dreams than God’s Kingdom.
The story of Joseph’s growth in life, leadership, and legacy is the story of growth toward the fulfillment of God-given dreams and treasures. By the end of Genesis 50, his family is reconciled, and there is community. God provides for them during a famine. That’s how Joseph is remembered - as an interpreter of dreams who unifies.
How will you be remembered? How are you being a good steward of God’s dreams for your life? How are you using your God-given treasure beyond yourself? All we have and all we do is to help nurture and pass on the faith to future generations. We give thanks and praise for God’s Kingdom, where all are loved and welcomed and receive God’s grace and forgiveness.
A Closing Thought
We truly appreciate Cory’s personal testimony about how Warren Willis Camp played an integral part in his ministry. Hopefully, all of us will have a moment when we hear God tell us that he will have us jumping into places we never imagined!
For more information about Warren Willis United Methodist Camp, the programs it offers, and how you can support its ministries, please visit their website: