Lesson 3: The Emotion Black Box

The Story of Joseph and his brothers

Bible Scripture Reference: Genesis 37

Message

The Love and Hatred in Jacob's Family.

In the stories of the Bible, there are many instances of sibling rivalry, and Jacob's family is a prime example with its numerous descendants. Jacob himself had his share of conflicts, particularly with his brother Esau, over the issue of the birthright. Among Jacob's children, his favorite was Joseph, who was born to him by the woman he loved the most. Jacob even made a special coat for Joseph, demonstrating the depth of his affection. However, when Jacob heard about the dreams Joseph had, he responded with anger. What was going on in Jacob's mind?

There were likely various complex emotions at play. Jacob's deep love for Joseph might have made him fear that Joseph would be resented by his other brothers. Jacob might have recalled his own unpleasant experiences with his brother Esau and wanted to prevent Joseph from facing similar conflicts. He might have also struggled with the idea of potentially bowing down to Joseph, his son.

Regardless of the reasons, Jacob's preferential treatment of Joseph without addressing the emotional needs of his other sons and without seeking to understand their perspectives led to a great outburst of animosity among the brothers.

God can help us face our emotions and clear our thoughts.

Thinking about the story, if Jacob, the father, could have better understood the thoughts and feelings of his other children, might their relationships have been different? If Joseph's brothers could have addressed their jealousy and resentment towards their younger brother, could it have lessened the hatred?

Partiality and jealousy are common emotions, but few people take the time to self-reflect and understand the underlying reasons. Emotions themselves are neither good nor bad; it's about how our thoughts trigger subsequent emotions. If we can learn to understand the thoughts behind our emotions, identify the real issues, and address them, the outcomes might indeed be different.

We might argue that we cannot always control our emotions or just let our thoughts and emotions run rampant. However, by paying attention to the way Jesus thought and handled situations in the Bible, we may find answers. We should seek God's help so that even if we can't always control our emotions, we won't let them lead us to make grave mistakes. When we allow emotions to control us, it leaves room for Satan. If we can have the mind of Christ, not always focusing on ourselves but considering others' perspectives, we can trust that God will help us clear our thoughts and make the right choices.

Approach

• Read the Bible with students or refer to adapted Bible story content.
• Use worksheets to guide students in identifying the emotions of the events and characters in the story.
• Share insights and engage in discussions with students about the issues faced by the characters in the story and how they can bring about change.
• Conclude with a prayer.

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Worksheet

Bible Story- Joseph and his brothers

Story Adaptation from Genesis 37

Our likes and dislikes toward people are often rooted in certain thoughts. These thoughts can make us feel sad, jealous, or a range of other emotions, and that's perfectly normal. However, there are times when we don't effectively address or manage the thoughts underlying these emotions, which can lead us to make poor choices. Let's look at the story of Joseph and his brothers as an example.

Jacob had many children, but he favored Joseph above all others. Jacob made a colorful coat and gave it to Joseph alone, showing his extreme favoritism. At the age of seventeen, Joseph often went out with his brothers to tend the sheep. He didn't approve of some of his brothers' actions, so he would frequently report their behavior to his father. This made Joseph's brothers furious and fueled their hatred for him, considering him a thorn in their side.

One day, Joseph unintentionally provoked his brothers yet again by sharing his dreams with them. Joseph said, "We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.” This infuriated his brothers, and they retorted, "Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us" Joseph continued, "I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me." Jacob also heard these dreams and rebuked Joseph, telling him to be quiet: "Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?"

Later, Jacob sent Joseph to Shechem to see how his brothers and the flocks were doing. Shechem was a dangerous place, as there had been hostilities between Jacob's family and the Shechemites. Joseph traveled over a hundred kilometers to Shechem but couldn't find his brothers. He heard they had moved to Dothan, so he continued for another 30-odd kilometers to reach them. When he finally found his brothers, he was relieved. However, they spotted him from a distance and said, "Here comes this dreamer. Come now, let us kill him." At that moment, Reuben, the eldest brother, felt compassion and suggested, "Let's not take his life. Instead, let's throw him into this pit in the wilderness." He intended to rescue Joseph later and return him to their father. But Judah convinced the others to sell Joseph to a caravan of traders who were passing by, and they stripped Joseph of his coat of many colors, dipped it in goat's blood, and took it back to their father, deceiving him by saying, "This we have found; please identify whether it is your son's robe or not." Jacob, who was now old, mourned for Joseph greatly, believing he had been devoured by a wild beast, and he wept bitterly.

Questions and Discussion

1. From this passage, what emotions do you feel? Please list at least three (You can refer to the emotions characteristics chart and list the possible emotions for each character)
2. Regarding the previous question, these emotions are felt by which characters, please help these characters organize the thoughts behind their emotions using "I-statements" like this: "○○ feels... (emotion) because... (event), making ○○ think... (thought)."
3. If you were to choose one emotion from the emotional words observed in the story that you personally like the least, which one would it be, and why?

Let's pray together

Heavenly Father,

In our interactions with others, different events can trigger various emotions. Let us pray for wisdom to discern these emotions, identify the thoughts behind them, and make better use of "I-messages" to organize our emotional thoughts. We hope to gain a better understanding of ourselves, help ourselves, and avoid choosing actions that offend God to cope with our emotions.

In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.