Our investment in others does not always result in a return on our investment...

This week, we have been looking at a section of the very first letter in the Bible called the book of Genesis. Wednesday, we looked on as Joseph, who was the Chief Trustee in prison after being falsely accused of attempting to rape the head of the secret service of the nation of Egypt, was charged with overseeing the chief cupbearer and baker of the nation of Egypt.  As Joseph went to serve and attend to the needs of the cupbearer and baker one morning, he noticed that they were in a wretched and disturbed state as a result of a dream that no one could explain. These men felt like the answer to what their futures held was right before them, but just out of their grasp.

However, because Joseph knew that the Lord was present and active in his life, he felt comfortable and confident to ask to hear the dreams, because he trusted that the Lord would provide him the ability to explain these dreams. The cupbearer, feeling like he had nothing to lose, shares his dream to Joseph. And without hesitation, Joseph responded by explaining the dream in incredible detail.

As the baker heard Joseph provide the cupbearer a positive explanation of his dream, he also decided to share his dream with Joseph. The baker was hoping that he would receive a similar response. However, the chief baker received a very negative explanation. Today, we see Moses reveal whether or not Joseph was right in verse 20:

 Thus it came about on the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. He restored the chief cupbearer to his office, and he put the cup into Pharaoh's hand; but he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had interpreted to them. Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.

Three days after Joseph explained the cupbearer and baker’s dreams, Moses tells us that Pharaoh celebrated his birthday by throwing a huge birthday party and feast for all of the government officials. And during the birthday celebration, Pharaoh decided to summon the cupbearer and baker into his presence, just as Joseph had said. And just as Joseph had said, Pharaoh forgave the cupbearer, gave him his job back, and placed his confident trust in him once again. And just as Joseph had said, Pharaoh passed judgment upon the baker and ordered that the he be impaled and left upon a tree.

Yet, in spite of all that Joseph had invested in the cupbearer by serving and attending to his needs while in prison; in spite of Joseph investing the time to explain the dream that left the cupbearer in a wretched and disturbed state; Moses tells us that the cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him. The cupbearer did not respond to the favor that Joseph had done for him by returning the favor. Instead, the cupbearer returned to his position and forgot about the person who helped him return to his position. And as we will discover next week, Joseph remained a forgotten man in prison for two more years.

Now imagine yourself as Joseph. Place yourself in his shoes. First, you do the right thing in God’s sight by resisting the advances of Potiphar’s wife, which results in you being wrongly accused of rape and placed in prison. Then, an opportunity arises where you invest the time to do someone a favor in the hopes that they will respond to the favor that you have done for them by returning the favor. Instead, they totally forget about you and do not return the favor. Now, you are Joseph.

How would you feel? What would you be thinking? How would you respond? Maybe you are here this morning and you can totally relate to Joseph. Maybe you are here and you feel like you are always investing and giving to others, but are never receiving anything in return. If I have described you, what you are experiencing is not a new thing. What you are experiencing is a human nature thing. And it is in this event in history that we see God reveal for us a timeless truth regarding our relationships with others. And that timeless truth is this: Our investment in others does not always result in a return on our investment. Just as it was for Joseph with the cupbearer, just as it has been for humanity throughout history, our investment in others does not always result in a return on our investment.

And if we were to have a conversation, I imagine that all of us could share a story where we have experienced this timeless truth play out in our lives. I imagine that all of us could share a story where we invested time, energy, and resources into others, only to never have that time, energy, and resources invested back into our lives. I imagine all of us could share a story where you have done someone a favor in the hopes that they will respond to the favor that you have done for them by returning the favor, only to be sadly disappointed.       

You see, the question isn’t whether or not you will invest in others only to not see a return on that investment. The question is “how are you going to respond when you do not see a return on your investment”? And the reason why this question is so important is because the answer to this question often reveals the motives behind our investment in others, doesn’t it? The answer to this question reveals whether we selfishly invest in others simply to get something later from others in order to build us up. The answer to this question reveals whether we invest in others in order to build up others.

Next week, we will discover the motives that drove Joseph’s investment in others. In the meantime, here is the question for us to consider: how are you going to respond when you do not see a return on your investment in others? And why do you invest in others? Do you invest in others to build you up? Or do you invest in others to build others up?