EXTRA! Ideas for Adults – Navigating Family Conflict – Session 5

1 month ago 14

Date: November 10, 2024

Joseph and His Brothers: Family Jealousy

The Point: Unchecked animosity can lead to greater harm within the family.

Get Into the Study

Share the following as you discuss The Bible Meets Life:

A new branch of the Guggenheim Museum is planned to open in Guernica and the Urdabai biosphere reserve in Spain has sparked controversy among environmental groups, who claim that the new museum will bring unnecessary damage to the protected area.

In addition to disruptions from construction and new roadways, environmental groups are concerned that the projected over 100,000 annual visitors will disrupt the environment of the Urdabai reserve. This backlash is a continuation of an aggressive movement against tourists in Spain, though the tourism industry provides a steady stream of income for the hospitality business and local economies.

Museum officials say that the project will revitalize the economy of Guernica and the Urdabai biosphere, and that they will control museum visitor numbers to limit the potential harm to the area. As this area is the second most economically depressed in the Basque country, officials are saying that this project would greatly help the area.

This tension between locals, environmental groups, and museum officials is a breeding ground for resentment as every group has a different view on what’s best for the region. This unchecked resentment can lead to greater harm within the community, just like within any family.

Live It Out

Share the following as you discuss Live It Out:

The eco-activist group Just Stop Oil, most famous for throwing soup on famous artwork, published a letter inviting the National Museum Director’s Council (NMDC) to a meeting at London’s National Gallery. The activist group is calling for the meeting after the NMDC published a letter asking the activist group to end their demonstrations, as they were “damaging the reputations” of UK museums and making visitors feel unsafe. The council cited five demonstrations since 2022, with the most recent occurring on October 9, where demonstrators stuck a photo of a Palestinian mother and child over Motherhood, a 1901 painting by Pablo Picasso, in protest of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Just Stop Oil has said that they would like to meet with the NMDC to discuss the council’s lack of response to the current “climate emergency” and the “responsibilities of its signatories as ‘custodians of our national treasures.’” The group’s social media as warned to expect “more disruptions” on November 11 in other cities.

Resentment over unmet expectations or frustrations can build and fester, causing people to react in poor ways. It is best to meet together with those we have conflict with, if we are able to, and discuss the issues and seek resolution. Meeting in person and working to fix relational problems and resentment can go a long way toward repairing relationships. As believers, we should seek to reconcile with any we have wronged and honor God in our efforts.

EXTRA was written by Emily Duncan, a Southern California native currently living in West Georgia with her husband, daughter, and two dogs. God saved her from Wicca when she was sixteen, and she now serves alongside her youth pastor husband as a girls’ leader at New Hope First Baptist Church in Dallas, GA. Emily spends most of her time tangled in yarn while crocheting or reading outside in the hammock.

Additional Questions

Icebreaker

What is the most outlandish story you ever heard growing up?
What is the most outlandish story you ever told growing up?
What habits or routines got you in the most trouble growing up?
Growing up, what’s something you envied that a friend or sibling had?
What did sibling rivalry look like at your house?

Genesis 37:1-4

How did Jacob’s actions contribute to the jealousy between Joseph and his brothers?
How could Joseph have addressed his brothers’ activities in a less damaging way?
What role did Jacob play in undermining the relationship between Joseph and his brothers?
What could the brothers have done differently to deal with the hurt they felt?
What are the consequences of sparking or perpetuating jealousy in others?
How can believers avoid the sins of bitterness and jealousy?
How can we navigate the tension between “being ourselves” and being sensitive of the needs and desires of others?

Genesis 37:18-24

What can be the results of unchecked animosity and jealousy?
When have you seen someone play the role of Reuben in a family conflict?
Why is it so easy for one sin to spread into others and grow increasingly destructive?
What does it say about us when we are driven by animosity and jealousy?
What are the roots of animosity and jealousy in our lives? What causes those feelings?
How would you evaluate Reuben’s attitude and actions?
When have you seen animosity and jealousy lead to betrayal?

Genesis 37:31-34

How do our actions impact those within our family?
Why do you think the brothers maintained the lie about Joseph even in the face of their father’s obvious and overwhelming grief and pain?
What could this family have done to reconcile and heal even in Joseph’s absence?
Why are we sometimes more willing to hurt family members and treat them worse than we would anyone else?
What steps can we take to consider how our actions will affect others?
What are some appropriate ways to deal with animosity or jealousy within a family?