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‘Joseph’s brothers said, ‘Come on, let’s kill him.  We shall then see what comes of his dreams.’’

Recent studies suggest that parents have favorites among their children. 

(My youngest brother was the favorite in our family.)  It’s hard for parents not to take special delight in the accomplished daughter, or the charming son, or the child who’s remarkably trouble-free to bring up.

Yet, good parents know that tucking these biases away is very important, because the struggling child needs encouragement and support even more than the darling child.

In our Biblical story today, Jacob wasn’t very good at hiding his preference for Joseph, to the predictable outrage of his brothers.

Today, as we abstain from eating meat, we might resolve to offer extra encouragement to those who need it, to those who may not be considered our favorites or society’s favorites.  And perhaps we might ‘fast’ from the impulse to favor or disfavor those whose paths cross ours.

For it will be in this way that we will indeed draw ever closer to our ultimate goal – eternal life in the Father’s Kingdom of true and lasting peace.