Sunday Bible Study: Genesis, Joseph, Coach Carter, and God-blessed humility

There is a scene in Coach Carter, which I believe to be one of the more underrated sports movies out there, that I love. Samuel L. Jackson is tired of his team, a once-moribund and now mildly successful program, excessively celebrating their own achievements, beating their chests after scoring, taunting opponents after a block. In practice one day, he does the same. When the offense successfully runs a play he designed, he yells “That’s me, baby! I did that! I drew that up! Yeah! Ha-ha! Run it again!”

And when they run it again, and score again, he’s positively beatific, shimmying: “All day, baby! Can’t stop that! Can’t stop that!”

When Worm, a guard on the team, notices that his shoe is untied, Coach Carter promptly ties it, and crows “Whoo! Look at that bow! Look at that! I tied that! I tied that!” He asks for a little love, some recognition, for that beautiful bow, and when Worm goes to hug his coach, Coach Carter wonders aloud: “What is wrong with you? What is wrong with all of you?”

Coach Carter was released nearly 20 years ago, yet that scene replayed in my mind – and then several times on YouTube – after reading Joseph’s story in Genesis this morning. How, you may be wondering, are Joseph, he of the technicolored dream coat, and Coach Carter, a basketball coach and owner of no notably colorful attire, related? Because they preached the same thing: Humility.

Joseph would have been the ideal point guard for Coach Carter. Born to Jacob – later named Israel – Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, and later wrongfully imprisoned by a man named Potiphar. While in prison, however, two men, a baker and a cupbearer, had two dreams, lamenting that “there is no one to interpret them.”

It’s written in Genesis 40: 8-9, that Joseph responded “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”

He interprets them – albeit with probably a touch too much candor – and three days later, both dreams came true to the word. Here Joseph could have celebrated like Coach Carter: “I did that! I interpreted that dream! Give me some!” But he doesn’t. He knew he didn’t interpret that dream; God did. He didn’t need the credit, for the credit wasn’t his. It becomes a recurring theme in the Bible. In the next chapter, the Pharaoh asks Joseph to interpret one of his dreams, and Joseph says that he cannot, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.”

When God, using Joseph as his humble vessel, correctly interprets the dream through Joseph, Joseph, once a slave, becomes the second-most powerful man in Egypt. It takes just 25 verses for Joseph to interpret the dream and for the Pharaoh to tell him: “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.”

Joseph doesn’t take credit for a single aspect of his success. He never proclaims that “I did that!” He never asks the Pharaoh to “give me some!” It’s all humility. All God.

Tales like this are common throughout the Bible, as they are throughout human and athletic success. If you read Samuel, you would do well to note the stark difference in the language of Saul and David. Saul uses the word “I” repeatedly when speaking of his accomplishments; David credits God.

Many generations later, you do not need to be a theologian to know who is spoken of more fondly.

In Acts, chapter 10, when Simon is called to the house of Cornelius, the man immediately falls to his feet in reverence. Simon tells him to “stand up. I am only a man myself.” Simon, after blessing the man, after healing paralytics, and helping the blind see and the deaf hear, could have said “I did that! Give me some!” He didn’t. He gave the credit where it was due.

Look at any team or organization, and what you’ll find are the most successful leaders often shed credit, choosing humility over pride. In 1973, when O.J. Simpson broke the 2,000-yard mark in a single season, becoming the first NFL player to do so, it received national attention and media adulation. In the interview after the game, he could have said “I did that! Give me some!” He didn’t. Instead, he brought his entire offensive line into the interview with him, introducing each one by name.

“I hope to stay in the league long enough for all of these guys to get old,” he said in his press conference, “so no young back to get behind them and break my record.”

Talented as he may have been, knowing that it was, indeed, his feet that ran more than 2,000 yards, he still knew where much of the credit was due.

In Matthew, chapter 10, Jesus sends his twelve apostles out as missionaries, telling them that “whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Taken literally, I’d interpret that to mean that whoever loses his life in the name of Christ will find it again in Heaven. Taken metaphorically, I’d interpret that to mean that whoever sheds their arrogance and their desire for credit and adulation, and instead looks to God as the source of their fortune and blessings will find what it truly means to live.

And if you want to have a good laugh, watch that scene from Coach Carter, and replace “I” with “God.”

Happy Sunday, y’all.