Not knowing Joseph

Today, we begin the reading of Exodus. Israelites had settled and multiplied in Egypt for more than 400 years. They were found everywhere.
Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph (Exodus 1:8).
This was how the story of how Israelites began to lead a life of slavery in Egypt. It was also how the story of Moses began.

There are a lot of Chinese stories about rulers knowing some learned wise men who helped them govern the country and extend the boundaries successfully. In one of these stories, during the period of 3 Kingdoms, warlord Lau humbly visited a strategist, Mr. Zhu Ge, three times to recruit him. Lau was successful and this famous strategist helped sustain a tripod balance among the three kingdoms so that ordinary people did not have to suffer an extended warring period. This is a popular story in the Chinese psyche. You have all the essential ingredients to please the general public.
Firstly, there was a humble ruler who thirsted for expert helpers. In reality, no leaders are humble. Otherwise, they would not be leaders. Warlord Lau was only an idealized image to soothe the frustrated intelligentsia which was equally thirsty for recognition. The story of Joseph and Pharaoh was also an idealized imagination. Indeed, that Pharaoh was very smart in putting Joseph in the front line, acting as a buffer between himself and the Egyptians. It looked as if he would go holidaying. But can you imagine a ruler delegating all his powers to a foreigner, without holding some kind of a trump card, say the army, under his sleeve? Was Pharaoh so naive as not to ponder the possibility of sedition on the part of Joseph? Indeed, in the history of China, there are equally many antithetical stories about how leaders cruelly eliminated people who had helped him to the throne. It was because these leaders wanted to make sure that their less intelligent children would not be threatened by these helpers.

Then, there was a master strategist of supernatural intelligence. Surely, Mr. Zhu Ge did engineer several brilliantly won battles. He was also capable of packaging his manoeuvres with a mystic mantle, creating for himself an ever stronger charisma. He was able to conjure the easterly wind. Single-handedly he defended an outnumbered castle. He created robots to help transport heavy loads. Even his corpse was able to scare an army away! His legends delighted the hearts of many.
Alas, nobody is perfect. People are vulnerable one way or the other. Mr. Zhu Ge was loyal to warlord Lau who did not have to worry about the safety of his son. However, Lau lost his share of the kingdom in the end despite the Herculean efforts of Mr. Zhu Ge. In contrast, his equally intelligent counterpart in the camp of warlord Cao, Mr. Si Ma, was treacherous. In the end, Si Ma helped Cao united the kingdoms and his son, Mr. Si Ma the junior, took the kingdom away from Cao the junior.
Mr. Zhu Ge was intelligent and loyal but he was not a good administrator. He was a perfectionist and unable to delegate. He took everything into his own hand and in the end, he died of exhaustion. Let's face it, people are vulnerable one way or the other.
Joseph was loyal to the Pharaoh who gave him an opportunity and recognized his contribution. Both of them worked in harmony to bring Egypt out of famine and probably into great prosperity. The Genesis novella is simpler.

Lastly, people were able to enjoy a relatively extended period of peace as a result. Peace is relative. There is no real peace on earth. Some pessimistic people would think of peace as an absence of wars, or a preparatory period for the next war. No doubt, people are tired of wars but peach on earth is so unreachable. That was why during the Last Supper, Jesus promised to give his disciples a different kind of peace.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid (John 14:27).
You may think that "peace of heart" is just an escapist attitude, an ostrich mentality. But when peace is impossible without, somehow we have to maintain a peace within. Otherwise, we will collapse. These recognition stories are popular, because they offer an internal peace to the readers. They soothe their troubled hearts. If you are not recognized, don't worry, one day a humble ruler may knock at your door. What you need to do now is to equip yourself with all sorts of strategic management knowledge. One day, you would help a receptive ruler to bring peace to this war-torn world. Confucius has the following advice to lead a joyful life. Enjoy life and do not get annoyed when not recognized. This piece of advice is recorded as the very first sentence in the book of Analect.
學而時習之，不亦悅乎？有朋自遠方來，不亦樂乎？人不知而不慍，不亦君子乎？
Learn and practise often, isn't it fun? Have friends visited you from a far, isn't it joyful? Unrecognized and not annoyed, isn't it a superior man?

Dear Lord, I pray for leaders so that they may recognize the talents of their subordinates and give them opportunities to actualize their potentials. I also pray for myself. Let me know You more. Amen.