The Global Conversation

Joseph Wore Designer Robes, Too!

A Response to Asamoah-Gyadu's 'Did Jesus Wear Designer Robes?'

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In Africa, where neo-Pentecostalism and the charismatic movement are exploding, the Old Testament is central to the church's spirituality precisely because of its narrative aspects. The first thing that came to my mind, then, in response to Asamoah-Gyadu's essay, is the story of Joseph and his robe of many colors. Of course, Joseph's wardrobe reflected his father's favoritism and made his brothers jealous, which resulted in his being sold into Egypt. However, it might also be said that Joseph's designer robe of his growing-up years foreshadowed his prosperity and the blessings of his later life in Egypt, to the point where he could bless his brothers and their families in return. How then does the Joseph story help us respond to the question in the title of Asamoah-Gyadu's essay? There are at least seven levels of response.

First, prosperity advocates might simply say that Joseph's wearing designer robes justifies our wearing them, period. Such an uncritical response is risky precisely because it results in the kind of haughtiness that got Joseph sold into Egypt. Any naïve and absolutistic embrace of the prosperity gospel leaves many other aspects of the biblical revelation unaccounted for, as Asamoah-Gyadu rightly notes.

Second, some might say that Joseph's example is precisely one we should not follow, and therefore, we should always say "NO!" to designer robes. This kind of reverse absolutism reflects an equally one-sided response to the broad scope of the biblical revelation. As many African Christians have observed, it is usually made by those (white, Western) Christians who already have experienced a measure of prosperity.

Third, the moral of the Joseph story could be interpreted simply as: "Don't flaunt your designer robes!" But what does that mean? Hide your prosperity so you can avoid getting mugged? Don't wear your designer robes before those who may be envious of God's blessings in your life? Live modestly or in simplicity regardless of the level of affluence you have been blessed with? No doubt there is a measure of truth in each of these interpretations of the moral.

From here, however—and fourth—we might justify our designer clothes as being important for "contextual" purposes. Why shouldn't African Christians be able to bring the prosperity and blessings enjoyed by Western Christians into their own context? Or, why is it implausible that God should call us as individuals or as churches to minister to the affluent, and if so, shouldn't we don designer robes to reach those who have such wardrobes? Of course, such "contextual," even "missiological," rationales could be no more than self-serving theological rationalizations. Still, those of us who might tend to see things this way should carefully check our own hearts to ensure we are not envious as were Joseph's brothers.

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