Max Lucado - Cast of Characters: Common People in the Hands of an Uncommon God

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Common People in the Hands of an Uncommon God

MAX LUCADO

2008 by Max Lucado

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New Century Version.
2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Other Scripture references are from the following sources:

The New King James Version (NKJV). 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV). 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. The English Standard Version (ESV). 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. The Living Bible (TLB). 1971 by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. The Message (MSG) by Eugene H. Peterson, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved. New American Standard Bible (NASB). The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission. The New English Bible (NEB). 1961, 1970 by The Delegates of the Oxford University Press and the Syndics of the Cambridge University Press. Reprinted by permission. The Holy Bible, New Living Translation (NLT). 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. The Revised Standard Version of the Bible (RSV). 1946, 1952, 1971, 1973 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. The Contemporary English Version (CEV). 1991 by the American Bible Society. Used by permission.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Lucado, Max.
Cast of characters : common people in the hands of an uncommon god / Max Lucado.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-0-8499-2124-7 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4002-8058-2 (IE)
1. BibleBiography. 2. Bible stories, English. I. Title.
BS571.L83 2008
242'.5dc22

2008030223

Printed in the United States of America

08 09 10 11 12 QW 6 5 4 3 2 1

For Landon Saunders

Im still warmed by your words and grateful for your smile.

ALSO BY MAX LUCADO

INSPIRATIONAL

A Gentle Thunder

A Love Worth Giving

And the Angels Were Silent

Come Thirsty

Cure for the Common Life

Every Day Deserves a Chance

Facing Your Giants

God Came Near

He Chose the Nails

He Still Moves Stones

In the Eye of the Storm

In the Grip of Grace

Its Not About Me

Just Like Jesus

Next Door Savior

No Wonder They Call Him

the Savior

On the Anvil

Six Hours One Friday

The Applause of Heaven

The Great House of God

Traveling Light

When Christ Comes

When God Whispers Your Name

CHILDRENS BOOKS

A Hat for Ivan

All You Ever Need

Because I Love You

Best of All

Coming Home

He Chose You

Hermie, a Common Caterpillar

Hermie and Friends Bible

If Only I Had a Green Nose

Jacobs Gift

Just in Case You Ever Wonder

Just Like Jesus (for teens)

Just the Way You Are

Milo, the Mantis Who

Wouldnt Pray

Next Door Savior (for teens)

Punchinello and the Most

Marvelous Gift

Small Gifts in Gods Hands

Stanley the Stinkbug

Tell Me the Secrets

Tell Me the Story

The Crippled Lamb

The Oak Inside the Acorn

The Way Home

With You All the Way

You Are Mine

You Are Special

Your Special Gift

GIFT BOOKS

A Heart Like Jesus

Everyday Blessings

For These Tough Times

Gods MirrorGods Promises for You

God Thinks Youre Wonderful

Grace for the Moment, Vol. I & II

Grace for the Moment Journal

In the Beginning

Just for You

Just Like Jesus Devotional

Let the Journey Begin

Max on Life Series

Mocha with Max

One Incredible Moment

Safe in the Shepherds Arms

Shaped by God

The Cross

The Gift for All People

The Greatest Moments

Traveling Light for Mothers

Traveling Light Journal

Turn

Walking with the Savior

You: Gods Brand-New Idea!

FICTION

An Angels Story

The Christmas Candle

The Christmas Child

BIBLES (GENERAL EDITOR)

He Did This Just for You

(New Testament)

The Devotional Bible

Grace for the Moment Daily Bible

CONTENTS

Sitting at the sidewalk cafe table next to yours is a young man, twenty-ish, dark hair. His dress suggests working class; sinewy muscles and sunned skin imply outdoor work. Lawn maintenance? Carpentry? You dont mean to stare... but he has a different look to him. His complexion and facial features tag him as foreign. You dont mean to stare, but before you can stop, he notices and smiles.

Im Hebrew.

Sorry?

Youre not the first to wonder about me. Im Hebrew. Only been in Egypt a couple of years.

You shift your chair in his direction and lean forward. What brought you here?

Might I give the short version?

You nod and he begins.

Well, my father tricked my uncle out of his inheritance. Of course, Grandma wanted my father to swindle my uncle. She was the brains behind the ploy. Uncle Esau, so angry at being suckered, decided to kill my father. Dad escaped with the shirt on his back and his head on his shoulders and was happy to have that. He found refuge in my great-uncles family. Perhaps youve heard of Laban? Of course you havent. No reason you would have, except that he had a good spread of livestock back where I came from. Anyway, Dad fell in love with one of his daughters and, by accident, married a different one. Laban tricked the trickster. Seems my aunt was too homey looking to land a man, so Laban landed one for her. Dad eventually married Mom. She was his favorite, you know. But she was slow to get pregnant, so he had a clan of kids with other women, one of whom was my mothers sister. The homey-looking one. By the time I came along, the house was swarming with children. But I was his favorite. He gave me gifts and attention that the others never received. Left them jealous as hornets. They sold me to slave traders, and I ended up here in Egypt. Dad must think Im dead. But Im not. I am hungry, however. Plan on finishing that humus?

You hand him your plate and stare as he spoons it clean and wonder what kind of story this might be. Scoundrels scamming deceivers. Cheats misleading two-timers. What kind of people are these? Exactly the kind who comprise Gods cast of characters. Joseph and his family are just a few of the hoi polloi and neer-do-wells whose stories form the stuff of Scripture. Jacob highjacking Esau at the behest of their mother, Rebekah. Uncle Laban pulling a honeymoon switcheroo so slick that Jacob didnt know hed married the wrong woman until the morning after the vows had been made and the cake cut. Joseph strutting around like the proud peacock, infuriating the very brothers who became the namesakes for the twelve tribes of Israel and cardholding members of the family tree of Jesus. Yes, Jesus Christ!