Reflecting the Image

Scripture:

Genesis 42:18–25

18 On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God: 19 if you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here where you are imprisoned. The rest of you shall go and carry grain for the famine of your households 20 and bring your youngest brother to me. Thus your words will be verified, and you shall not die.” And they agreed to do so. 21 They said to one another, “Alas, we are paying the penalty for what we did to our brother; we saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this anguish has come upon us.” 22 Then Reuben answered them, “Did I not tell you not to wrong the boy? But you would not listen. So now there comes a reckoning for his blood.” 23 They did not know that Joseph understood them, since he spoke with them through an interpreter. 24 He turned away from them and wept; then he returned and spoke to them. And he picked out Simeon and had him bound before their eyes. 25 Joseph then gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to return every man’s money to his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. This was done for them. (NRSVUE)

Observation:

Famine has struck the land. Jacob sends his sons to Egypt for food, for he has heard that grain is available there. He sends all his sons except Benjamin, his youngest. Years have passed since he lost Joseph, and Jacob has become protective of his youngest son.

Joseph recognizes his brothers, but they don’t recognize him. Why would they? Their minds would never have imagined that this powerful Egyptian official could be their brother. By now, they may have assumed that Joseph had perished.

Joseph understands everything they are saying, although he speaks to them through an interpreter. Amazingly, he tells them that he fears God. Maybe that should have been a clue to the brothers, but it seems to have fallen on deaf ears.

Joseph wants to test his brothers to see whether they have changed since the day they sold him into slavery.

What struck me was this line:

“We saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen.”

Suddenly, that adds more color to the moment of betrayal. Joseph was seventeen years old. Maybe he had been a little smug, but when he realized what his brothers were going to do to him, he was terrified.

He pleaded with them.

They saw his anguish.

And they did it anyway.

Now, all these years later, Joseph hears his brothers confessing what they had done. Overcome with emotion, he turns away from them and weeps.

But confession alone is not enough. Joseph needs to know whether they have truly changed. After all the anguish they had caused, what would they do now?

There may be confession and repentance, but eventually there must also be changed behavior.

Application:

The phrase, “we saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen,” really stopped me in my tracks today.

Somehow, I had imagined an arrogant teenager being angrily sent off with strangers. But now we see another side of Joseph.

A scared seventeen-year-old boy pleading with his brothers.

Anguish visible in his eyes and on his face.

Anguish.

Fear.

Disappointment.

Sheer terror.

What did Joseph do with all of those emotions?

We’ve been reading his story this week through the lectionary, and in every circumstance he seems to respond faithfully to what is placed before him. Maybe the clue is in verse 18, when he says, “for I fear God.”

Somehow, through every adversity, Joseph continued to fear God.

Quite honestly, I don’t like the idea of terror and anguish. Who would? And yet Joseph’s story tells us something about the faithfulness of God. The anguish was real. The betrayal was real. The injustice was real.

But none of them had the final word.

Amazingly, God eventually uses Joseph as an instrument for the salvation of his family.

The story moves from anguish toward redemption.

Not only is Joseph able to help save their lives physically, but something deeper is happening within the family. There is confession. There will be repentance and changed behavior. Relationships that had been shattered begin moving toward restoration.

And Joseph’s life begins to foreshadow the Messiah—the One who would also be betrayed, rejected, and handed over to suffer.

Jesus knew anguish.

He, too, suffered at the hands of those who would not listen. And yet, through His suffering came redemption.

There are two sides to anguish—the one who suffers and the ones who inflict the suffering.

May God help us not to be the ones inflicting anguish on others. And if we have caused another person pain, may we have the courage not simply to confess it, but to repent and allow God to change our behavior.

And if we are the ones experiencing anguish, I pray for healing.

May there be a holy anointing from the Messiah who has also suffered and who is able to meet us at the point of our deepest need.

And just maybe, by the grace of God, we may someday become instruments of redemption even for those who have caused us pain.

Prayer:

Lord, this was a difficult topic for me today. Help me to live daily in the fear of God as Your faithful servant. Where I have caused pain, give me humility to repent and change. Where there is anguish, bring Your healing. And may I become an instrument of Your redemption in this world. Amen.