City Life Starter

Written by Calah Jackson

The Word

“And when Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present which was in
their hand and bowed themselves to the ground. Then he asked them about their well-being,
and said, ‘Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?’ And they
answered, ‘Your servant our father is in good health; he is still alive.’ And they bowed their
heads down and prostrated themselves. Then he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin,
his mother’s son, and said, ‘Is this your younger brother of whom you spoke to me?’ And he
said, ‘God be gracious to you, my son.’ Now Joseph made haste and sought somewhere to
weep, and he went into his chamber and wept there. Then he washed his face and came out;
and he restrained himself, and said, ‘Serve the bread.’ So they set him a place by himself, and
them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves; because the Egyptians
could not eat food with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. And they sat
before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and
the men looked in astonishment at one another. Then he took servings to them from before him,
but Benjamin’s serving was five times as much as any of theirs. So they drank and were merry
with him.”

Genesis 43:26-34

Reflection

When I think about the relational breakdowns in my own life, I feel for both Joseph and his brothers.

Joseph, because despite being called an appointed by God, experienced great adversity, and even injustice that was set into motion by his own brothers. I can imagine that Joseph thought he had left behind the pain surrounding his brothers and their broken relationship. He mourned and grieved over having been sold into slavery, but also that he was no longer in relationship with the people that were supposed to be his family. I can empathize with the tears in his chamber and love that God made sure this moment was canonized. Joseph is hit with a tsunami of grief; completely overwhelmed because of this relational hurt.

Reconciliation is not easy. The pain of reconciliation is real. And I think we get a glimpse of that in this account.

Maybe Joseph experienced a desire to be with his father coupled with acknowledging all the years he didn’t get to spend with him. Maybe he experienced a longing for closeness with his brothers. Maybe he experienced compassion for Benjamin or even a little envy; that he never experienced
the protectiveness from the older brothers that Benjamin did. Maybe it was anger at his brothers’ decisions, and how much it threw so many people’s lives out of whack. Maybe he was even fighting his own battle of trying to have a right posture towards God, because even through all of the hardship, God had delivered him even still. Maybe it was gratefulness because he could see in that moment how God had changed their hearts and was also giving him grace to have compassion for them.

He was human, so I can imagine it being a little bit of all of it, and maybe even more than we know.

Joseph had a lot to grieve but believe it or not, so did his brothers. I think in my heart I would want to relate more to Joseph in the story, but in reality, you and I are probably more like his brothers in our flesh. Wreaking of jealousy, coveting what we do not have, fostering discontentment, judgment, assuming the worst of others, and lacking grace and mercy for our brother or sister. We are not as gracious as we think we are. We are not as blameless as we think we are. Our actions, a lot of the time, are the reason for immense grief of both ourselves and others. Even for those who truly acknowledge the pain that they have caused, there is still the consequence of having to live with not being able to “do over” a decision that led to a breakdown of a precious relationship.

What I am the most grateful for is that, though we are not Joseph in this story, Jesus was a better, Joseph.

Jesus wept, bitterly in the garden of Gethsemane, asking God to allow the cup to pass from him if it was the Father’s will. Jesus took the beating and carried the cross that you and I deserved because of our rebellion and pride. Jesus, full of mercy, and grace for his brothers and sisters, died the death that you and I deserved not just for us, but as us. Jesus, a blameless, spotless, sacrificial lamb even more forgiving, than Joseph ever could be,
covered the sin, not just of Joseph, or just the brothers, but of all of creation through His resurrection.

Application

So how do we apply this incredibly powerful truth?

Acknowledge and Accept the Reconciliation of Christ: Just as Joseph demonstrated grace and forgiveness to his brothers, we are reminded of God’s boundless grace that leads to reconciliation. This is not an act solely carried out by God alone as we are required to partner with him to see the fruition of reconciliation be actualized. The ultimate picture of this is the cross. In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus made a choice to not back away from pain, but to lean into it for the sake of complete reconciliation. Ask God to search your heart for unforgiveness, bitterness, doubt or strife that would keep you from going forward in acknowledging and accepting his reconciliation.

Recognize God’s Divine Providence: The same way, Joseph, by the power of the Holy Spirit, was able to see God’s divine providence in this terrible situation, we should also acknowledge God’s guidance and providence in our own lives. Sometimes the best way to process grief and pain is to take a posture of thanksgiving before God. When we begin thanking God for all that He has done and is doing (even the small details) we quickly realize how His hand is truly on every iota of our lives. There is truly nothing that God cannot work for His purpose. Again, the best picture of this is the cross. When it looked like the Only Hope for the world was tortured and killed on a rugged tree, God’s divine providence revealed that it was only the preamble to the ultimate restoration of all of humanity. That’s a good God. That is a God worthy of praise. That’s a God who is able to restore what we believe cannot be restored!

Prayer

God, help me to acknowledge and accept Your gift of reconciliation. Search my heart for unforgiveness, and anything that would prevent me from partnering with You to see relationships, reconciled and restored. Open my eyes to see Your providential hand. Help me to approach You, not only with my pain, but also with my praise. Thank You for Your grace and mercy. Amen.