Living in the Spirit

Living in the Spirit

August 14, 2023

Scripture Reading: Genesis 45:1-15
Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, ‘Send everyone away from me.’ So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. Joseph said to his brothers, ‘I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?’ But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence.

Then Joseph said to his brothers, ‘Come closer to me.’ And they came closer. He said, ‘I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years; and there are five more years in which there will be neither ploughing nor harvest. God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God; he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, “Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. You shall settle in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, as well as your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. I will provide for you there—since there are five more years of famine to come—so that you and your household, and all that you have, will not come to poverty.” And now your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my own mouth that speaks to you. You must tell my father how greatly I am honored in Egypt, and all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.’ Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, while Benjamin wept upon his neck. And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers talked with him.

I walked into the library going to a meeting when I saw my neighbor from across the street seated in an area near the door. She was waiting on her son, who was shopping for books to check out. I spoke to her, and she looked at me like, Who are you?  She then put on her glasses and, embarrassed, jump up and said I did not know who you were. We both laugh. We see each other almost every day. I am usually backing my car out and waving at her, as she is watching her child play in the front yard, getting some sun while she read. We were out of place, out of context at the library. Joseph was certainly out of context when his brothers arrived in Egypt seeking help from the famine. It is estimated that Joseph was 17 when his brothers sold him, and he was thought to be in his 30s when the brothers encountered him in Egypt. Benjamin, the youngest brother, is estimated to have been five or six years younger than Joseph. I cannot imagine what went through all of their minds when they finally recognized each other. Joseph had been through a lot during those 15 or so years, while his brothers had probably lived out the routines of herding sheep. Joseph had been a slave, served time in prison, and eventually won his way into a position of importance he held by his wit. He recognized the brothers. They may have aged, but they remained shepherds who were probably announced to him before they entered his presence. He most likely looked and acted like an Egyptian. How do we make amends with the people from our past who have hurt us or whom we have hurt? Would we accept God’s grace that he had turned what was a horrible situation into something good for such a time as famine?

Prayer: Lord, grant us the gift of forgiveness and the grace to learn from our negative histories and turn them into something good. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.