Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. Genesis 45: 4-7

Here it comes . . . .

“So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. Genesis 45: 8

Talk about graciousness and understanding! His brothers sold him into slavery, he spent years in jail and instead of being bitter and looking for revenge Joseph weeps with joy as he reveals himself to his brothers. Joseph promptly lets the Pharaoh know his brothers have come to Egypt. Jacob and his entire family are invited to Egypt with the promise of land and prosperity. Finally Israel gets to meet his long lost son Joseph!

Joseph is able to move on with his life, help his family survive, and continue to be the agent of Pharaoh. It would have been so easy to send his entire family to jail, or to just ignore them and send them back to sure death from the famine. “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God.” His understanding of his place, his purpose, in relation to God must have given him the strength and will to embrace his family and share his good fortune.

Prayer

Dear Lord, help us to find the strength and compassion to open our hearts to those we feel have wronged us. Help us to understand that You do work in mysterious ways and help us to recognize we are a part of Your plan. Amen.