Remember the Marvels the Lord Has Done

In today's first reading, Gen 37: 3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a, we are given the story of Israel's son Joseph, who was especially favored by his father and thus hated by his brothers.  Israel sends Joseph to join his brothers who are tending the sheep. They see him coming and they plot to kill. His brother Rueben, however, talks them out of doing such a thing to him and instead they sell Joseph for twenty pieces of silver as a slave to some Ishmaelites who happen to be passing by. In  the responsorial psalm we pray: "Remember the marvels the Lord has done," when a seven-year famine hit the land and Joseph's family, as well as the Egyptians, were in danger of starving. It was Joseph, who, at that point, occupied an important position in Egypt, having won favor with the King and was in charge of the silos of grain that had been stored up during the seven years of plenty.  Consequently, Joseph became a significant figure in saving his family from disaster.

In the horrible day when Joseph was sold as a slave, God was at work caring for His people. Many times, we experience tragedies, as Joseph did. At the time, we may, and often are not, aware of God's hand in what is happening. 

There are significant similarities between Joseph and Jesus. Joseph was a favorite son of his father and Jesus of His Father.  Both were sold: Joseph by his brothers for 20 pieces of silver and Jesus by Judas for 30 pieces of silver. Joseph was exiled, so to speak, to Egypt. Jesus became a refugee in Egypt when Herod was seeking to kill him. Joseph played a significant role in saving his family from physical death. Jesus played a significant role in saving us from eternal death.

As significant as Joseph was in salvation history, and, of course, Jesus as well, so, too are we.  What we do or do not do brings others to Jesus, our Savior, or has the power to cause alienation from Jesus. We can be a source of nourishment for others or cause a "famine".  People can be starving of love, of compassion, of understanding, of support because of us or be rich in these gifts. People can be abandoned by us to horrible situations because of our jealousy of them, as Joseph's brothers had done, or worse, kill them spiritually and/or physically because of our jealous natures.  The choice is ours to be a "Joseph" or a "Judas".

An Instrument in God's Hands

In today's first reading, Genesis 37: 3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a, we are presented with the story of Joseph, the youngest son of Israel whom Israel loved above all his sons and treated him as his favorite child.  Joseph's brothers grew to hate Joseph and, when Israel sent him to join them in the pasture where they were tending the sheep, they plotted to kill him. Reuben talked them out of doing so and suggested they sell him to Ishmaelites passing by on their way to Egypt. In the Gospel, Mt 21: 33-43, 45-46, we are given the parable of a landowner who planted a vineyard and leased it out to tenants.  At the time of the harvest he sent his servants to collect the produce.  The tenants beat some of the servants and killed others. So the owner sent his only son, believing that he would be respected and the produce given to him. "No!" They also killed the son.

We may respond in disbelief! However, how often have we, behind another's back, spoken ill of another person. Though we may not have plotted to commit murder, we may have "murdered" that person with harsh words and and damning judgments!   Concerning today's Scriptures, we know that God brought good out of both situations. Ruben saves Joseph from being put to death by his brothers and, in turn, Joseph, who was sold to the Israelites on their way to Egypt,  saved his brothers and his father from dying of starvation during a severe famine that hit that area. The son killed by the tenants in the parable Jesus tells the Pharisees is a foreshadow of Jesus being put to death on Calvary.

The questions I need to ponder are: Who am I in these Scripture readings? Israel playing favorites? Joseph who is given special treatment and thus hated by others denied the same favors? one of Joseph's brothers jealous of others, speaking ill of others, plotting against others? Am I a Reuben who intervenes for the sake of others? Am I one of the tenants intent on stealing the produce entrusted to me by another and resorting to whatever it takes to get what I want?  Or am I an upright, honest person, following Jesus' example?