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".

God's Hidden Plan Flowing in the Current of our Lives

How often are we blown away by circumstances in our world that are unexplainable, that, in fact threaten our well-being, threaten our faith, shatter our trust: situations, not unlike the situation that Joseph, Israel's favorite son, faced when his father sent him to his brothers, who were tending their father's flock at Shechem. Joseph's brothers hated Joseph  and were jealous of him. Seeing him approach,  they plotted to kill him. Instead, at the persuasion of Rueben, their oldest brother, they sold him for 20 pieces of silver as a slave to Ismaelites, who  happened to be passing through Shechem on their way to Egypt (Genesis 37: 3-4,12-13a1b-28a).  In Egypt, Joseph was thrown into prison, bound with chains, as we are told in today's responsorial psalm, Psalm 105, "till his prediction came to pass and the word of the Lord proved him true. The king, [then,] sent and released him, the ruler of the people set him free. He made him lord of his house and ruler of all his possessions." And it was Joseph who saved his father Israel and his brothers "when the Lord called down a famine on the land and ruined the crop that sustained them" (Psalm 105).  Note the similarities between Joseph and Jesus!

God had a plan in the history of the Israelites, part of which included Joseph becoming a key instrument in his father Israel's and his brothers' being saved from famine. God also has a plan of salvation that, through His Son Jesus,  He is working out in your life and mine, in the life of our family members, in the life of all peoples. That plan may not be obvious; in fact, that God is at work at all may be something we question, as we observe what is happening around us or far from us.

As with Israel, losing his favorite son Joseph, and with his son Joseph in prison in Egypt, we are called to wait upon the Lord, to trust in God's providence. Every day, if faith is our guide, we come face to face with situations that will open our eyes to the fact that God, not ourselves,  is in charge of our lives, the lives of our loved ones--"yes," in charge of our world. We may think that we are the one's in control and then discover that such is not the case!

In circumstances that blow us out of the water, so to speak, do we despair or do we reach out in faith to the Lord, our God? If we choose the latter, we will discover how much God's imminence, His power to save us, His wisdom in guiding us, and His quickness to strengthen us in our weakness. Like Joseph, we will blossom where we are planted, no matter in which condition is the "soil."

Jesus, help us to live as Joseph lived, making the best of our situations, continuing to be women and men of integrity in both good times and "bad" times!  Also give us the wisdom of Rueben, who persuaded his brothers not to kill their brother Joseph but to save His life.  May we live by faith and follow the Spirit's nudges in all of the challenges we face any day. I ask this in Jesus' name!  Amen!