Kasper Or Gaspar Van Den Hoecke, wikigallery, CCL
Meditation
Saturday, Ordinary 21, Proper 16 faced how easy misunderstandings can happen. There were consequences to what was stated wasn’t always trusted or understood. Joseph’s ‘forgiveness’ wasn’t fully believed by the brothers. While their father was alive, the brothers felt secure that there would be no repercussions from what they had done to the young Joseph.
They concocted a statement from their father, which they sent to Joseph declaring that Jacob had said for him not to hold their past sins against them.
Joseph received the message with sadness, knowing that he had not communicated sufficiently for their consciences to be at ease. His brothers went to see Joseph and they bowed down low (just like Joseph’s dreams had said) and they declared themselves his servants. But Joseph had been humbled by his experiences and he declared that he was not God to judge them. They had nothing to worry about from him. The great words of Joseph to his brothers which we can take for our own lives when things go wrong:
20 You plotted evil against me, but God turned it into good, in order to preserve the lives of many people who are alive today because of what happened.
God worked all things together for their good…and not only the extended families of the brothers, but all the surrounding nations. God managed to help everyone at the same time.
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