“Deeply moved at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept there.”
Genesis 43:30 (NIV)
Having grown up with a father and 2 brothers, and having 3 sons myself, I get a chuckle from the terse interaction between Jacob and his sons recorded in Genesis 42 & 43. Jacob is still the boss, and his grown sons who are men are very careful around him. Jacob (for good reason) won’t listen to Reuben but does listen to Judah, and reluctantly sends Benjamin to Egypt with his brothers. This entire chapter is about love and compassion, for food exists in Egypt entirely due to God’s compassion in sending a dream to Pharaoh and having Joseph interpret that dream, and the entire dialogue is driven by Jacob’s reluctance to allow Benjamin to travel, and that reluctance comes out of his deep love for Benjamin. More than that, Joseph’s response “deeply moved at the sight” is all about love and compassion - Hebrews scholars tell us that the root of the Hebrew behind that English phrase is usually translated compassion. Joseph deeply loves his younger brother, misses him terribly, has manipulated his other brothers into being reunited and is now overcome with the emotion of love. Joseph is going to save his father, his brothers and their families – not out of duty- but out of love and compassion for his younger brother and for his father. Who is it in our lives that we love in this way?
No comments:
Post a Comment