Finally, after all the mounting tension, we reach the story's great reveal: "I am Joseph" (45:3). Not surprisingly, such a claim finds the brothers so stunned that Joseph must repeat himself, with elaboration: "I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt" (45:4). But rather than using the power of his position to punish those who've deeply wronged him, Joseph uses it in solidarity with them, to "preserve life" (45:5).
What's the source of this life-leaning response, and how does it play out in the story's socio-political landscape? Notice how Joseph reinterprets the brothers' misdeeds. "It was not you who sent me here," he says, "but God." But God. In these two words, Joseph expands the horizon of his story from sibling rivalry to sweeping divine purpose. Seen through the lens of God's care, Joseph's plight becomes not predicament but opportunity, not a death-sentence or even a matter of self-preservation, but a chance to save the very ones who meant to eliminate him.
There's another dynamic in play here that's worth noting, and that's how Pharaoh responds to word that Joseph's family has arrived. He could have felt threatened by these "aliens" and earmarked his resources were for "Egyptians only." He could have simply "written a check," loading those carts with food and sending them on their way. Instead, Pharaoh offers as a free gift—call it grace—the "best of all the land of Egypt" (45:20) to Joseph's kin. He even sends his own private cars for the travel comfort of "your little ones" (45:20). It's a staggering portrait, really, of the "other," as Pharaoh reaches across the divide of power and money and ethnicity to welcome the starving Israelites into his land. Revelation, indeed.
- Have you ever seen God's life-giving ways in circumstances you would not have chosen? What prompted you to do so?
- When have you reached across a social or political divide to cultivate a relationship with those in need?
- What other details did you notice in today's reading?
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you that, whether we notice or not, you're right there in the thick of things, bringing life out of death. Make us vessels of that life for others. Amen.
Breath Prayer: Not you // but God.
