Read It and Weep
Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin embraced him, weeping. And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Afterward his brothers talked with him. Genesis 45:14-15
In Genesis we see that Joseph is the great‑grandson of Abraham, the grandson of Isaac, and the son of Jacob (aka Israel) and his beloved wife, Rachel. Quite the family tree!
While I’ve read the story of this favored son and his multi‑colored coat dozens of times, my reading this week took a different turn. As I reread the unfolding story, I was in tears all along the way. The heartache of being betrayed. His life being spared. The pain of being accused while innocent. Feeling like God was not intervening. Building a life in a place that was not home. A broken storyline restored. All those things in some form have happened to me as well.
In their book Hearing God through the Year, Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson explain that the characters in the Bible were real people who hurt, laughed, and cried just as we do. Until that reality comes home to us, the experiences recorded in the Bible will remain unreal to us. We must pray for the faith that will enable us to believe that such things could indeed happen to us. Only then will we be able to recognize, accept, and dwell in them when these times occur in our own lives.
Perhaps during your next reading of scripture, read it again “once more with feeling.” Underline the words of emotion of these Biblical people. Sit with them in the beauty and brokenness of their story and connect it with your own. And grab a Kleenex and talk to God about it.
For Reflection
Which person do you most relate to in the story of Joseph?
Which of the life circumstances that you read in Genesis this week most connect to your own life?
Where in your life have you seen God use heartache for good?
Prayer
Dear God, Thank You for creating me to be in a loving, interactive, and personal relationship with You. Help me to use my imagination and my emotions to engage with You and Your people’s stories in scripture. I ask that You speak to me directly and then give me the courage and inspiration to follow through on Your guidance and promptings. Amen.