Saturday, July 15, 2023
Memorial of Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
(click here to listen to or read today’s scriptures)
The last days of Jacob and Joseph
Gather around, my sons. Listen to your father Israel. Reuben, you will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father’s bed. Simeon and Levi have killed men in their anger. Cursed by their fury so cruel. Scatter and disperse them … Issachar is a rawboned donkey who will submit to forced labor … Benjamin is a ravenous wolf.
Jacob had some choice things to say to his sons. Perhaps he remembered his own betrayal of his father in order to steal the elder son’s blessing from Esau. After giving all his promises to Jacob, Isaac spoke harshly to Esau: “Your dwelling will be away from the earth’s richness. You will live by the sword and serve your brother.”
But Jacob poured good gifts on the heads of Judah and Joseph.
Judah, your brothers will praise you, your father’s sons will bow down to you. The scepter will not depart from Judah … Joseph is a fruitful vine. Your blessings are greater than the blessings of the ancient mountains. Let all this rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among his brothers.
And then Jacob died. Now the brothers, afraid of Joseph’s power and projecting their own suspicious fears onto him, lied one more time.
Suppose Joseph has been nursing a grudge against us and now plans to pay us back for all the wrong we did him. So they said to Joseph, “Before your father died he told us to say to you, “Jacob begs you to forgive the criminal wrongdoing of your brothers, who treated you so cruelly.”
At least in their lie at last they confessed their sin.
Please forgive the crime that we committed. Now Joseph broke into tears. “Let us be your slaves,” the brothers cried out.
Joseph had no intention of surprising his brothers with punishment.
Have no fear. Can I take the place of God? You meant harm to me but God meant it for good. Now I will provide for you and your children.
On the cross Jesus called out to his crucifiers, “Forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Forgiveness releases those who are guilty from responsibility in heaven. Joseph released his brothers from their guilt, just as Jesus did.
The Pharaoh facilitated the burial of Jacob in Canaan beside his parents’ grave, even though it was so different from Egyptian ways. But when Joseph died, his brothers once again seemed to drop the ball.
Joseph said to them, I am about to die. God will surely take care of you and lead you out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He then put the sons of Israel under oath and said, “You must bring my bones up with you from this place.” And he died. After they embalmed him, he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.
They did not bring his bones up from this place, although Moses did just that, several hundred years later.
Thinking back, so many parts of Jacob’s story sounded of deceit and self-protection and sin, and then that sin echoed through so many parts of the stories of his sons. The book of Genesis does not protect its main characters from character flaws, even character assassination. I’d be glad to be moving on, except we’re moving into Exodus, inspiring story of freedom and redemption, but laced with more anger, bitterness, violence, lies, and even more betrayal and failure.
Oh, Lord, you are telling the story of everyone of us. I read it, see myself in it, and am undone.
Be glad, you lowly ones; may your hearts be glad. Give thanks to the Lord, for only he is good.
(Genesis 49-50, Psalm 105, 1 Peter 4, Matthew 10)
(posted at www.davesandel.net)
#
