Subway Art – Kaohsiung Taiwan

The psalmist writes, “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” Psalm 133:1

Unity and harmony among brothers, did not exist in Joseph’s early life. Far from harmony, there was jealousy and envy, as their father Jacob, consistently chose one child over the others. Growing up in such an environment, would not have been easy. While most parents try hard to treat all their children equally, Jacob had a favorite and favored son, Joseph.

Anyone observing this, would not have been surprised the older siblings grew resentful of their younger brother.

One fateful day, Jacob sent Joseph to see how his brothers were doing. Noticing Joseph  in the distance, their jealousy, resentment and envy reached a boiling point. Some of his ten older brothers plotted to kill Joseph. Reuben, trying to protect his younger brother, convinced them to put Joseph in a pit, intending to come back and rescue him. But before Reuben returned, his brothers spotted a way to both make money, and get rid of Joseph. They sold  him as a slave, to Egyptian traders.

Soaking Joseph’s coat in blood from a goat, they were able to deceive  their father, into believing Joseph had been attacked. With neither  body  nor way to test the blood, Jacob was left to mourn his son . . . Grieving his loss, every single day.  Still, while he may never have expected to see Joseph again, there was always that faint hope, somehow, someday he would return.

Which is the hope of every parent of a missing child.  A hope that someday that child will come home. It is the kind of hope which propelled Patty Wetterling, to develop her system of advocacy for missing children, at the Jacob Wetterling Resource Center. 

Sometimes, there is a miracle. A long missing child,  does return home.

Jacob’s  miracle came  after his sons returned from Egypt, with news that Joseph was alive, telling him,  “Joseph is still alive! He is even ruler over all the land of Egypt.”  Jacob  was stunned; “He could not believe them. But when they told him all the words of Joseph that he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. He said, “Enough! My son Joseph is still alive. I must go and see him before I die.” Genesis 45:26-28

For Jacob, it would have been enough to learn Joseph was alive.  To add to his joy, he learns his son has risen to power, prestige and wealth in Egypt.  Joseph wants him to come to Egypt, and  bring the whole, large extended family, with him.

What a moment it must have been, when Jacob sets eyes on his son Joseph, and Joseph embraced him . . . When their tears of joy, mingled to become one stream of gratitude. That moment, Jacob’s heart  so  broken with regrets and grief,  begins to heal.  And Joseph is restored to his father’s love.

*The full story of Joseph and his brothers is found in the Biblical book of Genesis, primarily between  Chapters 37 to 50.