The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with our contemplation of the nature of God's Plan for us.
Plan for our Journey
In the reading from the Book of Genesis, Judah pleads for Benjamin’s release and Joseph reveals himself to his brothers.
* [44:1–34] Joseph’s pressure on his brothers and Judah’s great speech. Judah has the longest speech in the Book of Genesis; it summarizes the recent past (vv. 18–29), shows the pain Joseph’s actions have imposed on their aged father (vv. 30–32), and ends with the offer to take the place of Benjamin as servant of Joseph (vv. 33–34). The role of Judah in the entire story is exceedingly important and is easily underrated: he tries to rescue Joseph (37:26–27), his “going down away from the brothers” is parallel to Joseph’s (chap. 38) and prepares him (as it prepares Joseph) for the reconciliation, his speech in chap. 44 persuades Joseph to reveal himself and be reconciled to his brothers. Here, Judah effectively replaces Reuben as a spokesman for the brothers. Jacob in his testament (chap. 49) devotes the most attention to Judah and Joseph. In one sense, the story can be called the story of Joseph and Judah.1
Psalm 105 praises God’s faithfulness to Israel.
* [Psalm 105] A hymn to God who promised the land of Canaan to the holy people, cf. Ps 78; 106; 136. Israel is invited to praise and seek the presence of God (Ps 105:1–6), who is faithful to the promise of land to the ancestors (Ps 105:7–11). In every phase of the national story—the ancestors in the land of Canaan (Ps 105:12–15), Joseph in Egypt (Ps 105:16–22), Israel in Egypt (Ps 105:23–38), Israel in the desert on the way to Canaan (Ps 105:39–45)—God remained faithful, reiterating the promise of the land to successive servants.2
The Gospel of Matthew details the commissioning of the Twelve to go and proclaim the good news.
* [10:8–11] The Twelve have received their own call and mission through God’s gift, and the benefits they confer are likewise to be given freely. They are not to take with them money, provisions, or unnecessary clothing; their lodging and food will be provided by those who receive them. * [10:13] The greeting of peace is conceived of not merely as a salutation but as an effective word. If it finds no worthy recipient, it will return to the speaker.3
Eileen Burke-Sullivan comments that Joseph is not only his human father’s favorite, he is seen in the book of Genesis to be an instrument of God to rescue his extended family, thus rescuing God’s “plan” for the nation of Israel to bring forth salvation. Today’s Gospel commands us to tell this good news everywhere by our stories and by our example of life.
In prayer I ask God where I am in these scriptural accounts. Have I really heard the Good News, accepted the suffering caused by sin, and reached out to heal that suffering with mercy? Do I remain caught in jealousy or vengeance? Am I one of those who has received and given away peace by welcoming the stranger, or have I driven the peaceful from home, city, or nation? – Am I one who seeks to tell the Gospel everywhere? The Kingdom of God is at hand: repent and believe in the Gospel!4
Don Schwager quotes “The gift of power to reign with the Lord,” by Hilary of Poitiers (315-367 AD).
"All the power possessed by the Lord is bestowed upon the apostles! Those who were prefigured in the image and likeness of God in Adam have now received the perfect image and likeness of Christ. They have been given powers in no way different from those of the Lord. Those once earthbound now become heaven-centered. They will proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, that the image and likeness of God are now appropriated in the company of truth, so that all the holy ones who have been made heirs of heaven may reign with the Lord. Let them cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers and cast out devils. Whatever impairment Adam's body had incurred from being goaded on by Satan, let the apostles wipe away through their sharing in the Lord's power. And that they may fully obtain the likeness of God according to the prophecy in Genesis, they are ordered to give freely what they freely have received (Matthew 10:8). Thus a gift freely bestowed should be freely dispensed." (excerpt from commentary ON MATTHEW 10.4)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Genesis 44:18-21, 23-29; 45:1-5 comments that it may be easy to feel like a Forrest Gump, subject to the whims of circumstance. But if we take Joseph’s view, we will trust that God is with us no matter what happens. He can use every situation to bring about his plans—even tragedy, failure, and sin. And like Joseph, we can participate with him by seeing every day as an opportunity.
So when something unexpected happens, choose to imitate Joseph. In the midst of your own challenges and the challenges around you, know that God is with you. But don’t stop there. Act on that knowledge. Believe that he is opening a path for you to serve him. God will always give you opportunities to participate with him in building his kingdom. “Lord, I trust that you can work in any circumstance. I want to cooperate with you and build your kingdom.”6
Friar Jude Winkler fleshes out some of the details in the drama of the discovery of Jacob’s favouritism and Judah’s appeal for Benjamin. The Kingdom of Heaven is a phrase attributed to a converted Pharisee who added Scriptural references to the work of Matthew. Friar Jude reminds us that not everyone has received the gifts to accept the good news.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that, for Paul, salvation is something that is actually experienced. He wrote about the experience in so many ways because he was always trying to get a handle on it. He sought to put into words something for which he had no ready-made vocabulary. One such phrase he used was a new creation. He wrote, “All that matters is to be created anew” (Galatians 6:15). He himself felt like a new man after his conversion, filled with a new power he had never known before. His other phrase is en Cristo, or “in Christ,” which he uses dozens of times to move us to a collective notion of salvation—with scant success up to now.
Through the Church, in the Body of Christ, God calls us to a new way of living, a new way of relating to God, to others, and to the world. Paul believes the Church is meant to be a community whose way of living runs contrary to the prevailing culture. We would call it countercultural today. It is a way of cooperating rather than competing, a way of giving rather than getting, a way of sharing rather than hoarding, a way of sacrifice rather than comfort, a way of faith rather than knowledge, a way of relationship rather than anonymity, a way of love rather than animosity. Through membership in the Body of Christ, this way of living is a sharing in the life of Christ.7
Our reflection on how the plan of God brought life to the people of Israel supports our faith that the Spirit continues to prompt us to practice the Way of the Kingdom in our lives.
References
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