The Mature Joseph

"So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt."

Genesis 45:8

Earlier in Genesis, we were introduced to Joseph the self-centered young man who dreamt of his own glory. He delighted in being the favored son of his father, angering his brothers with his arrogance.

When they sold him into slavery, it's not hard to imagine Joseph's thoughts and feelings. How distressed he must have been! How much anger he must have felt towards his brothers! How confused he must have been about God's presence in his life! And who can blame him?

Genesis 45 shows us a different Joseph, a Joseph matured by years of suffering and waiting. He saw his life from a new perspective, as an expression of God's gracious will. From this point of view, Joseph was able to forgive his brothers for what they had done to him. Moreover, though he had been endowed with power that would have spun the head of the young Joseph, the mature Joseph sees all of this as God's doing.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: Have you experienced something like Joseph in your life? Have you matured, both in character and in faith? Can you forgive those who have wronged you, even seeing how God has used the wrong for his good?

PRAYER: Gracious God, as I reflect upon the life of Joseph, I'm impressed by his maturation. The arrogant young man became a humble adult who acknowledged your sovereignty over his life, both the good and the bad. In his maturity, he was able to forgive his brothers, even though they had wronged him so profoundly.

Help me, Lord, to grow up in you. Take the childish parts of me and work them into maturity. May the events of my life, including the painful ones, shape me to be more and more the person you have designed me to be. Help me to see my life, and, indeed, the world, through the eyes of your wisdom. Amen.