The Generous Nature of Joseph

Think of all the evil Joseph suffered because of his brothers. Yet shortly after his rough conversation with them and taking Simeon into custody, Joseph rolls out the red carpet for his brothers in acts of tremendous generosity. 

Genesis 43:16 (ESV) When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Bring the men into the house, and slaughter an animal and make ready, for the men are to dine with me at noon.”


Genesis 43:24 (ESV) And when the man had brought the men into Joseph’s house and given them water, and they had washed their feet, and when he had given their donkeys fodder,

Genesis 43:34 (ESV) Portions were taken to them from Joseph’s table, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank and were merry with him.

Joseph does everything to be kind to these men who treated him with such hostility. I don't know if I would have done the same. But there is only one reason.

He loved them.

Look at what happens when he sees Benjamin (his sole maternal brother):

Genesis 43:30 (ESV) Then Joseph hurried out, for his compassion grew warm for his brother, and he sought a place to weep. And he entered his chamber and wept there.

The Greek translation of this passage tells us that when Joseph saw Benjamin his "insides were all knotted up." The word has a close relevance to Jesus' experience upon seeing the crowds harrassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd in Matthew 9:

Matthew 9:36 (ESV) When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Joseph is the type of Christ for you and I. Many things can lead us to Christ. But the number one draw of Jesus over and over again is His Love. Not His judgement or wrath, not our sin, not our bad predicaments, not our desire for wisdom or living better or more prosperity. Sure, some people come to Christ for those reasons, but do they stay with Christ? 

The long-lasting transformation of the human heart happens with the warming of our heart by the love of Jesus captures us and transforms us for His purpose.

Even Paul, after the laser sharp language of Romans 1-2, will ask them to remember:

Romans 2:4 (NLT) Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

What turns a person into a fully devoted follower of Jesus? It's not warnings. It's not rewards. It's not the promise of a better life. Truly and really, deep down, it is the love of God that knows no limits. The love of God that makes his enemies his friends. 

Romans 5:8 (NLT) But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

Its amazing how often the church can give God's love for sinners a back seat in their ministry. It should be front and center, driving everything we do! God's love for people is unrelenting and life changing! We are made to be loved the way God loves us. When we find it, all else comes second and fades away.

1 John 3:1 (NLT) See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.