Thought for the day – Wednesday 1st April 2020
Bible Readings : Genesis 45: 1 – 5 & John 19: 25 – 27
Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!” So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it. Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence. Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
It never ceases to amaze me that the last thing Jesus did before he died was to make sure his mother and his best friend were cared for. And this makes me think about the potential for closeness of relationships in our families. I only have one sibling – a brother – and we’ve always been very close. When we argue it gets very fierce as we both have very definite opinions and other people tend to leave us to it, but we know surely and deeply that we love each other. We are very different but there is that core love which never departs. This is surely something shown in the Genesis reading of Joseph and his brothers. Despite all that has happened, in his heart Joseph still loves his brothers, possibly in a way which has taken him by surprise.
Today we should give thanks for our closer family, the ones we are tied to in love and care in ways we often don’t understand. And let’s spend some time considering what these relationships tell us about God our Father and the knowledge of his care and concern which is with us always.
Prayer: Deep in heart of all creation – loving Father- you are there.
At the heart of every crisis – Christ our brother- you are there.
In the joy and in the heartbreak, Centreplace of human being
Deep within our hearts of longing – Spirit, Son and loving Father
We know – you are there.