Focus on the end of the story (Friday, Lent 2)

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REFLECTION 


Among the sons of Jacob, Joseph was exceptionally gifted: he was a dreamer and interpreter of dreams. This must have given rise to feelings of jealousy and hatred from his brothers towards him. But the hatred became stronger when they later came to learn that Joseph was their father’s favorite because he was the son of his old age. They couldn’t bear it anymore: jealousy degenerated to envy (and they began to nurse a wicked desire to get rid of Joseph). They succeeded in selling him off into the hands of some Ishmaelite traders who took him to Egypt (cf. Gen. 37:3-4.12-13a.17b-28). In the midst of all these ugly experiences, God was apparently silent. But the story did not end there.


Psalm 105 concludes the story for us: When the world was being ravaged by hunger and famine, the psalmist tells us that “God sent a man ahead of the children of Israel, Joseph, sold as a slave, whom He made master and ruler of all possessions in the land of Egypt”. In Gen 50:19-20, when Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt to buy food, Joseph joyfully said to them: “Even though you meant harm to me, God meant it for good, to achieve His purpose”. The lesson of this story then is that sometimes God allows bad things to happen so that something good will come out of it. We may have blamed God for being silent when Joseph was going through those trials and disappointing moments. But the end of the story revealed that God was actually making everything turn around not just for Joseph’s good, but for the good of the entire household of Israel.


Having spoken truth to power especially in the parables, the Jewish leaders also made plots to get rid of Jesus. And it seemed they succeeded in their plans when Jesus was crucified. But that was not the end of the story. Jesus rose from the dead; and after His resurrection and ascension, His Spirit descended mightily on the disciples. Yes, His followers were brutally persecuted; but as they fled from persecution, they took the good news beyond the shores of Jerusalem; and from that point,  the Christian faith began to spread like wildfire. If all these things did not happen, would we have become beneficiaries of the good news today? God allowed all these because He knows that the story will end well. Indeed, nothing happens outside His knowledge!


CONCLUSION


When people treat you unjustly, fight honorably to wriggle out of your challenging situation. When things are going well for you, thank God! When life throws you around, talk to God! But when you have made efforts to put things aright and your efforts seem not to bear much fruit, always rest assured that nothing happens outside God’s knowledge. If the tragic stories of Joseph and Jesus ended victoriously, why do you think that your own story won’t end triumphantly? God will surely lead you towards His plans. Strive to look beyond your difficulties, and focus on the end of the story!     


PRAYER 


Lord, keep my feet strong and steady as I walk the difficult paths of life with you because I know that there will be light at the end of the tunnel, Amen!


Have a fruitful Lenten journey!



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