They say real men don’t cry. But I don’t think I’ve ever met a more real man than Joseph, who was certainly not ashamed to weep:
- He wept as he overheard his brothers acknowledging their guilt from 22 years prior when they sold him into slavery. (Gen 42:24)
- He wept when he saw his younger brother Benjamin for the first time in 22 years. (43:30)
- He wept very loudly when he made himself known to his brothers. (45:2)
- He fell on Benjamin’s neck and wept. (45:14)
- He kissed his brothers and wept on them. (45:15)
- He wept when he saw his father again after 22 years of separation. (46:29)
- He wept when his father died. (50:1)
- And he wept when his brothers came and asked forgiveness of him. (50:17)
Was he just an emotional wreck of a man? Or do we insufficiently comprehend the crushing weight of his brothers’ betrayal? the sheer terror of having been trafficked into slavery? the monumental grief and sadness of “losing” his father? To say nothing of his travails in Egypt from slavery, exploitation, and injustice.
We gain additional insight when his sons were born. The first he named Manasseh because, “God has caused me to forget all my hardship.” And the second he named Ephraim, referencing “the land of my affliction.” We can only conclude that Joseph’s grief and distress must have been enormous!
So now as he reconnects with his family, the 22 years of hardship and pain all come rushing out with weeping. Apparently, he has not forgotten after all. It’s all as real as ever!
Do you see what the Lord is doing for Joseph in all of this? He is bringing about a true reconciliation rather than just a “forgetting.” True healing, not just a means of coping. How merciful. How kind. How loving.
Based on His character, I am emboldened to ask: In what ways has God taken you beyond mere coping and been truly merciful, kind, and loving? Give some time and thought to this. The tears may begin to flow…