You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good | Epiphany 7 | Lectionary Sketch of the Week (Digital Art)

Epiphany 7 (Series C)

Genesis 45:3–15

³ And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence. 

⁴ So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. ⁵ And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. ⁶ For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. ⁷ And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. ⁸ So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. ⁹ Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not tarry. ¹⁰ You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. ¹¹ There I will provide for you, for there are yet five years of famine to come, so that you and your household, and all that you have, do not come to poverty.’ ¹² And now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. ¹³ You must tell my father of all my honor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.” ¹⁴ Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck. ¹⁵ And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that his brothers talked with him. 

Commentary

While the text pictured is not in the pericope for this week, it encapsulates Joseph's response to his brothers. Though his brothers threw him into a pit and sold him off to be a slave, Joseph came to see the hand of God in all of it. The Lord used Joseph to save them and the entire family. 

This is a digital painting/sketch from Joseph's perspective looking up from the bottom of the pit at his brothers. But in the heavens the light shines brightly as a cross that illumines the darkness of the pit. Our Lord became our brother by taking on human flesh and willingly received the evil done against Him by our sin. He was crucified on our behalf. Amazingly, God meant it for our good. Christ has saved us by way of the cross from the deathly situation of our sin in order to redeem His brothers and sisters. The shadowy darkness of our sin has been eradicated by His glorious light. Praise be to the Lord!