and he wept aloud, so that the egyptians heard it, and the household of pharaoh heard it. 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. — [genesis 45:2-3]
i am joseph!
this moment is among the most beautiful and emotional in scripture. until now, we have followed the narrative of joseph and his family over the course of decades. until this point, only joseph knew the truth of the matter, and kept it well hidden.
as the truth of joseph’s identity finally bubbles to the surface, it instantaneously changes everything that will happen thereafter.
they were dismayed
this must have been an unbelievable shock! the guilt of what they had done to joseph had been hanging over them for years, and now he stands before them as a ruler with the authority to take his revenge. yet joseph’s desire is not revenge, but restoration.
joseph embraces his younger brother; he asks if their father is still living. he shows kindness and affection to each of his brothers. like each of us, joseph longs for healthy relationships. joseph has made a new family from the people around him, yet he continued to have hope for his broken home – the home that had caused him pain, yet for which he longed for restoration.
all those years ago, joseph was young and outnumbered. now, as a man in a position of authority, he chooses mercy. joseph sees that he has been shown mercy, and it now flows through him naturally. God has taken the misfortunes of this broken family and used them for good to accomplish something that no one else could ever do.
~ jason soroski