Jesus Wept. Sculpted by Mike Scovel.Genesis 45:1-15 (Revised Standard Version)
[1]
Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him; and he cried, "Make every one go out from me." So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers.
[2] And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it.
[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, I pray you." 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; and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
[9] Make haste 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] and there I will provide for you, for there are yet five years of famine to come; lest you and your household, and all that you have, 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 splendor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. Make haste 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; and after that his brothers talked with him.
John 11:35
Jesus wept.
By Dr. George C. Anderson
The good news in the story of Joseph is forgiveness. God wants us to know Joseph’s compassion didn’t come from a careless heart or a blasé heart. The good news of forgiveness is repeated when Jesus wept for Lazarus, "Jesus wept." God will get us from the valley of the shadow of death to the summit. He will meet us at our lowest place and stay with us until we get to a better place. He will meet us in our grief, in our fear, in our doubt, in our despair, in our dark depression. In Christ, God joins his cry to ours. He shares in our grieving so as to share in our rejoicing. God joins us in the verse "Jesus wept."
I say this for all those who may have lost loved ones months, even years ago, and who still grieve, maybe with added pain because others have gone on with their lives and have perhaps forgotten how much was lost in yours. There is good news in knowing the weeping came from Jesus Himself. By His grace, our sighs can become our prayers to the one who raised Lazarus and did not Himself remain in the grave. The Spirit of that resurrected One will join with our spirit and share in the sigh too deep for words and raise it as an offering to the throne of grace.
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[1]
Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him; and he cried, "Make every one go out from me." So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers.
[2] And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it.
[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, I pray you." 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; and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
[9] Make haste 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] and there I will provide for you, for there are yet five years of famine to come; lest you and your household, and all that you have, 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 splendor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. Make haste 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; and after that his brothers talked with him.
John 11:35
Jesus wept.
By Dr. George C. Anderson
The good news in the story of Joseph is forgiveness. God wants us to know Joseph’s compassion didn’t come from a careless heart or a blasé heart. The good news of forgiveness is repeated when Jesus wept for Lazarus, "Jesus wept." God will get us from the valley of the shadow of death to the summit. He will meet us at our lowest place and stay with us until we get to a better place. He will meet us in our grief, in our fear, in our doubt, in our despair, in our dark depression. In Christ, God joins his cry to ours. He shares in our grieving so as to share in our rejoicing. God joins us in the verse "Jesus wept."
I say this for all those who may have lost loved ones months, even years ago, and who still grieve, maybe with added pain because others have gone on with their lives and have perhaps forgotten how much was lost in yours. There is good news in knowing the weeping came from Jesus Himself. By His grace, our sighs can become our prayers to the one who raised Lazarus and did not Himself remain in the grave. The Spirit of that resurrected One will join with our spirit and share in the sigh too deep for words and raise it as an offering to the throne of grace.
<><
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