ST. BONAVENTURE

Genesis 49:29-33,50:15-26
Matthew 10:24-3

EMBRACE GOD’S ARDOUR OF MERCY

Many of us think that the book of Genesis is majorly about the creation story but we know that apart from the two chapters that capture the creation story, the rest of the forty-eight chapters is about beginnings and endings. We have in today’s first reading, the final story in the book of Genesis. It ends with the story of the death of Jacob and his son Joseph- the prince of Egypt. As Genesis ends it would appear that we have found the solution to all the bad we have heard in the Book of Genesis. Cain and Abel, Sodom and Gomorrah, the flood and the Tower of Babel, Joseph sold as a slave by his brother Egypt, etc. Is there a way out?

Jacob’s sons now fear Joseph’s wrath for what they did to him as a boy now that their father is dead. They concoct a story saying that Jacob’s final request is a plea for mercy, a plea for their lives from Joseph. Joseph breaks into tears. The brothers throw themselves on the ground before Joseph begging that they become his slaves!But Joseph forgives them, reminding them that a great good has come of their evil intent. Joseph is a good man who can forgive those who have sinned against him. He is “a God-fearing man”(42:18) and before he died, he instructs them that, when they leave d land of Egypt, they are to take his bones with them.

As we conclude our meditation on brokenness in God’s wonderful creation we find a man who forgives injustice and the wrongs against him. He may forgive better than anyone in the Scriptures? on the contrary, his brothers cannot grasp his mercy and forgiveness.

In the same vein, our Lord Jesus continues to instruct His apostles before they went out to preach on His behalf about the mercy of God. He again reminds them that a difficult road lies ahead but that they do not need to fear what people may do to their bodies but to fear what the prince of darkness may do to their souls if they do not trust in Christ alone.That same warning is given to us too. We quite often spend far more time worrying about our physical body than we do about our soul even though the soul is far more important and it is the immortal part of us. Do you experience excessive worries and fears in your life? Could it be that you don’t trust God enough?

We are therefore invited to ponder how we the daughters and sons of Eve and Adam, will accept this mercy. It may not be easy. But in the beginning, there is creation, there is mercy, and there is the need to embrace that forgiveness.

Fr Joseph Osho