Thursday, July 11, 2019 – Only God Knows the Big Picture

Joseph Sold Grain to His Brothers

Who could read about Joseph and his brothers in the first reading for mass today and your heart not go out to him? Joseph broke down and cried so hard that he couldn’t control his tears. What triggered the flood of tears seems to have been the story his brothers told him, about the suffering his father went through after losing his son. Joseph’s father obviously still loved him and never forgot about him, even after the passage of so many years. Joseph cried so hard that even the Pharaoh’s household heard him cry. It was his father’s love that broke the damn of tears and allowed the healing process to begin. Sometimes people can not heal until they can cry. This is true after the death of a loved one and other traumatic life events too. Tears are like opening a wound in the heart and letting the infection out. Tears can be cleansing and a healthy part of the healing process.

After Joseph got control of himself though, he told his brothers who he really was. Then he immediately tried to alleviate the guilt that they had by telling them: “And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.” That’s what is so amazing about Joseph’s story. He recognized that it had been God’s will all along, that his brothers got mad at him and sold him into slavery. The whole sequence of events fit together like pieces of a puzzle and God was the only one who knew the big picture.

At the time, Joseph and his brothers were not even aware they were acting in accordance with what God wanted all along. They thought they acted on their own when in fact, God knew how they would react to the situation and took this into consideration when he used Joseph to save so many lives during the famine that engulfed their world. God knew there would be a seven year famine and he sent Joseph to Egypt to prepare for it so that the people would not die from starvation.

We How awesome can that be? A seemingly random sequence of events led Joseph to help most of the known world survive a great, seven year famine. That is a very good reason why we should not judge one another by the temporary events and circumstances of our lives. God alone knows the big picture of our life and He can sometimes use the negative things people do to serve Him as well. That is a challenge for us to allow Him to do that though. We are usually ashamed of our sins and do not think anything good can come from them, but God can transform evil into good. Joseph certainly did change some very negative circumstances into a beautiful, life giving act for so many people and healing for his own family. He could have acted much differently, but he chose to listen to God and do what he asked of him.

Joseph set a good example for us in how to handle the negativity that is so often found in our families today. Humility and forgiveness by a single family member can be the key to reconciliation and healing for the entire family.

The gospel reading for mass today also focused on the fact that only God, and Jesus know the big picture:

Peter spoke to Jesus. ‘What about us?’ he said. ‘We have left everything and followed you. What are we to have, then?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I tell you solemnly, when all is made new and the Son of Man sits on his throne of glory, you will yourselves sit on twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children or land for the sake of my name will be repaid a hundred times over, and also inherit eternal life.’

For those of us who are going through trials in our family life, our personal life, in our business or profession, in school or in our friendships, we should keep in mind that only God knows the big picture. Leave the situation in His capable hands, go on down the road you are traveling, and everything will eventually turn out right.

About the Author

Hello! My name is Laura Kazlas. As a child, I was raised in an atheist family, but came to believe in God when I was 12 years old. I was baptized because of the words that I read in the bible. I later became a Catholic because of the Mass. The first time my husband brought me to Mass, I thought it was the most holy, beautiful sense of worshiping God that I had ever experienced. I still do! My husband John and I have been married for 37 years. We have a son, a daughter, and two granddaughters. We are in the process of adopting a three year old little girl. We live in Salem, Oregon in the United States. I currently serve as the program coordinator for Catholic ministry at a local maximum security men's prison. I‘m also a supervisor for Mount Angel Seminary’s field education program, in Oregon.

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12 Comments

  1. Hey! Laura may God bless you for this wonderful reflection Iam really touched..thanks!

  2. Tks Laura for your reflections. God indeed alone knows the bigger picture. He can turn evil or seemingly difficult situations into good

  3. Thanks for this great reflection, Laura. Further, I love your profile and don’t get tired of reading it. God bless you and your family. Amen.

  4. Thank you Laura. Forgiveness and humility are the keys to healing. Another beautiful Catholic moment to reflect upon. Blessings.

  5. Joseph is a model and a prefigure of Christ. What a beautiful story of forgiveness, healing and redemption that can only come from cooperation with God’s grace. I love it, thank you Laura.

  6. Confusing, because the Genesis reading is from the regular readings and the Gospel reading is from the optional readings for Saint Benedict’s feast day. Please clarify when you are using two different sets of readings in tbe future. Thank you.

  7. What a timely reflection. God indeed knows the bigger picture and we should let Him guide us. Thank you Laura. God bless you more

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