Daily Lectionary | Genesis 44 & Matthew 4
Genesis 44
Summary
Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. Now in a position of power over his brothers, he could have sold them into slavery. Joseph, however, uses his position of authority not to enslave but to bring reconciliation. This reconciliation unfolds through a dramatic process and test.
Joseph is ready to send his brothers back but has a servant plant a silver cup in Benjamin’s bag to frame him as a thief. When the silver cup is discovered, Judah is dismayed because he swore on his life that he would return Benjamin to his father.
Judah offers himself as a substitute for Benjamin: “Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord, and let the boy go back with his brothers”' (Gen. 44:33).
Rachel, Jacob’s favorite wife, had borne him two sons: Joseph and Benjamin. Jacob thinks Joseph is dead and now if Benjamin dies, Judah believes Jacob will die.
Benjamin was Jacob’s new favorite. It appeared to the brothers that he had stolen a cup of divination. That cup would have been associated with telling the future. Jospeh was a dreamer of the future and that got him in trouble with his brothers. Judah and his brothers could have thought Benjamin had similar ambitions to distinguish himself above his brothers. How would the brothers respond this time around? Would they sell out Benjamin? It was Judah who had the idea to sell Joseph into slavery in chapter 37. Would he now let Benjamin go into slavery? This time Judah offers himself in place of the one he thinks is an offender.
Reflection Questions
Jesus is of the tribe of Judah. Consider how Jesus, the greater Judah, rescues us from slavery.
Why does Joseph put his brothers through a long test?
Matthew 4
Summary
After Jesus’ baptism, he’s “led by the Spirit into the wilderness.” After Israel crossed the Red Sea, they were led by the glory cloud of the Spirit into the wilderness where they were tested for 40 years. Jesus goes into the wilderness to be tested for 40 days.
In 1 John 2:16, we read: “For all that is in the world--the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and the pride of life--is not from the Father but is from the world.” Some see in the temptations of Jesus these worldly temptations: the desires of flesh (stones made bread), the pride of life (cast yourself down), and the lust of eyes (the Devil shows Jesus the kingdoms of the world). In the traditional baptismal liturgy, the candidate renounces the world, the flesh, and the devil. Jesus, having just been baptized, renounces these three things as well in obedience to his baptismal calling.
Satan tests Jesus by using Scripture improperly in two of the temptations. Jesus responds by using Scripture properly.
Just like Jospeh fled to Egypt to escape a tyrant in Israel, now Jesus escapes to Galilee when he hears John has been arrested. He leaves Narazeth and sets up base at Capernaum to fulfill Scripture that he will come among the “Galilee of Gentiles.”
Jesus’ picks up John’s message of repentance and announcement of the kingdom of God (Matt. 4:17). He then calls Simon, Andrew, James, and John and they follow him. He starts his ministry in Galilee teaching in synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of illness.
Reflection Questions
Why is it significant that Jesus was tempted?
Describe what happens as Jesus announces the message of the kingdom?