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She was a nurse in London. She became a nurse during World Wars. Later she transitioned her career into social work, and then again with advanced education became a physician. Spiritually, she was agnostic, but through her studies and interactions with other Christians, she too became a person of faith. She sought to apply her faith in all her interactions with her patients.

One of her patients had a profound impact upon her life. He was a Polish Jewish immigrant who had escaped the Warsaw Ghetto. He was without known relatives or friends, yet he was dying. She became not just his physician but his friend. She saw the world through his eyes and felt the emotions from his heart.

The two became so close that upon his death, a large financial donation was given to her to be “a window in your home.” This donation became the first of which would become a home for other patients with terminal diagnosis.

In her many years as a nurse, she discerned that many terminal patients feel deserted by doctors and feel hopeless in the darkest moment of their life. She believed that a person’s life mattered, even in their last moments. Cicely Saunders is noted for her work in terminal care research, emphasizing palliative care, and birthing the hospice movement, which is world renown for giving dignity to those dying with space and grace to their loved ones.

Empathy is a powerful element not just in death, but in all of life. We have been studying resilience through the life of Joseph. #Down7Up8 and today’s key trait for resiliency is Empathy.

EXAMINE       Genesis 43         Empathy

¹ Now the famine was still severe in the land.

Review: Joseph was favorite son with 11 brothers. The brothers despised Joseph and eventually sought to destroy him. Rather than physically murder him, they sold him to a caravan of traders, believing his life would eventually be eliminated. Yet, Joseph would go from slave to a royal servant in Potiphar’s house. Through unjust circumstances, Joseph would be sent to prison. Joseph would spend over 10 years of life in tribulation, yet they were years of training and refinement for his divine purpose.

Joseph would spend over 10 years of life in tribulation, yet they were years of training and refinement for his divine purpose.

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Ge42 shows Joseph getting called out of prison to interpret Pharaoh’s dream. Joseph’s dream interpretation came true. Egypt had 7 years of abundance and then another 7 years of famine. The famine was severe that it stretched at least over 500 miles, and perhaps all of what we know as the Middle East.

² So when they had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”

Joseph sent the brothers home each with a sack of grain. Their food probably lasted at least a couple months.  

³ But Judah said to him, “The man

They still don’t know Joseph oversees Egyptian affairs.

warned us solemnly, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’

Their brother Simeon was kept in prison. Joseph wanted the brothers to bring back his baby brother Benjamin.

 ⁴ If you will send our brother along with us, we will go down and buy food for you. ⁵ But if you will not send him, we will not go down, because the man said to us, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’ ”

⁶ Israel asked, “Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man you had another brother?”

Jacob is trying to change the past. Undoubtedly, Jacob is repeating arguments with his children at this point. And this offers a practical suggestion for parents (and leadership):

*It’s easy to identify problems but better to problem-solve. Dwelling on past mistakes hinders present performance and accomplishing future milestones. Be visionary: speak more about direction and development than deficiencies.

Dwelling on past mistakes hinders present performance and accomplishing future milestones.

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⁷ They replied, “The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family. ‘Is your father still living?’ he asked us. ‘Do you have another brother?’ We simply answered his questions. How were we to know he would say, ‘Bring your brother down here’?”

⁸ Then Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy along with me and we will go at once, so that we and you and our children may live and not die. ⁹ I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life. ¹⁰ As it is, if we had not delayed, we could have gone and returned twice.”

Judah, the imperfect son, becomes the responsible parent to his father. He displays faith that God will protect Benjamin. He embraces accountability, something that historically he avoided. And he exhorts his father to urgency “if we had not delayed, we could have gone and returned twice.”

*Children: As we challenged parents earlier to not focus on faults, now it’s your lesson. Some signs of maturity we can learn from Judah are taking action and not procrastinating doing what you know is right. Stop avoiding accountability and initiate being part of the solution.  

¹¹ Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift—a little balm and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds.

Seriously, did you catch that? Jacob instructs the brothers to fill their bags with gifts – ingredients with a few additions – that were similar to what they sold Joseph for to the caravan headed to Egypt. So, the narrative is full cycle and the payment is essentially returned with interest…

¹² Take double the amount of silver with you, for you must return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake. ¹³ Take your brother also and go back to the man at once.

And the most costly & precious of all the gifts is Jacob releasing his prized son.

¹⁴ And may God Almighty [El Shaddai] grant you mercy [rakh’-am = deep compassion] before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”

The last time this name of God was used was when the Lord reaffirmed his promise to Abram (Gen 17:1). So, for a moment, this dysfunctional family has finally applied their faith to their circumstances. Jacob finally remembers that the LORD is bigger, more powerful, and trustworthy. Yet, the moment is fleeting. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved [shaw-kole = miscarry]. Jacob couldn’t help but bring the focus back to himself. His self-talk was negative and defeating. Instead of inspiring his children to trust God’s protection and peace traveling to Egypt, they left uncertain and disheartened.

*Again, parents, we do our children a disservice when we are not prioritizing Jesus and practicing faith in our circumstances. It’s hypocritical to instruct your children that church is important, and God is #1 while Sundays are always spent on sport fields, recital stages, or permitting them to sleep in. If God is El Shaddai, then let us steward our resources of time, talent, and treasure for God’s glory and not our own.

¹⁵ So the men took the gifts and double the amount of silver, and Benjamin also. They hurried down to Egypt and presented themselves to Joseph. ¹⁶ When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my house, slaughter an animal and prepare dinner; they are to eat with me at noon.”

NT readers: What does that remind you? / The prodigal son returning home with the father’s rejoicing (Lk 15). In this case, Joseph gives instructions for a state dinner, and prepares the heart soil of reconciling with his brothers.

¹⁷ The man did as Joseph told him and took the men to Joseph’s house. ¹⁸ Now the men were frightened when they were taken to his house. They thought, “We were brought here because of the silver that was put back into our sacks the first time. He wants to attack us and overpower us and seize us as slaves and take our donkeys.”

¹⁹ So they went up to Joseph’s steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. ²⁰ “Please, sir,” they said, “we came down here the first time to buy food. ²¹ But at the place where we stopped for the night we opened our sacks and each of us found his silver—the exact weight—in the mouth of his sack. So we have brought it back with us. ²² We have also brought additional silver with us to buy food. We don’t know who put our silver in our sacks.”

²³ “It’s all right,” he said. “Don’t be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.

Jewish tradition believes Joseph’s son Manasseh was the steward & interpreter, which coincides with the affirmation of God’s providence and provision for the brothers.[1]

²⁴ The steward took the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet and provided fodder for their donkeys. ²⁵ They prepared their gifts for Joseph’s arrival at noon, because they had heard that they were to eat there.

²⁶ When Joseph came home, they presented to him the gifts they had brought into the house, and they bowed down before him to the ground. ²⁷ He asked them how they were, and then he said, “How is your aged father you told me about? Is he still living?”

This melts your heart. Joseph inquires about his father, though the brothers still don’t know this is Joseph.

²⁸ They replied, “Your servant our father is still alive and well.” And they bowed low to pay him honor.

²⁹ As he looked about and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son, he asked, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?” And he said, “God be gracious to you, my son.” ³⁰ Deeply moved [rakh’-am] at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept there.         

For the first time in about 27 years, Joseph sees his brother Benjamin. Joseph takes a deep breath to hold his emotions, wishes God’s grace and mercy upon him, then hurries out the room as tears begin to roll off his cheeks.

Joseph was a man of strength and authority. We know he was well built in appearance. But we are also able to see the inside of Joseph, in that his heart overflows with integrity and compassion.

To repeat last week: Tears are not a design flaw but a divinely engineered means to reflect we are alive and bear the image of God, and the likeness of our Savior. “There is a sacredness in tears. They are not a mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition and of unspeakable love.”[2]

³¹ After he had washed his face, he came out and, controlling himself, said, “Serve the food.”

³² They served him by himself, the brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, for that is detestable [abomination] ^[3] to Egyptians.

The narration is filled with irony with the dynamic between the brothers and Joseph, and now the Hebrews and Egyptians. It’s a reminder that racism has many facets and an ancient, appalling, and atrocious evil that sadly poisons many today.

³³ The men had been seated before him in the order of their ages, from the firstborn to the youngest; and they looked at each other in astonishment [trembling panic, often due to divine judgment^[4]]. ³⁴ When portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as anyone else’s. So they feasted and drank freely with him.

Like father, like son: Joseph spoils Benjamin. Perhaps he is testing to see how the brothers will react, or maybe it is just to show lavish affection for his brother who once was lost but now is found.

APPLY/TAKEAWAY

*Begin your days with theology not trouble. When we are enduring struggles or suffering, we are tempted to dwell on our troubles. We forget God’s faithfulness and grasp for all that we can in this world. But the more firmly we hold sand it slips through our fingers. All of us are prone to negative self-talk and horizontal fixation. Our mind scrolls through the list of tasks we need to complete. Our heart gets heavy based upon the lack of resources to complete those tasks. Proverbs 12:25 “Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a good word brings gladness.” Good theology doesn’t necessarily change your circumstances, but it does change you. And in your sanctifying growth, God will apply divine wisdom and tangible provision to withstand whatever you are enduring; because we cannot go around troubles, but we must go through them with God’s help. Practically, it simply means inviting God into your situation.

Good theology doesn’t necessarily change your circumstances, but it does change you.

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> What kind of theology are you preaching to yourself? If it’s self-focused, then you’ll be discouraging, hope-robbing, but if biblical and God-focused then it will be liberating, motivating, and hope-inspiring.
Ps 27:5, 11 “For God will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock… Teach me your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path.”  

*Be a blessing to others, especially those with burdens. Joseph and Manasseh could see the heavy guilt and fearful shame weigh upon the brothers. They could have made them sweat, worry, and panic, but instead they spoke words of peace and shared blessings.

Remember: Joseph was within means to exact justice and retribution (not revenge). Instead, he shows unexplainable mercy/grace; he shows empathy.

There are some – even Christians – that say empathy is toxic and sinful[6]; that it corrupts us to tolerate or help others who are “undeserving.” It rationalizes treating others callously or neglect. But this thinking distorts the gospel. It thinks more highly of themselves and diminishing God’s grace (Ro 12:3).  Instead, Christians are called to season the world with salt and grace.

Proverbs 10:11; 16:23-24, 27 “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life… The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips. Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body… A worthless man plots evil and his speech is like scorching fire.”

Proverbs 15:23 “To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is.”

Proverbs 15:30b “good news refreshes the bones”

Fellow Christians, we have good news for a bad news world. We are called to give unexplainable mercy and grace because “once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy… to proclaim the praises of God who has called us out of darkness into marvelous light” (1Pet 2:9-10)

*Believe in El Shaddai. Jacob, among others, speak of God Almighty. The word “Shaddai” comes from the Hebrew word illustrating a nursing mother who has a plentiful supply of milk to meet the hunger of her child (cf. Isaiah 66:10-11). And in Genesis the name shows up…

• 17:1 El Shaddai promises Abraham countless descendants
• 28:1 Isaac asks El Shaddai to bless his son Jacob with many children
• 35:11 El Shaddai tells Jacob to be fruitful and multiply
• 43:14 Jacob prays for El Shaddai to protect his sons, provide their sustenance, and prolong their heritage.
• 49:25 Jacob prays for El Shaddai to bless future generations through his children.

So, this name of God reminds us to visualize and value God as the all-sufficient one;^[5] the one who overcomes our inadequacy; the one who is always faithful and never fails[7]; the one who promises gracious provision to a thousand generations who love Him, and contrastingly those who doubt and disobey Him will be punished with frustration and emptiness. Jesus invites us to take refuge in the cover of His wings and dwell in the shadow of the Almighty (Ps 91).

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[1] https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/10343-manasseh

[2] Washington Irving.

^[3] Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16–50, vol. 2, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1994), 423.

^[4] Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16–50, vol. 2, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1994), 424.

^[5] Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16–50, vol. 2, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1994), 20.

[6] Though inspired from https://x.com/zugzwanged/status/1892208663340659192

[7] https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/breastfeeding-changed-view-god/