Good From Bad

Mar 10: Friday of the Second Week of Lent

Mar 10, 2023

“The Lord works in mysterious ways” is one of those trite phrases that also happens to be true.

From our human, temporal perspective, it’s difficult1 to tell if some event in our lives will be good or ill—

The difference between us and the Zen master above, though, is that we have faith that, ultimately,2 everything will be for our good, and the good of the world, according to God’s plan.

Reading 1

Gn 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a

Israel loved Joseph best of all his sons, for he was the child of his old age; and he had made him a long tunic. When his brothers saw that their father loved him best of all his sons, they hated him so much that they would not even greet him.

One day, when his brothers had gone to pasture their father's flocks at Shechem, Israel said to Joseph, "Your brothers, you know, are tending our flocks at Shechem. Get ready; I will send you to them."

So Joseph went after his brothers and caught up with them in Dothan. They noticed him from a distance, and before he came up to them, they plotted to kill him. They said to one another: "Here comes that master dreamer! Come on, let us kill him and throw him into one of the cisterns here; we could say that a wild beast devoured him. We shall then see what comes of his dreams."

When Reuben heard this, he tried to save him from their hands, saying, "We must not take his life. Instead of shedding blood," he continued, "just throw him into that cistern there in the desert; but do not kill him outright." His purpose was to rescue him from their hands and return him to his father. So when Joseph came up to them, they stripped him of the long tunic he had on; then they took him and threw him into the cistern, which was empty and dry.

They then sat down to their meal. Looking up, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, their camels laden with gum, balm and resin to be taken down to Egypt. Judah said to his brothers: "What is to be gained by killing our brother and concealing his blood? Rather, let us sell him to these Ishmaelites, instead of doing away with him ourselves. After all, he is our brother, our own flesh." His brothers agreed. They sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver.

You know the story: Joseph’s brothers were jealous, so they beat him, nearly kill him, then sell him into slavery.

Later, Joseph becomes a trusted advisor to the Pharoah, and helps Egypt prepare for a devestating famine.

When Jacob and his remaining sons also suffer from the drought, they seek the help of Egypt, only to discover that Joseph has risen to the second highest position in Egypt!

It seems like a happy ending, until you remember that Exodus is the next book in the Bible/Torah, and things get very bad, indeed.

So, is what the brothers did bad? It led to the family being saved from starvation. Is what Joseph did good? It led to centuries of enslavement.

We can’t really judge by “results,” because we never know what the results are. Only God can do that. We can only judge based on our intentions, and available knowledge at the time. So, yes, selling your little brother into slavery is bad, and rescuing your family from starvation is good. You can’t help what comes after.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 105:16-17, 18-19, 20-21

R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
When the LORD called down a famine on the land
and ruined the crop that sustained them,
He sent a man before them,
Joseph, sold as a slave.
R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
They had weighed him down with fetters,
and he was bound with chains,
Till his prediction came to pass
and the word of the LORD proved him true.
R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.
The king sent and released him,
the ruler of the peoples set him free.
He made him lord of his house
and ruler of all his possessions.
R. Remember the marvels the Lord has done.

This psalm is obviously a musical rendition of the first reading.

The point to remember is, don’t lose hope. God can bring good out of any evil.

Verse Before the Gospel

Jn 3:16

God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son;
so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.

This famous verse, subtly, fits in with today’s theme. Yes, God sent His only-begotten Son, but we know what happens to Him here, right? Crucifixion. And what happens after that..?

Gospel

Mt 21:33-43, 45-46

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: "Hear another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey. When vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned. Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones, but they treated them in the same way. Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, 'They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.' They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?"

They answered him, "He will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times."

Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes? Therefore, I say to you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit."

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they knew that he was speaking about them. And although they were attempting to arrest him, they feared the crowds, for they regarded him as a prophet.

Just like yesterday’s parable, the Pharisees know Jesus is talking about them. Instead of changing their tune, they re-affirmed their desire to arrest (and of course, execute) him. Do they know that this is all part of the plan?

That their obstinance and jealousy is necessary to fulfil God’s grand plan of salvation?3 Probably not. But God takes their rejection of Jesus and uses it to build our salvation. We have to hope that our own suffering, and even sin, can be part of that same plan, too.

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