Divine Providence: Joseph and Jesus in God's Plan of Salvation
March 1, 2024 - Friday of the Second Week of Lent
Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a; Psalm 105:16-17, 18-19, 20-21; Matt. 21:33-43, 45-46
Psalm 105 serves as a meditation on the history of Israel, recounting God's divine interventions throughout. It begins with the call of Abraham and progresses to Jacob and his family (see Ps 105:8-16). The subsequent section focuses on the story of Joseph (Ps 105:17-24) and then the narrative of the Exodus (see Ps 105:25-36). Finally, the author reflects on the Israelites' journey through the desert, culminating with their entry into the Promised Land (see Ps 105:37-44).
Today's passage recalls the story of Joseph as narrated in our first reading. Joseph, being the beloved son of his father Jacob, was envied by his brothers and sold into slavery in Egypt. However, the narrative emphasizes that God was with Joseph at every stage of his journey. These tragic experiences shaped him into the person that God intended him to become. From a young teenager who spied on his brothers and boasted about his dreams in which he was exalted above them, Joseph was transformed into a leader who prevented a national disaster and became a caring brother.
In the Gospel, we encounter another parable by Jesus, which revolves around tenants who betray the trust of their landowner. By viewing this parable through the lens of Joseph's story, we once again realize how "The New Testament lies hidden in the Old, and the Old is unveiled in the New" (Saint Augustine). Jesus reinterprets the story of Jacob sending his beloved son Joseph to his brothers, turning it into a parable about a landowner sending his only son to his tenants. As we delve deeper into both stories, we discern a message about God's immense love for the world, demonstrated through the sending of His only Son (see John 3:16). Joseph, the son of the landowner, and the beloved Son of God were all mistreated. Yet, this mistreatment also falls within God's mysterious plan of salvation.
The selling of Joseph into slavery in Egypt prepared the way for Jacob's entire family to migrate there and be saved from famine. Joseph expresses this message when he addresses his brothers, saying, "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today" (Gen. 50:20). Similarly, the rejection of Jesus by the Jewish religious leaders of his time paved the way for the Gospel to reach the Gentiles. Matthew speaks about the stone (Jesus) rejected by the builders (the Jewish authorities) which has become the cornerstone of the Church, a community of Jews and Gentiles worshipping Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.
Reflecting on God's mysterious plan of salvation, in which our evil designs and actions are transformed into something good, St. Paul exclaimed, "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!" (Rom 11:33). Nothing can thwart God's plan of salvation - neither the jealous brothers of Joseph, nor the wicked tenants, nor the Jewish religious authorities. Jesus' death on the cross turned out to be the greatest victory of God over the power of evil, death, and sin.