Nougat 10

There’s a Jamaican expression, ‘story come to bump’, that captures the moment of truth. Usually, it would be underlining the speaker’s satisfaction at meting out of justice: it may be a villain getting their comeuppance or the vindication of a hero, who was innocent. In today’s Holy Nougat, I want to think that story come to bump.

““I am Joseph!” he said to his brothers. “Is my father still alive?” But his brothers were speechless! They were stunned to realize that Joseph was standing there in front of them … But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭45:3, 5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The BIG reveal – a bit anticlimactic perhaps; in respect of a good story. Joseph identity as the True Hero wronged by his brothers is not expected to end without his brothers falling at his feet and pleading for mercy. Joseph should then have had them All imprisoned (perhaps even flogged in respect of what they did. But it didn’t happen that way.

Rather, it seems that we’re in a fairytale complete with, ‘… and they all lived happily ever after’. In one sense that IS what happened. Joseph reveals his identity and sends for his father to come join him – at least to the famine’s end. However, with the pardon being included in the self- revelation, there was ZERO groveling; in this ending, God’s grace abounded.

That’s so New Testament!

Joseph’s saga is captured in the redemption plan for ALL humanity via Jesus Christ! You and me – we ARE Joseph‘s hotheaded siblings. Each time we give in to our sin nature, we are like the brothers opting to kill or sell Joseph into slavery. Except that we KNOW that Jesus is the Christ, so we harbor no doubts about Jesus’ character and identity.

And, in similar manner to Joseph’s brothers, we have been exonerated even before we would claim it. This is the essence of Paul‘a message to the Roman church. In chapters 5-6; especially from 6:20-6:9; we discover that

A – God’s Grace increases when we sin

B – Jesus personifies the grace extended by God to us

C – we did NOTHING to earn that grace

D – Jesus came ahead to preserve our lives

E – because of this amazing grace, we all can live with God

That is definitely MY kind of ‘… living happily ever after!’

Now although the story comes to bump, the Joseph saga didn’t quite end there.

More anon – in the meantime; we can bask in the abundance of grace we receive in Christ our Lord.

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May all we seek be found in Christ