Wednesday 12 July 2023

Today is Wednesday the 12th of July, in the 14th week of Ordinary time.

The University of Johannesburg Choir sing a setting of Psalm 42: As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God.

Today’s reading is from the Book of Genesis.


Genesis 41:55-57;42:5-7,17-24

When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, ‘Go to Joseph; what he says to you, do.’ And since the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. Moreover, all the world came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine became severe throughout the world. Thus the sons of Israel were among the other people who came to buy grain, for the famine had reached the land of Canaan.

Now Joseph was governor over the land; it was he who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground. When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke harshly to them. ‘Where do you come from?’ he said. They said, ‘From the land of Canaan, to buy food.’ And he put them all together in prison for three days.

Here, we are in Egypt with Joseph, the second youngest of Jacob’s sons. Joseph is the advisor to Pharoah. He is advisor for a good reason: he had predicted the famine.

Now as the famine begins to take hold imagine the feelings of the people as food becomes scarce, believing there is nowhere to turn, calling out to their leaders to rescue them.


Have you ever felt this sense of scarcity, of need? To whom did you turn?

Imagine Joseph, hearing his brothers’ names being called. Imagine his brothers, having to come and beg before an enemy. Imagine yourself there in the scene, perhaps as a brother, or a servant, or as someone watching…What is your response to Joseph’s first action – to put his brothers in prison?

As we witness to the rest of the scene we may recognise Joseph as man of compassion, a man of strong and sensitive feelings, and a person of integrity. But, as for his still floundering brothers, what must they be feeling about this turn of events?

On the third day Joseph said to them, ‘Do this and you will live, for I fear God: if you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here where you are imprisoned. The rest of you shall go and carry grain for the famine of your households, and bring your youngest brother to me. Thus your words will be verified, and you shall not die.’ And they agreed to do so. They said to one another, ‘Alas, we are paying the penalty for what we did to our brother; we saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this anguish has come upon us.’ Then Reuben answered them, ‘Did I not tell you not to wrong the boy? But you would not listen. So now there comes a reckoning for his blood.’ They did not know that Joseph understood them, since he spoke with them through an interpreter. He turned away from them and wept; then he returned and spoke to them. And he picked out Simeon and had him bound before their eyes.

In a time of prayer, share whatever has arisen from this account with the Lord.


Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.