Gen 45:4-5 Who’s Your Favorite?

Thursday if the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

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By SOPHIE DRUFFNER

“Come closer to me,” he told his brothers.

When they had done so, he said:

“I am your brother Joseph, whom you once sold into Egypt.

But now do not be distressed,

and do not reproach yourselves for having sold me here.

It was really for the sake of saving lives

that God sent me here ahead of you.”

“Mommy, who’s your favorite?” “I don’t have a favorite, sweetie. I love you all in equal measures.” “No, really. Everyone has a favorite. Who’s your favorite?” “Okay, fine,” declared my mum, laughing. “It’s Bear.” “WHAT? You weren’t supposed to admit it.” “Honey, I just said that. I love you all in equal measures.” “Liar,” I muttered to myself, under my breath. “Everyone has a favorite.”

There’s always so much competition in a house of four sisters. One of our biggest battles is height. Two of my younger sisters are now taller than me, and it looks like the youngest will follow their lead. There’s nothing anyone can do to be naturally taller, as far as I know, but my younger sisters can endlessly get enjoyment out of going up to me, stopping, and then taking their hand, placing it on top of their head, and then moving it in a straight horizontal line straight over mine. “Ha-ha, how cute! She’s so much shorter than me.” Then, the old joke, “How’s the weather down there?” Never has a different of so little meant so much.

Then there’s the distribution of talent. My sister who’s a year younger than me, I’ll call her Katherine, always jokes with me that we (she and I) were the trial set. We were the ones that my mum tried Chinese math classes, orchestra, advanced classes, soccer,, spelling bees, writing competitions, ballet, and piano lessons out with. Then, the other set, I’ll call them Banana and Bear, had the benefit of their two older sisters being the experiment children. They got the hand-me-down clothes, less responsibility, and better education. For whatever reason, they have also proved to be more talented in music and much more coordinated in sports than Katherine and I ever were. We’re not jealous; we’re proud. I’m just stating the facts.

And of course, with any sisters, there’s the looks and the clothes.  I won’t go into that, but it’s amazing the different metabolisms, heights, skinniness, and of course, the styles, of four sisters. The most important thing I’ve learned is to be very careful when you ask “Does this look good?” or “Do I look fat?” Families have brutal levels of honesty, especially sisters, who can care less about your feelings when you want the truth.

So I can totally imagine how everyone was jealous of Joseph. He was the baby of the family, probably much better looking than his brothers, and he had that super awesome colored coat to wear! Of course I think his brothers took it WAY too far to send him into slavery like they did, but look at what came out of it--God led Joseph to be a trusted advisor to the King, and eventually Joseph prevented his family from starving in the famine.

How loving Joseph must have been to reveal his identity and rejoice with his brothers! How he must have prayed and meditated to eradicated any harsh feelings he may have felt towards them. I don’t know if I would have been able to do that, but Joseph must have had huge help from God to reunite with his family. And I’m glad he did. His story can help families all over the world get rid of the jealousy which taints their bonds and become exactly the families that Christ always intended them to be.