(A post by Marissa)
Do you allow yourself time to weep or do you try to hide that emotion? The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 3:4 “There is a time to weep, and a time to laugh”. Continue reading about a man who was not afraid to show his feelings. He was someone who allowed himself to show pain, his struggle with the past, and joy for his future; all through the action of shedding his tears.
Starting At The Beginning
My mother and I have been doing a Bible study together for a couple of months now. We decided that we would start in the beginning with Genesis, and just continue to work our way through together. Each week, we read 5 chapters and then meet to talk about them. It is so interesting to go back and read from the beginning. I never realized just how much I’d forgotten over time.
Today I would like to talk about Joseph. As a child who had grown up in church, we were frequently taught about the story of Joseph. I remember seeing plays of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” Whenever we reached these chapters in Genesis, it became apparent to me that I did not remember his story.
As we read through the chapters about Joseph, what stood out to me was how many times it mentioned that Joseph had wept. On numerous occasions, the author makes known that he had wept. We see this first whenever Joseph’s brothers go to Egypt to buy grain. Joseph recognizes his brothers, and when they began talking to each other about what they had done to him, it says that he turned away from them and began to weep.
When Joseph later sees his brother Benjamin, it says he sought a place to weep. When Joseph prepares to reveal who he is to his brothers, he wept alone after instructing everyone to leave the room. It says he wept so loud that the Egyptians heard it and Pharaoh heard of it. He also wept when he embraces Benjamin in person, whenever his father comes to Egypt, when Jacob passes away, and again later in an encounter with his brothers.
Acknowledging Pain Through Tears
I was so moved by these scriptures. I felt as though Joseph’s heart were laid out in plain sight in the times he was overcome by emotion. As the days went on, I couldn’t stop thinking about this. Because of that, I spent time just researching online more about Joseph. One of the blogs I came across worded it this way: “Joseph’s tears connect his past with the present. His tears acknowledge the pain he has endured, even if he has temporarily forgotten.” Later on it stated “His tears allow him to grieve and move on with resolution.”
Turning Tears To Joy
What I found so amazing about this was the change in his tears. The tears initially began with the pain of the past. As time went on, I can’t help but believe that Joseph’s tears then were caused by the love that he still had and felt for his brothers and his father. At the end, I believe those were tears of joy, reconciliation, and most of all, forgiveness.
Allowing Yourself To Forgive
The story of Joseph is truly a challenge for us all. Has someone hurt you before in the past? Has someone hurt you so bad, that you felt you just wouldn’t be able to ever forgive them for what they’d done? I know I have certainly been there. I am being transparent when I say any time someone would speak about forgiving the things and people that have hurt us in the past, I knew the message was for me, but didn’t think I would ever be able to do it. It isn’t easy. It is a process. To be sensitive and address the pain, and to allow yourself to forgive may be the hardest thing you ever do. I used to try to be so strong, but sometimes you just have to weep. Your tears hold weight, emotions, and love. Perhaps they can help in washing away the bad, and help you to bring in the good. Perhaps they can help you forgive. Perhaps like with Joseph’s, they can connect your past with your present.
