There is no form of evil that cannot come out of jealousy.
Israel loved Joseph more than his other children because he was the son of his
old age. But that did not mean he denied the others what was their due, nor did
he hate them. However, Joseph’s brothers were infected by jealousy, and they
hated him. Something that started like a small misinterpretation of the little
Joseph grew to take hold of these men, and beclouded their mind, heart and senses.
Thus, they could no longer see Joseph as their brother! All they could see in
him was an obstacle to be removed. So, while Joseph came to his brothers at
Shechem, they conspired against him.
They sold him to the Ishmaelites. Joseph the dreamer encountered
something worse than a nightmare. But his brothers forgot that no one makes a
profit by selling his brother. What profit did those who sold off their
brothers in slave trade make? The same question goes to those who are exchanging
the ordinary citizens for money? The mystery before us is that God can bring
his salvation even from the midst of such inhuman events. Jesus tells us a
parable that can be related to the experience of Joseph in the first reading.
Think about how the householder sent his son to the tenants,
saying, “They will respect my son.” But those tenants were already drunk with
greed. They saw in the young man an obstacle to be removed for them to inherit
the vineyard. Just as Joseph who was rejected by his brothers ended being their
savior during the famine, so is Jesus, the crucified Son of God became the
Savior of the world. “The very stone which the builders rejected has become the
cornerstone.”
We pray at this lent that God will save us from habitual sin.
May He give us the grace always to neutralize the poison of jealousy and greed.
Amen.
Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.
Friday March 10th, 2023.
17th Lenten meditation
