As the people of Israel begin their journey out of Egypt they will experience the awkward sense of being unsettled as they make the transition from slavery to freedom. Transitions are part of our experience, and this passage from Exodus invites us to trust in the Lord as we face the uncertainty of life.
For the next three weeks we will encounter the key elements that surface from the Book of Exodus, which offers an encounter of freedom from the bondage of slavery that is crucial for both Jewish and Christian prayer.
The story of Joseph occurs in the last chapters of the Book of Genesis. In today’s first reading we discover how it all begins when the jealousy and hatred of his brothers leads them to sell Joseph into slavery.
Both the 1st Reading and the Gospel detail stories of rejection: Joseph is sold into slavery by his brothers for 20 pieces of silver and Jesus explains how the tenants kill the vineyard owner’s son. Yet in both cases the reality of rejection is transformed and redeemed by God’s grace. May we face our moments of rejection with the power of our faith in Christ, that God will work in our lives to bring about good.