Joseph’s face glows whenever he narrates God’s love story, unfolded in the life of Christ Jesus. This story captures his imagination and makes a permanent impression because it contains his past, present and future. The story shapes him and he quickly turns to it when life’s troubles come his way.
While studying the Bible, he reads how God welcomes us in Christ Jesus as His sons and daughters (John 1:12), so that “we should be holy and blameless before him” (Eph.1:4). Joseph cannot believe that God would accept him as his son! Yes, he faced hurt and rejection in the past and lived a wayward life, but that is not the end of his story. All of us have a past mixed with good things and horrible things. However, Joseph’s story and our stories are counterbalanced with a story of love, grace and belonging clearly speaking to us: “Evil and despair will not win.”
God grants us forgiveness in the present, as we turn to Him in repentance; everything centres on this. If we are left in our sin, then we are separated from the life of God and lost. We tend to undermine forgiveness on two counts: either we think our waywardness is not too big a deal or that forgiveness is too good to be true, and we have to pay for our karma or sins.
A good story concludes well. God’s master story indeed is the story of hope. God’s plans are to restore us, and all of His creation. Joseph knows this story is for everyone; he knows he is forgiven, but he is also aware that he has been brought into God’s plan to restore justice, beauty, reconciliation, and mercy. When we come to Jesus, life is suddenly filled with purpose. The hope of restoration strengthens us in the hardships and drudgeries of everyday life.
Joseph rests in hope, knowing the love of Jesus and being confident that all the promises God makes have already been yes in Jesus.