Genesis 45: “I Am Joseph — Is My Father Still Alive?”
1. The Breaking of the Silence
“Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him; and he cried, ‘Make every one go out from me.’ So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers.” (Gen 45:1)
For chapters Joseph has concealed his identity, guiding events through testing and restraint.
Now love bursts its bounds; the hidden mercy reveals itself.
St Bede the Venerable writes:
“Long patience ends in sudden grace; for the heart that has wept in secret must one day speak in joy.”
(Commentary on Genesis, 45)
The command “Make everyone go out from me” shows that reconciliation is intimate — a sacred moment between the offender and the forgiven.
2. The Tears of Reconciliation
“And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it.” (v. 2)
The cry that once came from the pit now echoes in joy.
His weeping is no longer grief but grace — the outpouring of mercy pent up for years.
St Ambrose comments:
“The tears of the just are the channels of forgiveness; what we sow in sorrow, we reap in reconciliation.”
(On Joseph the Patriarch 16)
Divine love, like Joseph’s, must sometimes break into tears before it can speak.
3. The Great Revelation
“And Joseph said to his brothers, ‘I am Joseph; is my father still alive?’ But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.” (v. 3)
The words strike like thunder — “I am Joseph.”
In an instant the past returns: the pit, the sale, the guilt, the years of concealment.
Their silence is terror, but it is the terror of grace — the shock of forgiveness too great to bear.
St Augustine remarks:
“When truth reveals itself to the guilty, fear precedes joy; for the conscience trembles before it embraces mercy.”
(City of God XVI.54)
This moment prefigures the revelation of Christ risen — “I am He” — before those who fled or denied Him.
4. The Invitation to Come Near
“So Joseph said to his brothers, ‘Come near to me, I pray you.’ And they came near. And he said, ‘I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt.’” (v. 4)
Joseph calls them closer — not to accuse, but to reconcile.
Distance is abolished; intimacy restored.
The scar of betrayal becomes the bond of love.
St Bede observes:
“The Lord says likewise, ‘Come near to Me,’ that the sinner may approach without fear; for where love speaks, guilt is silent.”
(Commentary on Genesis, 45)
The words “I am your brother” are the Gospel in miniature.
5. The Theology of Providence
“And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.” (v. 5)
Joseph transforms their guilt into grace.
He does not deny their sin but reads it through divine providence.
Here is one of Scripture’s clearest statements of redemptive providence — God’s sovereignty even in human wrongdoing.
St Augustine comments:
“They sinned, yet God used their sin to save them; so the crucifiers of Christ worked evil, yet through their evil God wrought salvation.”
(City of God XVI.54)
Joseph forgives not by minimising sin but by magnifying grace.
6. Sent Before to Preserve Life
“For the famine has been in the land these two years… and God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.” (vv. 6–7)
Joseph recognises his mission: not merely to survive, but to preserve life — a figure of Christ’s salvific mission.
St Bede the Venerable writes:
“Joseph was sent before to feed bodies; Christ came before to feed souls. The one gave corn, the other gives His Flesh for the life of the world.”
(Commentary on Genesis, 45)
Providence never wastes suffering; every exile becomes a preparation for mercy.
7. The True Perspective of Faith
“So it was not you who sent me here, but God.” (v. 8)
This is the summit of Joseph’s theology.
He sees beyond human causes to divine intention.
St Ambrose explains:
“Faith looks not at the hands of men but at the will of God; for what is done to the righteous by malice, God turns to merit.”
(On the Duties of the Clergy II.9)
This statement anticipates St Paul’s: “All things work together for good for those who love God.” (Rom 8:28)
8. The Commission to Bring the Family
“Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not tarry.’” (v. 9)
Joseph’s authority now serves love.
The command that once came from Pharaoh — “Go to Joseph” — now comes from Joseph himself, sending mercy homeward.
St Augustine remarks:
“He who once obeyed is now obeyed; yet he uses power not to punish but to invite.”
(City of God XVI.54)
Grace always hastens to unite what sin divided.
9. The Embrace
“Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck. And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them.” (vv. 14–15)
The climax is wordless. Reconciliation is expressed not in speeches but in tears and embrace.
Benjamin, innocent of betrayal, becomes the first to receive the kiss — symbol of Christ, in whom innocence embraces the guilty.
St Bede comments:
“The kiss of Joseph signifies the peace of Christ, who reconciles heaven and earth by the touch of His love.”
(Commentary on Genesis, 45)
Forgiveness must always move from word to embrace — from declaration to communion.
10. The News Reaches Pharaoh
“When the report was heard in Pharaoh’s house, ‘Joseph’s brothers have come,’ it pleased Pharaoh and his servants well.” (v. 16)
Even the pagan court rejoices.
The mercy of God shown to His people brings blessing to the nations.
St Ambrose writes:
“The joy of Egypt prefigures the calling of the Gentiles; for when the Church is reconciled, the world itself is blessed.”
(On the Mysteries 23)
The salvation of the covenant family will soon become salvation for the whole world.
11. Gifts and Provision
“Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘Say to your brothers, Do this: load your beasts and go… take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land.’” (vv. 17–18)
Mercy multiplies. The foreign king becomes instrument of divine generosity.
Where once famine reigned, abundance now overflows.
St Augustine observes:
“The land that received the slave now nourishes the patriarchs; thus the Cross that slew Christ becomes the tree of life for His people.”
(City of God XVI.54)
Grace always returns with interest — gifts pressed down, shaken together, running over (Lk 6:38).
12. The Father’s Awakening
“So they went up out of Egypt… and told him, ‘Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.’ And his heart fainted, for he did not believe them.” (vv. 25–26)
The father who once mourned now can scarcely believe joy.
Faith must be awakened even in hope fulfilled.
“But when they told him all the words of Joseph, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent… the spirit of Jacob revived. And Israel said, ‘It is enough; Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.’” (vv. 27–28)
St Bede the Venerable comments:
“The wagons carrying grain signify the Scriptures that carry the Bread of Life; by these the spirit of the weary patriarch — the Church — is revived.”
(Commentary on Genesis, 45)
Faith revives the dying soul; hope transforms sorrow into pilgrimage.
13. Theological Summary
| Theme | Revelation |
| Joseph’s revelation | Christ revealing Himself to those who betrayed Him |
| Providence over sin | God’s sovereignty using evil for good |
| Forgiveness | Mercy as the fulfilment of justice |
| Family reunion | The Church gathered into unity |
| Jacob’s revival | Faith renewed by the signs of life |
St Augustine summarises:
“The mystery of Joseph is the mystery of Christ: He who was sold reveals Himself as Saviour; He who was slain appears alive; and through His mercy the guilty are restored.”
(City of God XVI.54)
14. Moral and Spiritual Application
Forgive without reserve. Joseph names their sin but releases their debt.
See God’s hand in all things. Faith interprets wounds as instruments of grace.
Reconcile in private and in peace. Mercy works face to face.
Let tears cleanse bitterness. Sometimes the heart must weep before it can speak.
Revive others with good news. Bring word of hope to those who despair, as the brothers did to Jacob.
15. Christ the True Joseph
| Joseph | Christ |
| Reveals himself with “I am Joseph” | Reveals Himself: “I am He” (Jn 18:5) |
| Forgives those who sold him | Forgives His crucifiers |
| Sent before to preserve life | Sent to give eternal life |
| Feeds the world with grain | Feeds the world with the Eucharist |
| Reunites the family | Unites the Church under one Father |
| Revives Jacob’s spirit | Breathes the Spirit upon the Apostles (Jn 20:22) |
St Ambrose concludes:
“Joseph forgave his brothers and fed them; Christ forgives His enemies and feeds them with His Body. What Joseph did in figure, Christ does in truth.”
(On the Mysteries 23)
16. Closing Prayer
God of mercy and providence,
You revealed Your saving purpose through Joseph’s forgiveness
and turned betrayal into blessing.
Teach us to read our wounds through Your wisdom,
to forgive as we have been forgiven,
and to bring life where others have brought harm.
Revive our spirits with the good news that Christ lives,
and make us ministers of reconciliation in His name.
Through Jesus Christ, the true Joseph,
who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen.
St. Mary's, St. John Bosco and St. Edward's 