Joseph had experienced much pain in his life at the hands of other people: Abused by his family, unjustly convicted of rape and imprisoned, and forgotten by fair-weather friends. You’d think he’d become one of the most calous men in the bible; resolving never to let anyone get to him again. That’s the natural reaction to unjust suffering at the hands of others.
But, not Joseph. No one is said to have been more tender-hearted than he was. We read that Joseph wept often. But he never cried for himself. There’s no mention of tears when his brothers through him in the pit. There’s no mention of tears when Potipher’s wife accused him of rape and he was convicted. There was no mention of tears when he was forgotten by fair-weather friends. Yet, the text tells us that he wept often. He wept when he recognized his brothers. He had to leave the room to contain himself. He wept when he saw his little brother Benjamin. He wept when he saw overheard his brothers’ regrets at sinning against him. He wept when he revealed himself to his brothers. He wept at his father’s death. He wept when his brothers asked for forgiveness. Joseph is other focused. While quietly enduring the abuse at the hands of others, he remained sensitve to the suffering of those around him.
How much more like Christ could anyone be?