Joseph's Sons 

Before the year of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph. Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore them to him.  Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh. “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father's house.”  The name of the second he called Ephraim, “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.” The seven years of plenty that occurred in the land of Egypt came to an end (Genesis 41: 50 to 53) 

Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. He got married and had two sons. By naming his two sons, we could understand his affliction and hardship from the betrayal of his siblings and the comfort brought from the blessings of God. Not only that he had no intention to hide them but to remember them every time he looked at his two sons.   

This experience was pretty much the same as Jesus. Jesus started his ministry at the age of thirty too. During the next three and half years, he was constantly rejected by Jewish priests and Pharisees due to jealousy. At the end, he was betrayed by his own disciple Judas and denied three times by his great disciple Peter. During his trial, the crowd turned on him and yelled "crucify him, crucify him". Before his shameful death on the cross, he was mocked, whipped, humiliated by Roman soldiers. This was beyond the imagination of anybody. So, when disciples requested to sit by him in his glory, Jesus replied as below. 

Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?”  And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, (Mark 10: 38 39) 

Like Jesus said, they didn't know what they were asking. Nonetheless, Jesus said plainly that the disciples needed to endure the same cup and baptism as he did. He didn't tell them how to avoid but to take them. The same principle applied to us too, as Jesus said below. 

And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.  Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (Matthew 10: 38 39) 

However, if we are willing to drink his cup and take his baptism by taking our own cross to follow him, then he promised us as described below. 

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11: 28 to 30) 

For those who are willing to follow Jesus Christ will also be justified and glorified by God as described below. 

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.  For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.  And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.  (Romans 8: 28 to 30) 

Indeed, as the world is getting worse every day, we could encounter betrayal and hardship worse than Joseph. However, if we love God and are willing to carry them as our own cross like Jesus, then all things will work together for good to conform us to the image of his Son. Then we will find a justified and glorified life, the life of Jesus Christ. Emmanuel. 

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