Mirror

“He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.’” (Matthew 17:5).

Jacob Mourns his Son Joseph (James Tissot)

God is a beautiful Being. He is so beautiful that I could not even imagine the beauty of God.

Saint Faustina who experienced visions of the Holy Trinity wrote of losing consciousness of herself because she became so engrossed in her visions of God. His presence was so beautiful that is overwhelmed her and she became completely overcome and lost track of time and all other human and Earthly concerns when in the presence of God.

I have been reflecting on the beauty of God.

God is so beautiful that He makes it so that we are all aware of what is happening. He planned the symmetry of the Old and New Testament from the beginning of time. Just think of what that really involves. It involves not only aligning the various humans interactions that went into the composition of the Old and New Testaments, but it also involves ensuring that the right humans were involved in the editing of the tests. The Holy Spirit was involved in formulating the content and ensuring that nothing of importance was missed. If I try to use my human mind to unpick and uncover that I am completely overcome… But if I consider this with the wisdom and power of God, then I am convinced that all will be well.

I have been considering, just the small story of Joseph, the favourite son of Jacob, son of Rachel, who was betrayed into slavery by his older brothers who were jealous of him…

“‘Here comes that dreamer!’ they said to each other. ‘Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.’ …. Judah said to his brothers, ‘What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.’ His brothers agreed. So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.” (Genesis 37:17/28).

And just as Joseph was sold for some pieces of silver, so too was Christ…

“and asked, ‘What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?’ So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver.” (Matthew 26:15).

Joseph was imprisoned between two dying men – one who was condemned and one who was saved, so too was Christ…

“… ‘The three branches represent three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift you up and restore you to your position as his chief cup-bearer. When the chief baker saw that Joseph had given the first dream such a positive interpretation, he said to Joseph, ‘I had a dream, too. In my dream there were three baskets of white pastries stacked on my head… ‘This is what the dream means,’ Joseph told him. ‘The three baskets also represent three days. Three days from now Pharaoh will lift you up and impale your body on a pole. Then birds will come and peck away at your flesh.’” (Genesis 40:12-19).

And for Christ… “Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed… One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: ‘Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ But the other criminal rebuked him. “…We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.’” (Luke 23:32-43).

And as Joseph was elevated above his brothers to save them, so too is Christ elevated above Him Human brothers… “So Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.’” (Genesis 41:41). And of Christ, “He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.’” (Matthew 17:5).

And there is a beauty in this symmetry, which I have barely even scraped. For my Lord and my God spent eternity planning these revelations. And I have spend a fraction of a moment considering them…

Where the New mirrors the Old, that is for me – and I have rushed through life even barely understanding a thing…

My poor and patient God – King of Endless Glory…

For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.