Joseph’s brothers were envious of the attention their father paid to him, and they were probably afraid of losing their inheritance. So greed probably played a part in their evil as well. And how cold-blooded were they? After throwing Joseph into the cistern, they sat down to lunch as if nothing had happened! (Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a)
In the case of the tenants of the vineyard, greed was the reason they wanted to kill the owner’s son. They didn’t want to give up what they thought was theirs, even though they knew it wasn’t. (Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46)
The chief priests and Pharisees didn’t get it. The brothers didn’t get it. They thought that getting rid of the “troublemakers” would make their lives easier and they could go back to the way things were. What they didn’t know was that God sometimes allows evil acts to occur so that His love and mercy can become greater!
In Joseph’s case, we all know the end of that story. Israel undergoes a great famine and Jacob’s children are forced to go to Egypt for food. Who has God blessed and made the high “mucky-muck” in charge of the granaries in Egypt? God has humbled the aggressors, but shown them mercy at the same time, allowing the family to reunite. (Psalms 105:16-17, 18-19, 20-21)
As for the Pharisees and chief priests who got rid of Our Lord by crucifying Him, look at the good that came out of that! All sins erased once for all, everlasting happiness for all who believe in Him and follow His commandments, and extending His Covenant to all people, Jew and Gentile.
So for any of us who worry about the evil in the world today, remember that Christ’s mercy is already at work for us. Our job is to spread the word and help one another obtain that mercy. The cornerstone has been laid.
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