He said, “Let it be as you say: he who is found with it shall be my servant, and the rest of you shall be innocent.” 11 Then each man quickly lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack. 12 And he searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
“Have you cleaned your room?” Yes. “Let’s go have a look.” Gulp. Instant guilt. All of Joseph’s brothers were confident of their innocence in the mystery thriller, The Case of the Purloined Cup. None of them committed the premeditated act of stealing anything from the ruler of Egypt, who happened to be their long lost brother, who they sold. They were so sure of their innocence that they boldly and quickly set out to prove it. So, they were not guilty of this crime, but guilty they were. Except Benjamin, who was too young to co-conspire but suffered the humiliation of having the cup found in his sack. Where is the justice? They could have asked this. Where indeed?
People walk this earth, confident in their goodness and decency before God. They are quick to demonstrate how good they are, opening their sack to display their good deeds, giving money to the poor, being kind to others, not murdering people etc. But guilty they are, despite their protests to the contrary. We have been found guilty in The Case of the Sin Against God. We deserve death, except Jesus, who kept the law perfectly, but who was humiliated and crucified in our place. The only one that was not guilty of a crime died a criminal’s death. The solution to the mystery of The Case of the Missing Justice is solved…
On the cross.
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church