When their message came to him, Joseph wept

Gen 50:15-17 When their message came to him, Joseph wept
I have an elder sister who lives in Il San Korea, and a young sister who lives in LA USA, and mother who lives in Yeom Chang Dong, Korea, and I live in Calgary Canada. Our family members are scattered. I and my sisters live with our sons and daughter together, but my mother lives alone in 32 pyong(big size) apartment because my father passed away last year. She wants to move to smaller apartment.
Weeks ago, I called her, "Mother, aren't you lonely ? I hope you to come here as soon as possible." But she said as usual, "I am not lonely. I am too busy. I prefer here Korea to Canada." "But you are old. If you have any urgent problem, you will be embarrassed. Why don't you come here soon ?" Then she said, "Thank you !"
When I heard her saying 'Thank you !', I felt dizzy, and after hanging up, I thought and wept, "Oh she took care of me for a long time. And she is supporting me even now. What is 'Thank you !' to me ? My word 'Come here and live together.' is not thankful in comparison with her love." When I heard 'Thank you !' from her, I felt ashamed of myself and shed tears.
My beloved, do you know the heart of parents ? They loved their children very much. But when they receive love from their children, they are easily moved. When we remember parents' heart, we are strongly moved and become tearful.
Not a long ago, there were many poor families like this in Korea. A husband died early. So the widow took care of her children by peddling. But sometimes they lacked of bread(rice) for all family members. When the children asked their mom, "Mom, why do you not have dinner with us ?", their mom used to answer, "I had dinner outside."
When they were children, they believed that their mom had have dinner outside as she said. But when they grew, they could realize that their mom had not have dinner outside and that she said like that to try to care for her children well even though she was very hungry. When the sons and daughters realized the heart of their mother, they felt very thankful and shed tears.
In today's scripture, we can see these verse, "When their message came to him, Joseph wept." As you know, Joseph had a hard life. When he was 17 years old, he was kidnapped and sold as a slave by his step brothers. And he was imprisoned for many years because of the false accusation. Humanly speaking Joseph might have hatred for his step brothers. But Joseph not only forgave them, but also gave them foods and nice houses, so that they could overcome the severe famine.
Joseph could do like that not only because he was a man of God but also he was a filial son. Think of this ; If he killed his step brothers because of a grudge, his parent would be severely hurt. But just after his father died, the step brothers were worried, "What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him ?"
Therefore they sent word to Joseph, saying, "Your father left these instructions before he died ; 'This is what you are to say to Joseph ; I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.' Now please forgive the sins of the servants of God of your father."
When their message came to him, Joseph wept. Why ? Think and guess why he wept. And think if you were in Joseph's situation, can you weep like Joseph ? My beloved, have you ever wept when you heard the word of God ? Especially when you realized the love and sacrifice of God ? Maybe an unmarried person does not know about that God sacrificed his only Son.
But parents know about that. Just put yourselves in God's shoes and think ; If you have only son who is blameless, but if you have to see him die on the cross, saying, "Father, I am thirsty. Why have you forsaken me ?" what a bitter heart you will have ! Maybe you will weep bitterly.
My beloved, don't you think we have to understand the heart of parents and heart of God ? and when we realize the heart of God and heart of parents, we sometimes weep and we decide, "I will follow the footprint of them."
One day, when Jesus was eating at the house of Pharisee, a woman who had lived a sinful life came to him and began to wet his feet with her tears. Then woman wiped Jesus' feet with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. People thought the scene strange. But she wept because she realized the grace of Jesus just as we weep when we realize the grace of our parents. Her tears moved Jesus deeply and Jesus let this tearful story be written in the bible.
Brothers and sisters, the difference between humans and animals is realizing. If you realize the grace of God and parents and others, and if you thank them with tears, you are good persons. Your thankful tears makes God moved, and it makes you better Christians, better sons and daughters, and the kingdom of heaven is established by you. Amen !