29 When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them, saying, 30 “The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly with us, and took us for spies of the country. 31 “But we said to him, `We are honest men; we are not spies. 32 `We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no longer alive, and the youngest is with our father today in the land of Canaan.’ 33 “The man, the lord of the land, said to us, `By this I will know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me and take grain for the famine of your households, and go. 34 `But bring your youngest brother to me that I may know that you are not spies, but honest men. I will give your brother to you, and you may trade in the land.'”
35 Now it came about as they were emptying their sacks, that behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were dismayed. 36 Their father Jacob said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and you would take Benjamin; all these things are against me.” 37 Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “You may put my two sons to death if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my care, and I will return him to you.” 38 But Jacob said, “My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If harm should befall him on the journey you are taking, then you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.”
We find among Joseph’s brothers that there is one here with real integrity, who wants to look out for his brothers. When Jacob refuses to send Benjamin, which means certain death by famine for all of them, Reuben steps forward. He offers that which is most precious to him, his children, as collateral against the life of Benjamin. Jacob is still not persuaded, but it was a noble offer on the part of Reuben none the less. In our lives, we are called to give that which is precious to us (not our children typically) to the cause of Christ. The value of the gift is not in how grand or large it is, but in how precious it is to the one who is giving it. Don’t give from your sock drawer, give from your treasure chest, and you will reap the benefits in the end.