I just finished reading through the book of Genesis and one thing that stuck out was the number of times the Bible records that Joseph cried or wept. He had to turn away and weep as he was reunited with his brothers after being ruthlessly tossed and sold into slavery (Genesis 42:24). He cried when his brothers brought back Benjamin (Genesis 43:30). He wept loudly when he couldn't withhold his identity anymore to his brothers (Genesis 45:2). He wept on Benjamin and his brothers (Genesis 45:14) and again on his father's neck after being reunited (Genesis 46:29) and a final time at his father's passing (Genesis 50:1). That's a whole lot of tears, but what also comes to mind are the times Joseph wasn't recorded as crying -

• Not when he was ditched by his brothers and sold into slavery
• Not when he was falsely accused and thrown in jail
• Not when his jail stint was longer than anticipated having been forgotten by the chief cupbearer after interpreting his dream

Joseph could well have been crying in those moments (I know I would have!), but in trying to understand what's recorded tells me there is a kind of weeping at the end of a trial when God's purposes are more fully revealed. For Joseph, he saw God's purpose (Genesis 50:20) and had faith to still show compassion to his brothers. Sometimes when you've already mustered faith through extended difficulty and realize you are still being called to faith, the tears flow. I have to think part of Joseph's tears were about this.