Genesis 50:15-21 New American Standard Bible 1995
15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him!” 16 So they [a]sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father charged before he died, saying, 17 ‘Thus you shall say to Joseph, “Please forgive, I beg you, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 Then his brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about [b]this present result, to preserve many people alive. 21 So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” So he comforted them and spoke [c]kindly to them.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
I am no stranger to conflict.
But a conflict with a friend was fiercer than any other I had experienced before.
Backbiting words and accusations sought to ruin my reputation.
It was as if someone had stabbed me in the back and was twisting the knife deeper and deeper.
Saddened and greatly angered, I cried out to God, “Why is this happening to me? Why am I being treated this way?” But all I got in return, was His silence.
One day, a couple of years later at a former colleagues funeral I ran into the friend who had so badly mistreated me.
All the anger and sadness flooded my mind and heart once again.
I knew I couldn’t carry the anger around anymore.
Everything in me wanted to retaliate a thousand fold to seek any necessary recompense for what I had suffered at that persons hands.
But I knew that it was against what Jesus would call me to do.
I knew I had to do something in response, but what?
I quietly walked up beside him in the church and I blessed him with a hand of encouragement, in other words, I reached out and I shook his hand.
I looked him square in the eye, and spoke kind words the next time I saw him.
An immensely hurtful situation that seemed as though Satan would emerge victorious turned out to give God glory instead.
Out of jealousy, Joseph’s brothers had sought to grievously harm him.
His brothers’ jealousy compelled them to retaliate against Joseph.
When Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery, Joseph had every right to be angry.
Once he became Prime Minister many years later, he could have held on to that grudge.
He could have made his family pay for all the horrible things they had done to him.
But instead, he used his power for good instead of for evil.
He chose forgiveness rather than retaliation and kindness rather than evil.
Have you ever been hurt by people you love?
Have you ever had a friend betray your trust?
Have you ever had a family member betray your confidence?
In these transformational moments when our human emotions want us to act in the worst kind of retaliation, we, with the help of the Holy Spirit, can act in ways that show unusual kindness to the same people who do not deserve it.
God is a just God.
Only he can truly pay back the evil that someone has done.
As much as it feels as though it should be our responsibility to achieve justice, the reality is only a righteous God can get vengeance and pay back evil for evil.
Ephesians 4:30-32 New American Standard Bible 1995
30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, [a]by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven [b] you.
As Christians, we are called to act with the grace and forgiveness toward others that Christ has given to us.
Luke 23:34 New American Standard Bible 1995
34 [a]But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.
When we understand the harsh reality of our sinfulness, we realize we truly don’t deserve God’s grace and mercy.
Yet, Jesus gives his grace and mercy to everyone, regardless of how horrible their deeds were.
His grace is widespread and covers a multitude of sins.
1 Peter 4:7-10 New American Standard Bible 1995
7 The end of all things [a]is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of [b]prayer. 8 Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Be hospitable to one another without complaint. 10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
God wants us to act with the same grace and mercy that Jesus gave even to the people who betrayed him the most.
It is by these loving acts of kindness in the face of persecution that the world will know who Jesus truly is.
Romans 5:8-10 New American Standard Bible 1995
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified [a]by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved [b]by His life.
They will see who he is through our selfless example.
Vengeance and justice are strictly up to God, not us.
Joseph chose not to use his power for retaliation yet showed his brothers kindness because of the forgiveness and love that God had given him.
He, in turn, helped his family, as well as the whole nation, survive a famine. In what ways can you demonstrate grace, mercy, in the face of highest betrayal?
God’s Expressed Purpose: Saving Many Lives
Genesis 50:20-21 New American Standard Bible 1995
20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about [a]this present result, to preserve many people alive. 21 So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” So he comforted them and spoke [b]kindly to them.
The Body of Christ, the church, is the carrier of the story of God and how God is creating a new people to make up a community of grace.
There are many twists and turns, both gentle and severe, in our life’s story.
There are twists and turns in the story, as we can see in the life of Joseph, for example.
A highly favored son gets sold into slavery by his jealous brothers.
When it seems like things might get better for Joseph, something else happens and he lands in prison with no hope of release.
Then God gives Joseph the ability to interpret dreams to bring about not only his release but also the saving of his family and many others from famine. (See Genesis 37-49.)
Genesis 50 brings us to the moment when Joseph’s father, Jacob, has died, and the brothers of Joseph worry that he might punish them.
What will Joseph do now as payback for all the wrong they had done to him?
Joseph looks beyond their actions to the ultimate purpose of God.
God desires to save people.
God desires to use people like Joseph—and us—to bring about a new day and provide new life for his people.
In this story we see a picture of how God is at work in the twists and turns of life—and he is still at work in our lives today!
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 103 New American Standard Bible 1995
Praise for the Lord’s Mercies.
A Psalm of David.
103 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
3 Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
4 Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
5 Who satisfies your [a]years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.
6 The Lord performs [b]righteous deeds
And judgments for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the sons of Israel.
8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.
9 He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
So great is His lovingkindness toward those who [c]fear Him.
12 As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
13 Just as a father has compassion on his children,
So the Lord has compassion on those who [d]fear Him.
14 For He Himself knows [e]our frame;
He is mindful that we are but dust.
15 As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
16 When the wind has passed over it, it is no more,
And its place acknowledges it no longer.
17 But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who [f]fear Him,
And His [g]righteousness to children’s children,
18 To those who keep His covenant
And remember His precepts to do them.
19 The Lord has established His throne in the heavens,
And His [h]sovereignty rules over [i]all.
20 Bless the Lord, you His angels,
Mighty in strength, who perform His word,
Obeying the voice of His word!
21 Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,
You who serve Him, doing His will.
22 Bless the Lord, all you works of His,
In all places of His dominion;
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
God of grace and forgiveness, help us to look beyond our hurts and troubles to see that you are at work in our lives too—day in and day out. In Jesus’ name we pray.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 