Encore Post: Joseph wasted no time as viceroy of Egypt to prepare the land for famine. He stored grain up and enacted other measures to prepare the people. When famine came, the Egyptians were able not only to feed their people, but to sell grain to neighboring peoples. Among these were Joseph’s brothers.
Joseph arranged for a series of tests to see if his brothers had learned from their sin over the years. The final test, when Joseph demanded his brother Benjamin as a slave as punishment for the crimes he trumped up against them, Judah offered himself in Benjamin’s place. Since Joseph now knew that his brothers were truly repentant for what they did to him, he revealed himself to them.
Joseph forgave his brothers. He realized that what they “intended for evil, God meant for good, to save many lives.” He provided for them from his own wealth and settle them, Israel and his whole household in Egypt, It took some convincing, but Joseph repeatedly reminded them he was not in the place of God, As God had provided for him and showed him mercy, so he would provide for them the rest of his days.
The Greek word for forgiveness literally means to let go, to release. When God forgives us, He lets go of our sins, not holding them against us. He does this because His Son, Jesus, paid the price for our sins. His sufferings and death satisfied God’s justice and canceled the charges against us in God’s court. God ordered us to be released because our sentence was completed.
Jesus wants us to release our neighbors from the evil they had done against us. This is not always easy to do, because we remember the pain and betrayal we feel when others hurt us, not only when they hurt us physically, but also when they hurt us emotionally and spiritually. The problem is that often the bitter feelings that we nurse when we hold on to them can ruin our lives more than the evil itself. When we let go of these sins against us, we can live at peace. This is why God offers us help to forgive others. The next time you pray the Lord’s Prayer, ask God to help you forgive others and receive the forgiveness He offers you
Rev. Robert E. Smith
Pastor Emeritus
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Blog Post Series | Hymn on Forgiveness: “Remember Christ our Savior”
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