When We Imitate God's Forgiveness... Genesis 50:15-21 100514M
Sometimes it's worse not knowing. Someone whose child disappears, or whose husband is missing in action in time of war, has tremendous uncertainty not knowing whether that person is dead or alive. At least had they known one way or another, they would know whether they should rejoice or grieve. What about not knowing where you stand with God? Has he forgiven your sins and does he love you, or not? You DO know where you stand, don't you? Jesus came to bear our sin and guilt away. Jesus is our holiness before God, even as he bore our sins before God on the cross. Yes, God has forgiven us. He wants us to know where we stand: we're completely forgiven of every sin! And this is a forgiveness, God teaches us, we can extend to relationships with others in our lives who have sinned against us. In our lesson, we see that:
When We Imitate God's Forgiveness...
1. We accept a humble confession.
2. We forgive without a grudge.
3. We trust God to bless.
1. In our lesson, we meet Joseph, one of the twelve sons of Jacob, also called Israel--sons which became the tribes of Israel. Joseph was a bit of a brat, favored by Jacob who gifted him with the famous ornamented coat. His brothers were jealous of him. They had a plot to kill him, but relented, and sold him into slavery to a Mideanite band of traders. He ended up being a household servant in Egypt, but, after being accused of raping his bosses wife, landed in jail. After interpreting Pharaoh's dreams as meaning there would be a famine in the land, Joseph was made second in command of all of Egypt in order to oversee the storage and distribution of food. Joseph's own family had to go to Egypt for food, and eventually, Joseph revealed himself to his family. There was a tearful reunion. Yes, much of what happened to Joseph he brought on himself, but he knew the Lord and his forgiveness. And he had to learn that when we imitate the Lord's forgiveness...We accept a humble confession.
Joseph's brothers were not entirely certain that Joseph was not going to retaliate now that their father was gone. Perhaps he was just keeping peace in the family for the sake of Jacob. The brothers feared Joseph was holding a grudge. Who wouldn't, in light of the terrible things they had done to him? 15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?”
So they presented what they said was a dying wish of their father Jacob: 16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died: 17 ‘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 the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept. Did you hear them admitting the wrongs they had committed? They even called them "sins." Did you hear them asking Joseph for his forgiveness?
Were they brothers being sincere, or were they just afraid of retaliation? They seem sincere. Since he wept at their message, Joseph must have regarded their repentance as sincere. He certainly couldn't see into their hearts. Plus, the fact that there were fruits of repentance would indicate that their sorrow was sincere: 18 His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said. They were willing to do anything. It wasn't that they were trying to undo or make up for their wrongs. But they were certainly showing that they were sorry and they wanted to prove it.
What if someone says they're sorry because they sinned against you? Do YOU regard it as sincere? What if it's something they did to you a number of times? What if they hurt you beyond belief, or did something that changed your life forever. Are you just supposed to say, "Yes, I forgive you. No big deal"? Are you then supposed to go on as if nothing ever happened? Well...yes, as a matter of fact! Except that it IS a big deal. And a person can't undo wrongs they've done and hurt they've caused. All they can do is apologize and seek your forgiveness.
Isn't that what we do with God? And does he forgive us? Yes! Contrary to what some Christians believe, there is no penance to make satisfaction for sin. Jesus did that when he died for all sin on the cross. He did that when he kept God's laws and commands perfectly. Now he says, 8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. As David exclaimed, I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin (Ps 32:5). It was about as simple as that. The Prophet Nathan led David to confess his sin, and when he did, he assured him of God's forgiveness. Yes, there were consequences he would have to face because of what he did. But those consequences didn't change the fact that God had forgiven him. Since God accepts our humble confessions of sin, like Joseph, we can accept the humble confessions of those who sin against us.
2. Of course, it's easy to do that like kids in school when they're forced to say they're sorry to each other: "Now tell Johnny you're sorry." "Okay, I'm sorry." Johnny, tell Josh you forgive him. "Okay, I forgive you." Does he really? So often we say we forgive, but then proceed to hold a grudge anyway. When we imitate God's forgiveness...We forgive without a grudge.
Consider Joseph's words: 19 But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? What did Joseph mean? God is the one who either forgives or does not forgive. Had he forgiven the brothers? Yes! Joseph is saying that for him NOT to forgive his brothers would be to play God. Since God had forgiven the brothers, who was Joseph to withhold forgiveness? He'd be claiming to be a higher authority than God. If God had forgiven, he would too. No grudge!
How do we know he didn't hold a grudge? We're told: 21 So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them. There was no mere live-and-let-live attitude here, no silent burn under the collar, no forgiving but never forgetting. Joseph "reassured" them. Of what? Their forgiveness! That all was now well between them! He spoke kindly to them. No sarcasm. No bringing up the past on every occasion. And he would provide for them and their children. He would treat them in a way that was beyond cordial and kind. He really cared, and he showed it. No grudges!
We've probably all been on the cold side of a grudge. People not looking you in the eye, not saying anything more than the bare minimum of what must be said, past infractions are brought up easily because they're always right beneath the surface. But we've probably all been on the hot side of a grudge too. Clamming up with certain people, avoiding them altogether, churning over what they did over and over again in our mind. What if they didn't even know what they did? What if they never even confessed their sin or admitted they were wrong? Don't you have a right to be angry and hold a grudge? NO! Are you standing in the place of God? It's his to forgive or to refuse forgiveness where there is no repentance. It is true that if they don't believe in Jesus, they are still in their sins. But Jesus still lived and died for them. God's forgiveness is still there for them. For you to not forgive when God does is to put yourself over God. Your grudge is as sinful as the sin you're holding against them!
3. But what if they really made a mess of your life because of what they did? When we imitate God's forgiveness...We trust God to bless. That was Joseph's confidence: 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. Joseph wasn't questioning that they INTENDED to harm him. This was no accident! But whatever harm and damage was done, God could make it right. God used the brothers' sin to get Joseph to Egypt where the family of promise could be fed and cared for, because one day the Savior was going to come into the world through them. Yes, he had ended up as a servant, false accused, imprisoned. But God used those things to accomplish his saving purpose.
And that's still God's promise: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose (Ro 8:28). Even the rotten things people do: the abuse, the attacks, the hurt, and way their sinful actions impact our lives--all of it God uses for a good purpose in our lives. So there's no reason not to forgive as God has forgiven us.
See, you KNOW where you stand with God. There's no uncertainty. In Christ, your forgiveness is assured. He has told you through your baptism that your sins are washed away. In his Word he announces again and again that your sins are forgiven. He even gives you his body and blood with bread and wine to assure you of the same thing. So when we imitate God's forgiveness, we accept a humble confession; we forgive without a grudge, and we trust God to make it right. And when we pray, "Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us," we know God DOES forgive. Now we can too! Amen.
Genesis 50:15-21
When We Imitate God's Forgiveness...
1. We accept a humble confession.
2. We forgive without a grudge.
3. We trust God to bless.
15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?”
16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died: 17 ‘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 the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.
18 His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said.
, 8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin (Ps 32:5).
19 But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God?
21 So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose (Ro 8:28).