Forgives Freely

Forgiveness Comes From The Hand of the Mighty One

9.17.23 [Genesis 50:15-21] River of Life (17th Sunday after Pentecost)

FIfty-three years earlier, a family man hit it big at the horse track. He won $1000. Delighted by the windfall, he gave $100 to his son, Leo, with explicit instructions: give $50 to your sister, Helen. But Leo never did.

Helen didn’t find out until her mother started to slip mentally. She mentioned it to her grandson who spilled the beans to his mother. Can you imagine? What would you do if you found out your sibling stole $50 from you 50 years ago? What if it had a few more zeros?

I bet it depends on your relationship with your sibling. If you have a solid relationship, you’d probably let it slide. If you don’t, you’d probably fume—maybe even make a big fuss. Helen wanted to let it slide, but her husband refused. When he heard what his schmuck brother-in-law had done, he whipped out his calculator and totaled it up. Leo owed $663.45. Helen shrugged it off, her husband quipped “He’s not getting away with this!” That’s how a lot of people feel.

People can harbor bitterness & anger for decades—even generations. Maybe they’re salty about something someone did to them when they were in grade school. Maybe they’re still holding a grudge against a high-school sweetheart who cheated & broke their heart. They may still be angry with a former co-worker who stole the big account, even though that was three jobs ago. People have long memories when it comes to being wronged. We don’t soon forget. And like Helen’s husband, we inaudibly threaten: “They’re not getting away with it!”

In many ways, that’s one of the defining family dynamics of the descendants of Abraham. Sarah was jealous of Hagar, the maidservant she sent to sleep with Abraham when she couldn’t conceive. Ishmael was disgruntled with Isaac. Isaac wasn’t just his dad’s pride and joy. Isaac & Sarah were the reasons Ismael and his mom were sent away.

Jacob and Esau, Abraham’s grandsons, were fighting with each other in the womb, literally. As they grew up, Jacob’s manipulative & duplicitous behavior drove a wedge between them. Jacob had to run away so that Esau wouldn’t follow through on his threats to kill him after Jacob stole Esau’s birthright & blessing. Even after letting the dust settle for decades, Jacob was so afraid of his brother that he sent him gifts and threw himself at Esau’s feet seven times and kept calling himself Esau’s servant.

That was a moment indelibly marked on the hearts and minds of Jacob’s sons. They were there when their father divided the family into two groups so that if their uncle Esau attacked one might survive.

They saw how (Gen. 32:7) terrified and distressed when he felt like all the wrong he’d done to Esau was coming crashing down. Maybe Jacob remembered that terror as he took his last breaths, too. Maybe he really did give (Gen. 50:17) instructions to Joseph to forgive his brothers the sins and the wrongs they had committed in treating Joseph so badly. But maybe not. There’s no moment where the brothers confess to their father what they’d done. No record of admitting how they plotted to kill Joseph, then sold him into slavery. Or how they tried to cover it up by dipping that colorful robe in blood so that it looked like a wild animal killed him. Nowhere do we find Joseph spilling the beans either.

While it’s hard to imagine that after spending 17 years reunited in Egypt Jacob didn’t once ask Joseph what happened, we don’t know. Maybe the brothers came clean before they returned to Egypt. Or maybe—like so many families do—they tried to put it all in the past and ignore it. Just hoped it would never come up again.

There is a hint that Jacob knew something in his final words to his sons. As they all assembled to receive a blessing from their father, Jacob said this to Joseph. (Gen 49:22-24) Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall. 23 With bitterness archers attacked him; they shot at him with hostility. 24 But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel…

Perhaps, Jacob was just talking about how his sons (Gen. 37:4) hated Joseph and could not speak a kind word to him, even before he went missing. Maybe Jacob was saying more. Maybe, this reminder at Jacob’s death stirred up the brothers’ latent guilt & fears.

They did what any guilty and terrified person would do. (Gen. 50:18) They threw themselves down before Joseph and said: We are your slaves! This is a dream scenario for so many who have been wronged, hurt, and victimized. To have your abuser in the palm of your hands and decide how to mete out justice. Can you imagine?

Can you imagine having an opportunity like this with that one kid in grade school who mocked you mercilessly? Can you imagine having an opportunity like this with that teacher who always had it out for you? Can you imagine having the tables turn on someone who stabbed you in the back? Can you imagine having the chance to get even with that co-worker who slandered you or stole bread off your table?

Can you imagine having a chance to get your pound of flesh from someone who wrecked your whole life? Can you imagine having the opportunity to punish the person who damaged your child?

There is a part of you that would lick your lips a little bit at the thought of this opportunity. But play that scenario out a bit. Let’s say you had the chance to rehearse it all. You get to say every devastating thing you could ever dream up. You rake them over the coals. You tear them apart. You get your pound of flesh and then some. How do you feel? For a moment, satisfaction, perhaps. They got every bit of what they deserved. But whatever catharsis you might feel could never be confused with real healing. It might feel delightful but, deep down, you know it isn’t really good. You’ve gotten in the muck with the person who wronged you & now you’re both a mess. You’re both worse for the wear. You’re both nasty.

The truth is, you and I will likely never get such a chance. And that’s good. Because it would be hard for us to do what Joseph did. As his brothers are face down on the floor, begging for their lives, offering to be his slaves, Joseph is crying. Not for himself. But for them. He consoles them. He comforts them. He tells them: Don’t be afraid. You’re God’s servants, but you won’t be mine. Yes, I know what you did. I haven’t forgotten how I begged for my life but you refused to listen. But I forgive you. I forgive you because I trust and have seen how God is still in control. He worked it all out for our good. Even though you tried to wreck my life, God used it all to save your lives and the lives of the people of Egypt.. Then (Gen. 50:21) he reassured them. He did what they refused to do before. (Gen. 50:21) He spoke kindly to them. Don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children

Can you imagine? Where did Joseph find the strength to be compassionate to his abusers? If you listen to him, it's very clear. He doesn’t say, Let’s let bygones be bygones. He doesn’t give them a pass because he just wants a relationship with his brothers. He forgives because he trusts God is at work in him and through him.

God would accomplish something even more unimaginable through the son of a different Joseph. Like this Joseph, this man would be verbally abused by those who were his flesh and blood. Like this Joseph, they plotted to take his life. Like this Joseph, he was betrayed by someone he should have been able to trust. Like this Joseph, he was sold for a mere pittance of silver. Like this Joseph, God still worked it out for good. Jesus achieved what God had been promising for generations, the saving of many lives.

Even as he suffered, Jesus did the unimaginable. He prayed for his abusers. (Lk. 23:34) Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing. Though they did not ask for his forgiveness, he prayed for it anyway. Though they knew exactly what they were doing to him physically, mentally, and emotionally, he knew that they did not realize what God was doing at that moment. He was providing salvation for generations of sinners. God was saving many lives.

This was for us. Paul puts it beautifully: Romans 5:6-8 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly… While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. While we were powerless—guilt-ridden and deeply ashamed—still sinners in every way, Christ Jesus, the Son of God, had mercy on us. He could have destroyed us. Instead, he died for us. And through his sacrificial death and powerful resurrection, we have life—peace and hope. We are fully reconciled. Jesus, our brother, who is the King of kings and Lord of lords, has pulled every string and called in every favor so that we might be taken care of for eternity. Jesus holds no grudge against us, but holds us in his powerful hands day by day. Even more than Joseph did for his brothers.

You see, Joseph wasn’t the only fruitful vine who was attacked by hostile sinners. Jesus tells us (Jn. 15:5) I am the vine. You are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you , you will bear much fruit. Apart from me, you can do nothing. Now, there are many ways in which we are called and cultivated to bear fruit. But let’s look specifically at forgiveness. Do you hear what Jesus is telling you? Apart from him, you cannot really forgive as Joseph did. You don’t have the strength of character. You don’t have the resolve to keep on reassuring someone who has wrecked your whole life.

Forgiveness ultimately depends on your relationship with your brother Jesus. When you remain in him, when you spend time in his Word—marveling at his mercy for those who tortured him, his kind words to the disciples who let him down—then you’ll bear the fruit of forgiving those who have hurt and abused you. When you come to his table, and receive his body and blood for the forgiveness of all your sins, God creates in you a desire to be as generous in mercy as he has been with you. Even though they intended to harm you, to hurt you, to destroy you, you know that God is still in control. You know what he desires most. To forgive sinners and save many lives. We can and do forgive freely, because Christ Jesus has paid for our sins and the sins of the whole world, with his holy precious blood. Amen.