Grace Over Justice

In 2006, Disney reworked the slogan across all their theme parks. The new slogan simply read: Where dreams come true. Now, I have never been to a Disney theme park. For those of you who have, is it true? Is it a place where dreams come true? The slogan has since been changed to the most magical place on earth. I can only imagine the lengths Disney goes to for that to be true.

Well, today dreams really do come true! The dreams Joseph had come to fruition, but in a sort of strange way. And just because it happens doesn’t mean that the situation is perfect. There are still hurdles to overcome.

Last week we saw how Joseph became the second most powerful man in the world. We understand that the narrative shows God moving in Joseph’s life to put him in a position where he would have tremendous influence. The dream was that his brothers would bow down to him. Today, we see this dream become a reality.

Most people think that just because someone has power, influence, or money means they have fewer problems. The truth is they just have different problems. Underneath the magazine covers, the social media notoriety, fame and fortune is a real human being with real emotions, and no matter how wealthy, famous, or powerful a person is, they are still carrying baggage.

Joseph is at the top of human civilization. Only one person can tell him what to do (maybe two if you include his wife!). He has the power to make someone’s life super easy or really hard in the blink on an eye. Yet he carries baggage. He is about to see his brothers for the first time in twenty years. How would you feel if the person who sold you out walked back into your life after twenty years, even if you were good now? There is baggage there.

Let’s take a look at the story.

Genesis 42:1–17 NASB95

Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?” He said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy some for us from that place, so that we may live and not die.” Then ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain from Egypt. But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “I am afraid that harm may befall him.” So the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those who were coming, for the famine was in the land of Canaan also. Now Joseph was the ruler over the land; he was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. When Joseph saw his brothers he recognized them, but he disguised himself to them and spoke to them harshly. And he said to them, “Where have you come from?” And they said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.” But Joseph had recognized his brothers, although they did not recognize him. Joseph remembered the dreams which he had about them, and said to them, “You are spies; you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land.” Then they said to him, “No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. “We are all sons of one man; we are honest men, your servants are not spies.” Yet he said to them, “No, but you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land!” But they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers in all, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no longer alive.” Joseph said to them, “It is as I said to you, you are spies; by this you will be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here! “Send one of you that he may get your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. But if not, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies.” So he put them all together in prison for three days.

You can tell all the emotions are coming back for Joseph as he disguises himself and speaks harshly. There are a lot of feelings here. Is Joseph reacting, or even overreacting to the emotions swelling inside him? He accuses them of being spies and places them all in jail. He demands that to prove themselves, they must return home and bring their youngest brother. This seems like an odd request, but what Joseph is doing is not about the request itself. It is part of a larger set up.

If God brings someone back into your life after a long time, you are going to feel some emotions. When we are hurt by someone, then we don’t see or speak to them for years, then the next time we are in the same room with them our defenses are going to kick in. Our body is trying to protect itself. This is what happens with Joseph.

Joseph makes a choice. He accuses his brothers of being spies. Does he actually believe they are spies? Probably not. Does he want them to feel the same dread he felt when he was sold into slavery? I think so.

Our natural tendency when someone has hurt us is to hurt them back. We want them to feel a measure of what we have felt. This is at the center of our concept of justice. If you take something from me, justice says something gets to be taken from you. We want justice, and that is a right thing. But justice is in God’s hands.

We aren’t talking about ignoring if someone commits a crime against you. If someone commits a crime against you, you should seek legal justice. I am not suggesting Christians let themselves be victims of crimes. But when damage is done on a relational level, ultimate justice is in God’s hands.

What Joseph does here is interesting. What I see often is that people think forgiveness means immediate restoration of the relationship. Forgive and forget. Except that’s not how it works. If you forgive someone for stealing from you by giving them a key to your home, you might be setting yourself up to be stolen from again. Instead, there needs to be a time of testing.

There needs to be a time of testing.

Joseph chooses to test his brothers. He needs to know if they have changed in the last twenty years. When someone who hurt you re-enters your life, there needs to be a time of testing. Has this person changed or not? You can’t take their word for it. They need to demonstrate it. Joseph came up with a way to do this. Bring the little brother back to Egypt, and they would prove their innocence.

Their hearts sank. They know their father is not going to be happy. The brothers don’t know they have been talking to Joseph. They don’t know he can understand them. Verse 23 tells us there was an interpreter between them, so Joseph was speaking Egyptian, but they were speaking an early form of Hebrew probably. Joseph overhears them. Listen to what they say.

Genesis 42:21–22 NASB95

Then they said to one another, “Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen; therefore this distress has come upon us.” Reuben answered them, saying, “Did I not tell you, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? Now comes the reckoning for his blood.”

The brothers have tied this present trial to their selling of Joseph. They are coming under conviction. They think they are suffering this because they are being judged for their actions twenty years ago. Without them knowing, Joseph is hearing their remorse. We will see more of the story next week.

We need to see signs of remorse.

If someone who hurt us re-enters our life, we need to see signs of remorse. We need to know that they agree that their actions were wrong, that they have conviction. It is one thing to say “I’m sorry” and another to demonstrate real conviction over something that has been done. This was the first sign that Joseph’s brothers had changed.

What would it take for you to know that someone has changed? What would you expect to see? Remember, this doesn’t mean that you become super close to them overnight. The relationship has to be rebuilt. But if through a time of testing there are also signs of remorse, then we have to extend grace.

We have to extend grace.

Joseph does something unusual. He returns the money to every man’s sack. They seemed to open one sack before they left Egypt and saw the money had been returned. Then they reported to their father, and he went ballistic. He thought he was about to lose two more sons. While the conflict is not resolved in this chapter, verse 35 says,

Genesis 42:35 NASB95

Now it came about as they were emptying their sacks, that behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were dismayed.

So if each man carried one sack of food, then there were ten bags of money returned, one for each sack purchased. They didn’t know this until they got home. Joseph didn’t have to do that. They certainly didn’t deserve it. But maybe he didn’t do it for them. Maybe he did it for his father. Who knows? But this is a demonstration of grace.

If we are going to live out our Christian convictions, we must remember that the future is in God’s hands and so are outcomes.

If you trust outcomes to God, you can choose grace over seeking your own justice.

Joseph could have locked all his brothers up in an Egyptian prison for the rest of their lives. Joseph could have done virtually anything he wanted to seek his own justice for what his brothers did to him. But he doesn’t do it. Why? Because he understands why it happened. He will see God’s hand at work.

Joseph arrived at a point where he was okay. God had been good to him. He got married. He had children. He was successful. His brothers held no power over him. He trusted God for the outcome, which gave him the freedom to extend grace.

Again, I want to emphasize that choosing grace does not negate or diminish real harm. It is the choice that another person’s harm will not hold power over you.

Romans 12:19 NASB95

Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

We are called not to seek our own justice, but leave ultimate justice in the hands of God. Jesus tells us to love our enemies and pray for them in the Sermon on the Mount. Loving our enemies is not merely praying for them. In fact, if you keep reading in Romans 12, Paul writes,

Romans 12:20–21 NASB95

“But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

When we give outcomes to God, we are free to focus on what matters: grace.

You might be thinking, “But that’s not fair! I need justice! I need them to pay for what they did to me!” I know. I sometimes want that too...until I realize I deserve that too.

You see, we all stood condemned before a holy God for violating his law and abandoning his design for our lives. We are divine lawbreakers. God rightly demands justice, and he’ll get it. But around 2,000 years ago, he sent his own son to take the penalty for our sins upon himself. His innocence was traded for our guilt. He was hung on a cross, buried in a tomb, but rose three days later breaking the chains of sin and death that ensnared us.

Every human being has a choice to make: trust in Jesus as God’s substitute for you, having paid the full penalty for your sins, or stand before God and plead your case. The problem is his standard is perfection, which you fall short of. Anyone who chooses to stand before God alone will receive a guilty verdict. But anyone who chooses to stand before God with Christ as his advocate will be declared innocent. God can extend grace to us because his vengeance is satisfied in the sacrifice of Jesus.

Who or what are you placing your trust in? Are you trusting that Jesus paid it all for you, or are you standing on your own self-righteousness? The only way to receive the grace of God is to trust in Jesus.

As the recipients of grace, we are expected to extend that grace toward others. Is there someone in your life that has hurt you? Have you let that have control over you for too long? Has that person left your life and re-entered it? Forgiveness starts as a choice before it becomes a behavior. Arriving at a place where you are okay with whatever outcome gives you the freedom to outrageously serve others. Is there a conversation you need to have with someone as a result of listening today? Is there a conversation you need to have with God? Now is the time to choose what you will do.

Will you seek your own justice or will you place it in his hands? Will you extend grace to those around you knowing how much grace God has extended you? How might you need to extend grace over seeking justice in your life?