Three Lessons From The Life Of JosephSample

The Power Of Forgiveness 

After Joseph reveals himself to his brothers, the story changes quite quickly. The brothers then return to Canaan to bring their family and belongings to settle in Egypt. More importantly, Jacob, their father will be able to see his long lost son again. Jacob has been the glue holding the family together. When he eventually dies, Joseph’s brothers are filled with dread that Joseph will exact revenge on them now for all the atrocities they did to him. They are petrified that they are not able to see him directly but send messengers to him asking for forgiveness. They  even say that it was their father who asked them to plead before Joseph. 

Joseph begins crying when he hears his brothers’ request. From his response we can see that he has already forgiven them and moved on. “Am I in the place of God?”, he asks them to punish them for their wrongs. He reassures them and speaks kindly and gently with them.

Joseph was staggeringly mistreated by his brothers. They wanted to kill him. Not many of us would have ever been in Joseph’s place. Even the slightest of misdoings against us, we hold it so tightly to our chest always looking to take revenge, or at the least making the offender feel guilty by pointing out how they have wronged. Our inner juristic sense and ego are only then appeased. Joseph shows us some remarkable attributes and one that is critically important in our Christian walk but also painfully humbling: the act of forgiveness. Jesus spoke much about this and showed us the way by dying on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. 

Who am I struggling to forgive today? Why am I struggling to forgive him/her? Has my act of forgiving been genuine or superficial? How do I treat the person after I have forgiven him/ her?