By Rev. Dr. Kay Towns, Deacon, St. Luke’s member, Licensed Professional Counselor

Center yourself on today’s reflection by lighting a candle and reciting this breath prayer:
Inhale – You order your kingdom with justice, Lord
Exhale – and judge the nations with loving-kindness.

Genesis 50:15-21 (The Message)
14-15 After burying his father, Joseph went back to Egypt. All his brothers who had come with him to bury his father returned with him. After the funeral, Joseph’s brothers talked among themselves: “What if Joseph is carrying a grudge and decides to pay us back for all the wrong we did him?” 16-17 So they sent Joseph a message, “Before his death, your father gave this command: Tell Joseph, ‘Forgive your brothers’ sin—all that wrongdoing. They did treat you very badly.’ Will you do it? Will you forgive the sins of the servants of your father’s God?” When Joseph received their message, he wept. 18 Then the brothers went in person to him, threw themselves on the ground before him and said, “We’ll be your slaves.” 19-21 Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid. Do I act for God? Don’t you see, you planned evil against me but God used those same plans for my good, as you see all around you right now—life for many people. Easy now, you have nothing to fear; I’ll take care of you and your children.” He reassured them, speaking with them heart-to-heart.

Reflection:
Forgiveness is often regarded as the canceling of a debt. It can also include agreeing to live with the consequences of another person’s sin. Sometimes the sin is our own. Forgiveness is not pardoning, condoning, excusing, forgetting, denial, or reconciliation. The matter of forgiveness is something we are searching for. Perhaps especially now, as so many people seem to feel a bit more wounded and broken in places. Some of those wounds and broken bits were caused by others. While some of our brokenness was caused by our own hands. Either way, the balm we seek is forgiveness.  

In Genesis 50:15-21, we come to the conclusion of the story that began with Joseph’s dream of grandeur, which offended his jealous brothers compelling them to sell Joseph into slavery. As a slave, Joseph found himself falsely accused of rape and imprisoned. Yet proved himself valuable through his ability to interpret dreams, including interpreting the Pharaoh’s dreams which Joseph understood as impending famine across the land. Thus, Pharaoh appointed Joseph to a high-ranking role that included overseeing the nation’s food supply, propelling Joseph to the second most powerful position in Egypt. When the famine came as predicted, Joseph’s brothers traveled to Egypt to purchase grain from the person in charge of national food supplies—Joseph. Initially, the brothers did not recognize Joseph, but after a while, Joseph revealed himself and extended forgiveness to his brothers—even inviting them and their families to come to Egypt where he would help them settle in the fertile land of Goshen.  

The forgiveness expressed in this story can be examined on three levels: 1. God’s forgiveness, 2. Self-forgiveness, and 3. Forgiveness of others.  

God’s Forgiveness:
Forgiveness originates with God and is initiated by and through God. God’s forgiveness is available as a gift of grace through Christ extended to all God’s children. We can receive God’s forgiveness if we ask. We are called to confess our sin before God and one another. In Genesis 50, Joseph’s brothers confess and God steps in, dismantling evil through forgiveness. When we confess our sins, we are assured that God promises to forgive us (1 John 1:9). The United Methodist prayer of confession includes the declaration of pardon, “In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!” Confession and pardon remind us that we all are sinners saved by grace. In Genesis 50:15-21, Joseph was the conduit through which God offered forgiveness.  

Self-Forgiveness:
God not only offers us forgiveness; God also shows us how to forgive, including forgiving ourselves. Self-forgiveness is an amazing gift we give ourselves and this gift is available to us 24/7. When we pray the Lord’s Pray, we ask God to “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us.” Before we can extend forgiveness to others, we first must deal with our own transgressions. Even after God has forgiven us, too often the question remains: have we forgiven ourselves? Are there things in your life that you’re struggling to forgive yourself for? In Christ, we are new creations (2 Cor 5:17), so perhaps it is time we allow our old ways and old things to pass, including unforgiven wounds we’ve been holding on to, and live as new creations in Christ. Forgiving ourselves can help us, others, and it can honor our God who first forgave us.  

Forgiveness of Others:
God also shows us how to forgive others. How could Joseph be victimized by his own brothers to the point of being sold into slavery, which brought about the heartache of a false conviction and thirteen-year imprisonment, only to later forgive those same brothers? Simply put: God shaped Joseph for forgiveness. God was able to accomplish his Divine will through Joseph, which included forgiveness. God enables us all to develop the disposition to forgive. This is a love we first learned from God, a love manifest in Christ. This love flows from a child-like pure faith, possible at any age. The agape pure love Christ has for us absorbs sorrows and sin, and this love opens wide the door of forgiveness. Just as Christ models pure love for us, we too are called into this higher love, a love that requires the discipline and gift of forgiveness. 

In closing, at its core forgiveness is a process of asking, receiving, and giving. We ask God for forgiveness for our sins, we receive God’s gift of forgiveness, and we extend this gift of forgiveness to ourselves and to others. It is through God’s forgiveness we become debt-free and find freedom from the high-cost of not forgiving, which we pay by remaining in bondage by hurtful and harmful thoughts, emotions, and feelings. In Genesis 50, we are reminded that God can use all things for good, even wrongs we have committed or wrongs committed against us. Through God, we can ask, receive, and give the gift of forgiveness, moving us from pain to peace.

Prayer:
Merciful Lord, the Christian life calls for decisions, including the decision to forgive. Sometimes it’s us who need to ask you, O God, for forgiveness. Sometimes it’s another person we need to forgive. Sometimes it’s ourselves we struggle to forgive. Lord, plant forgiveness in our hearts. We understand our need to confess our sin before you and before one another. May we follow your call to share our spiritual struggles, including sins, with one another (James 5:16). Let us deeply feel the assurance of your promise to forgive us (1 John 1:9), and may we wholeheartedly and humbly accept the forgiveness you offer. Just as you have forgiven us, Lord, help us develop our disposition to forgive ourselves and others. In the strong name of Christ, we pray. Amen. 

For further reading: 

Harrell, D. (2020). “To those who’ve lost loved ones.” Christianity Today. https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2020/april-web-only/coronavirus-lost-loved-ones-grief-forgiveness.html.

McCullough, M. E., vanOyen Witvliet, C. (2009). The psychology of forgiveness, in Snyder, C. R., & Lopez, S. J. eds, Oxford handbook of positive psychology. Oxford University Press, USA.

McCullough, Pargament, & Thoresen, C.T. (2000). The psychology of forgiveness: History, conceptual issues, and overview. In M.E. McCullough, K.I. Pargament, & C.E. Thoresen (Eds.), Forgiveness: Theory, research, and practice (pp. 1-14). New York: Guilford.