June 13, 2010 Pastor Tim Pusey

WE WIN WHEN WE FORGIVE

Genesis 50:15-21

Series: “What Do I Need to Know for Life?”

Lesson Two (Joseph)

June 13, 2010

 

I grew up in a world enamored with heroes like “Superman” and “Batman.”  I don’t remember ever pinning a towel on my shoulders to have a cape like Superman’s, but I wouldn’t be surprised if my friends and I had done that along the way.  I did always think it was cool the way Superman could fly—but then, such an ability would be wasted on me because I’m not very fond of heights!

 

The truth is that I also grew up hearing the accounts of other heroes—and, as the years passed, those were the heroes that captured my attention.  They had simple names, like David, Joseph, Paul and Peter.  Their life stories come from the Bible, and while I’ve long ago forgotten the escapades of Superman and Batman, I’m still learning lessons from the heroes of the Bible.  That’s what this summer sermon series is about.  I’ve called it, “What Do I Need to Know for Life?”—and each week we’ll be focusing in on a different hero from the Bible whose life story seems to capsulate an important lesson that each of need to learn in order to become all that God wants us to be.

 

Last week, Brent Peterson kicked off the series as he focused our attention on Abraham—and the lesson from Abraham’s life is that “God can be trusted.”  This morning we go to the end of Genesis—the first book of the Bible—to consider a life lesson from a man named Joseph.  Before I read the passage of scripture, let me give you the skinny version of Joseph’s life. 

 

Born into a large family of boys, he was the favored son and his older brothers hated him for it.  They happened upon an opportunity to get rid of him and to make some money in the process, so they sold him into slavery and he was taken away to Egypt.  Even as a slave, though, Joseph flourished in his work and was trusted as a man of integrity.  He was a servant to Potiphar, a powerful Egyptian official.  Potiphar came to trust Joseph, seeing that the Lord was clearly at work in Joseph’s life.  Potiphar expanded Joseph’s responsibilities and his authority.  But Potiphar’s wife was after something else from Joseph, and when Joseph refused her advances, she accused him of trying to rape her—and Joseph was thrown into prison.

 

Even in prison, Joseph flourished and the warden eventually put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners.  God gave Joseph unusual spiritual discernment which enabled him to interpret people’s dreams, and this God-given ability became Joseph’s ticket out of prison.  When the Pharaoh, king of all Egypt, had a dream no one was able to help him figure out, someone remembered Joseph’s God-given ability, and Joseph was brought out of prison and asked to interpret Pharaoh’s recurring dream.

 

The dream told of seven years of abundance which were to be followed by seven years of drought and famine.  Satisfied that God himself had helped Joseph interpret the dreams and recognizing Joseph’s unusual wisdom and discernment, Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of the whole land of Egypt—second only to Pharaoh himself in terms of power and authority, administrating all the resources of Egypt through the seven years of abundance in order that the nation would survive the seven years of famine.

 

The seven years of abundance came, as did the years of famine thereafter.  Joseph was so successful in preparing Egypt for the famine that people from other nations were coming to Egypt begging for food.  Joseph’s older brothers also came to Egypt to buy food for their families and found themselves standing before Joseph—the brother they had sold into slavery years before.  They had no idea it was Joseph, but he recognized them immediately.  Eventually, in a tremendously emotional scene, Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers as they stood fearfully before him.  Joseph assured them that he intended them no harm—that he believed that God had worked good in spite of their actions against him. 

 

The lesson from Joseph’s life is the lesson of forgiveness.  It’s the lesson that declares that we win when we forgive.  The passage we’re turning to this morning picks up on Joseph’s story a bit further in time, just after their father Jacob had died.  Turn to the last chapter of Genesis and let’s read from Genesis 50, beginning at verse 15—

[Read Genesis 50:15-21, NIV]

 

Joseph had the perfect opportunity for revenge!  It was in the palm of his hand—and yet he chose to pass on it.  The ten older brothers who had exerted their power over the little brother they resented were now humbled under his authority.  And while Joseph had every human reason to hold a grudge against them, he chose—by God’s grace—to forgive.  He let go of his grievance against them.

 

I suppose some might conclude that Joseph hadn’t endured real hurt and pain from them—or he would have sought revenge.  But, no!  Think again of the circumstances.  If you’ve never read Joseph’s story before, go back and read Genesis 37 to 50 this week.  The wounds were real!—as real as the forgiveness he offered his offenders.

 

You see, if we go down the route that Joseph’s hurt wasn’t real, we might be tempted to excuse our lack of forgiveness by saying, “well, obviously, someone hurt me worse than Joseph had been hurt!”—therefore, justifying the resentment we hang onto.  But the wounds Joseph’s brothers inflicted upon him and the circumstances they put into motion changed the course of his life!  By human standards, Joseph had every reason to be bitter and angry—but he refused to give into that.

 

Why do you suppose Joseph wept in receiving the message from his brothers—the plea which had supposedly come from their father before he died to forgive the boys for what they’d done to Joseph?  Do you suppose maybe Joseph wept because he saw how they were tortured by their fears of what he might now do to them?  Might it be that he wept because it broke his heart that his brothers couldn’t trust him?  Or might it be that he wept in sadness over the years spent apart—now lost and irretrievable?

 

Let’s note that Joseph had learned the lesson of forgiveness years before this scene.  He had learned it when he was thrown into a dark prison cell on the false charges that he had raped his master’s wife.  But he hadn’t done it!  He didn’t deserve to be there!  But somehow God had helped Joseph focus instead on the development of integrity in his life.  It was incredibly important to Joseph—and that’s why I believe he’d have been tempted to become bitter when in prison over false charges!

 

In one of my pastorates, I followed a man whose leadership style is one I would describe as manipulative and coercive.  And while that appeared to work for him, it’s an approach to leadership and particularly to pastoral ministry that I simply do not like.  In fact, it’s offensive to me.  And that’s why it was incredibly hurtful to me when a few people, early in my pastorate, interpreted my words and actions through the filter of what they had seen in the earlier leader and concluded that I too was manipulative and coercive in my dealings with people.  It was terribly discouraging to me!  That’s why I believe Joseph—who obviously was passionate about maintaining integrity—would have been especially vulnerable to bitterness when he was falsely accused of sexual perversion!

 

But what we see in Joseph’s life is a tremendous example of forgiveness.  We need to see the fullness and beauty of forgiveness—and how that forgiveness set Joseph free himself.  It really is true we win when we forgive!  When his brothers came to him, he recognized their consuming fear and it genuinely broke his heart.  His choice to forgive set him free from the anger and resentment that could have seethed within him.

 

I want us to look again at his statement to them recorded in verse 20.  It’s one of the most powerful statements I know of regarding forgiveness.  He said,

“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (Genesis 50:20)

“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good…”  Joseph didn’t ignore the reality of their evil intent, but he chose to see that God had worked even through the circumstances they had put in motion.  God had worked for Joseph’s good and for the good of thousands and even millions of people in Egypt whom he had been able to help.  Joseph could see that despite the actions of his brothers, God had worked in and through his life.  And that helped him to let go of resentment and forgive them.

 

This scene from Genesis 50 wasn’t the first time Joseph had spoken such words to his brothers.  I’ve always loved the scene found in Genesis 45 where Joseph is standing before the brothers who had long before betrayed him.  He had everyone but his brothers leave the room—and he wept so loudly that it was heard all through the building! 

 

Imagine the moment when Joseph gained his composure long enough to announce to his brothers, “I am Joseph!”  Imagine how dumbfounded they must have been that the brother they thought they’d washed their hands of forever had now stepped back into their lives—and held their security in his hands!  The tables had been turned!  And the secret they had carried for so long would be exposed! 

 

But he called them close to him and said,

“I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!  And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you…it was not you who sent me here, but God…” (Genesis 45:4-5,

Joseph was coming from a solid conviction that God had never lost control of his life—despite what was done to him! 

 

And however you may think of the sovereignty of God, none of us will ever be able to fully explain the mysteries of the divine will of God and the part that human decisions play in how God works out His plan.  I’m guessing that many of us will be anxious to ask the Lord such questions when we get to heaven!  But in the meantime, we do well to follow the example of people like Joseph who did not allow the actions of others to deter their devotion and dependence upon God—and dared to believe that God had not somehow allowed the actions of others to mess up God’s ultimate will for their lives!

 

I’m reminded of the powerful words left to us from the Apostle Paul in Romans 8—

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

Of course, to say this is one thing, but to hold to it relentlessly as Joseph did throughout dark days and years of betrayal and lonely years in prison is a whole other thing!  It reflects faith of the highest kind!  Such faith opens the door to forgiveness that, in turn, sets us free!

 

I suppose that, on the surface, we think of forgiveness as merely the absence of bitterness and the choice not to seek revenge, even if it is handed on a silver platter as it was to Joseph!  But the kind of forgiveness we see in the life of Joseph goes far beyond that.  Joseph saw their fear and reassured them that he did not hold their offense against them.  He spoke kindly to them.  One translation described them as talking “heart to heart”!  Joseph did more than not retaliate—Joseph acted redemptively.  He urged them to bring their families and resettle with him in Egypt where he promised to provide for them!  Sometimes we understate forgiveness to merely be a matter of not acting out our anger against another, when forgiveness is truly a determination to replace such vengeful actions with actions of kindness and genuine concern.

 

And by choosing to forgive, Joseph won!—in so many ways.  Let’s consider a few of the ways in which he was a winner by choosing to forgive.

• He had peace of mind—rather than the inner turmoil of resentment.  Bitterness is like a cancer that eats us up from the inside out.  Joseph had peace of mind instead.
• Joseph probably enjoyed a better life because his life wasn’t under the control of unbridled anger and bitterness.  Have you ever been around a bitter person?  Bitter people are generally unhappy in life—and that was not the case for Joseph.
• He was set free to be more effective in his life’s work and calling.  When we’re consumed with resentment, we’re too preoccupied to be at our best at anything in life.  It occupies our mind and infiltrates our attitudes.  It has a treacherous way of taking over everything else in life.  But Joseph threw his energies into serving God and others and he did it well!  It was just another way in which he won by forgiving others.
• He also gained back his brothers!  Just imagine!  They had spent virtually their whole lives apart.  I’m sure he had longed for family—often wondering how their lives were going, and wishing so very much that he was still part of it.  But in choosing to forgive he gained his brothers back!  It was marvelous!
• And probably most important is the matter that Joseph experienced peace with God.  Forgiveness is the way of the Lord.  He is the God of mercy and grace.  We are in relationship with Him purely because of His mercy and His willingness to forgive us—and scripture makes it clear that receiving God’s forgiveness and offering such forgiveness to others go hand in hand.

 

Have you ever had someone offend you?  Have you ever had someone treat you unfairly or say unkind things to you?  Have you ever been abused or taken advantage of?  Have you ever suffered the results of the ungodly words or actions of someone else?  It’s real, isn’t it?  And it’s just part of life!  And the truth is that sometimes the offense is intended and other times it isn’t, even though our hurts are just as painful.  But however we were offended, like Joseph, we’re confronted with the matter of how we’re going to respond.

 

And before you jump too quickly to conclude that this doesn’t relate to you, please understand that there are many people who spend their whole lives acting out their bitterness and resentment toward how they were treated at some point in life.  Our early years have tremendous sway in shaping our lives—and some of you may need to be set free from all the wounds and hurts you’ve carried all your life—and if you don’t see how they’ve shaped your life and your relationships, maybe you need to ask those around you if they see that in you.  You might be surprised by what you’d hear.

 

And, for each of us, it comes down to a decision.  Will we choose to forgive?  And, if you think it’s optional, please understand the great emphasis Jesus put on forgiving others—and how we must be willing to forgive others if we are expecting God to forgive us.  Remember his words in the Sermon on the Mount—“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). 

 

And the truth is that, just as Joseph won by forgiving, so do we win when we forgive those who have somehow wronged us!  Let’s consider some of the ways—

• We gain peace of mind when we forgive those who have hurt us—and are thus able to shake off the inner turmoil of resentment.  That peace of mind does a great job of quieting those fiery conversations you have within your mind with those who have hurt you!  When we let go, we experience peace within!
• Our quality of life is so much better when we learn to forgive—because our lives aren’t under the grip of bitterness and resentment. 
• When we refuse to hold grudges against others, we’re able to be far more effective in our work and in our calling—because we’re not saddled with this consuming anger!
• We’re also far more fit for healthy relationships—at home and beyond.  If you’re consumed with bitterness, you’d likely find that other people enjoy being with you a whole lot more if you’d knock the chip off your shoulders!  And though restored relationships must be allowed from both sides, the truth is that when we let go of grudges we become the kind of people whom others are drawn to and open to.
• And, best of all, when we choose to forgive others, we experience peace with God.  He is the One who had taught and modeled forgiveness.  It’s His way!  And we experience the fullness of peace with God as we learn to forgive others.  And in the context of this relationship, He increases our capacity to love and care for others and to truly forgive them—because it’s so much a part of His character!

 

Please forgive me if you’ve heard me tell this story before, but it seems to sum it up so well.  It’s a story told by Corrie ten Boom—whose writings I long ago became fascinated with.  Corrie’s family were Dutch Christians in Holland when Jews were being hauled off to Nazi concentration camps during the Holocaust.  They risked their lives hiding Jews in their home, and Corrie and her sister and their father were all imprisoned when caught doing so by the Nazis.  Her sister Betsie and her father were killed in the death camps, but Corrie survived the awful ordeal and later spoke and wrote to millions, sharing her story.

 

After the war, her travels took her to broken, war-torn Germany with the message that God forgives.  At the close of one such service, she saw a man making his way toward her.  One moment she saw the overcoat and the brown hat; the next, a blue uniform and a visored cap with its skull and crossbones.  Let me read her words, as she can tell it better than I can—

It came back with a rush: the huge room with its harsh overhead lights; the pathetic pile of dresses and shoes in the center of the floor; the shame of walking naked past this man.  I could see my sister’s frail form ahead of me, ribs sharp beneath the parchment skin…The place was Ravensbruck and the man who was making his way forward had been a guard—one of the most cruel guards.

 

Now he was in front of me, hand thrust out: “A fine message, Fraulein!  How good it is to know that, as you say, all our sins are at the bottom of the sea!”

 

And I, who had spoken so glibly of forgiveness, fumbled in my pocketbook rather than take that hand.  He would not remember me, of course—how could he remember one prisoner among those thousands of women?  But I remembered him and the leather crop swinging from his belt.  I was face-to-face with one of my captors and my blood seemed to freeze.

 

“You mentioned Ravensbruck in your talk,” he was saying.  “I was a guard there.”  No, he did not remember me.  “But since that time,” he went on, “I have become a Christian.  I know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things I did there, but I would like to hear it from your lips as well. Fraulein,”—again the hand came out—“will you forgive me?”

 

And I stood there—I whose sins had again and again to be forgiven—and could not forgive.  Betsie had died in that place—could he erase her slow terrible death simply for the asking?

 

It could not have been many seconds that he stood there—hand held out—but to me it seemed hours as I wrestled with the most difficult thing I had ever had to do.  For I had to do it—I knew that.  The message that God forgives has a prior condition: that we forgive those who have injured us.  “If you do not forgive men their trespasses,” Jesus says, “Neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

 

I knew it not only as a commandment of God, but as a daily experience.  Since the end of the war I had had a home in Holland for victims of Nazi brutality.  Those who were able to forgive their former enemies were able also to return to the outside world and rebuild their lives…those who nursed their bitterness remained invalids.  It was as simple and as horrible as that.

 

And still I stood there with the coldness clutching my heart.  But forgiveness is not an emotion—I knew that too.  Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart.  “Jesus, help me!” I prayed silently. “I can lift my hand.  I can do that much.  You supply the feeling.”

 

And so woodenly, mechanically, I thrust my hand into the one stretched out to me.  And as I did, an incredible thing took place.  The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands.  And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes.  “I forgive you, brother!” I cried.  “With all my heart.”

 

For a long moment we grasped each other’s hands, the former guard and the former prisoner.  I had never known God’s love so intensely, as I did then.  But even so, I realized it was not my love.  I had tried, and did not have the power.  It was the power of the Holy Spirit as recorded in Romans 5:5, “…because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”

 

Let us pray.