The Golden Rule reminds us to treat others the way we want to be treated. And notice, it does not say to treat others as they first treat us, rather we are to be the first to act. In the Lord’s Prayer we pray, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us,” logically then, if we do not forgive others then we expect God to not forgive us. Forgiveness is the greatest gift we are given to by God and that we can share with one another. At weddings I often remind couples that their greatest asset in marriage is not communication, as I can communicate very well how much I do not like you, rather their greatest asset is forgiveness, that is to forgive one another. Unfortunately, how often it is in our world that we cannot forgive one another, and at times this unforgiving attitude so eats at a person that they are bitter, angry and constantly seeking revenge. Indeed, to be unforgiving is rejecting the gifts of God and ultimately could lead to one falling way and rejecting God all together.
Our text for today is a text on forgiveness. I pray we are all familiar with our text and the account and history of Joseph’s brothers selling him into slavery. As you may remember, Joseph was one of two sons born to Jacob’s favorite wife, Rachel. Joseph was given special treatment by his father and we are told that he often gave bad reports of his brother’s activities. He also related the dreams he had of his father and brothers bowing down to him. Thus, Joseph’s brothers hated him and so when the opportunity arrived they sold him into slavery. Joseph made his way to Egypt and after a number of events including interpreting dreams, including the dream of a coming famine he was given the royal position of second in command of the entire land of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh.
Our text brings us into the account after two years of famine. Joseph’s brothers had already been to Egypt for food once and now they have come back. Joseph put his brothers through several trying ordeals until such time as we have the account related to us in our text. Again, this was the second time that Joseph’s brothers came for food. As Joseph gathered his brothers and sent the rest of his servants from the room Joseph reveals himself to his brothers.
It had been some time since the brothers had seen Joseph. He was seventeen years old when they sold him and now he was about thirty-nine years old and he was dressed as an Egyptian high official. Also when he spoke to his brothers he spoke through a translator so they did not know that he could understand them. So as Joseph reveals himself to his brothers they are rather shocked, speechless, and certainly afraid.
As he reveals himself to his brothers Joseph relates all the events that had taken place since they sold him some twenty-two years earlier. Joseph explains the events that occurred as having occurred by the hand and guidance of God and he forgives his brothers. Certainly Joseph had already forgiven his brothers long ago. He holds no grudge against his brothers as, again, he sees the hand of God in the events that have taken place.
Our text relates to us the guilty conscience of the brothers. Of course, we are hearing this account toward the end. Early on, as Joseph put his brothers through some trying ordeals they remembered back to what they had done to their brother and they believed that these ordeals were brought on by what they had done, kind of a karma affect. For twenty-two years they have carried around with them their unrepentant, unforgiven sin. It must have been quite a burden to bear.
And so now, as Joseph reveals himself to his brother they are finally able to repent. Unfortunately, as we find out later, not in our text for today, but after Jacob passes the brothers still have their doubts about the forgiveness that Joseph speaks to them. Here we are reminded that to repent means to give up the sin and to be forgiven means to let the sin go. Also to forgive means to let the sin go. We do not forgive and never forget, but keep bringing the sin up, that is not forgiveness. To forgive is to leave the sin in the past.
So, as Joseph speaks to his brothers he explains God’s unseen hand in all the events that have happened over the past twenty-two years. He explains that it was by God’s design that they sold him so that he might go ahead of them into Egypt. He explains how it is by God’s design that he is a “father to Pharaoh,” so that they might survive the famine. He explains how the famine has just started as this is only the second year and there are five more years of famine yet to come. Finally, he tells his brothers to return to his father, to Jacob, to tell him the good news and to bring everyone to Egypt so that they might survive the seven years of famine.
Joseph is indeed a man of God. He understands God’s hand in his life, in the good as well as in the bad. He explains this as best he can to his brothers, thus we see God’s love shining through, especially God’s forgiveness and care for His people.
What does this mean? We are sinners. We are conceived and born in sin. Every intention of our hearts is evil all the time. No one is righteous, no not one. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We are sinned against and we sin against others. As we said last week, we may try to compare ourselves with others so that we might think we are good people, but the only true comparison we must make is to compare ourselves with Jesus and when we compare ourselves with Jesus we can see how truly sinful we are.
We are indeed sinful people, yet, no matter how sinful we are, God forgives us and His desire is that we forgive others. The parable of the unforgiving servant reminds us of how great our sins toward God are compared to our sins against one another, that is our sins against God are so much greater than our sins against one another, and so as God forgives us our great sins, we also ought to forgive one another our menial sins.
Our text also reminds us that not all the bad things that happen to us or at least what we perceive as bad things happening to us are indeed bad. Certainly as we believe Paul’s words, that God works out the good for us there may be times we simply do not see God working out the good. And of course there may be times when we, as Joseph do see God’s hand working out the good through all situations in our lives.
As we think about our own lives and the events of our lives, even and especially the trying events of our lives, can we see God’s hand in the events of our lives? Can we see God working out the good in any and every situation? Again, we may be able to at times and perhaps not at other times. I have come to the conclusion that if I cannot see the good being worked out that this must have been one of those events that God was using for someone else’s good.
So, along with asking what does this mean, this morning we ask, how is this done? As you have heard me say time and again, God is the prime mover. Notice in our Gospel reading for this morning Jesus tells us to love our enemies, to do good to those who hate us, to bless those who curse us and to pray for those who abuse us. Jesus reminds us to act first, to do unto others first.
Again, God is the prime mover. God acts first. God does and gives and we are done to and given to. As John reminds us, we love because He first loved us. As Jesus reminds us, no one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. We do not go out seeking God. We do not cooperate with God in our salvation. We do not act and do in order to gain God’s favor. No, in all things God does and gives and we are done to and given to. God calls us to life, giving us a soul at conception. God calls us to faith through Holy Baptism and His Word. God forgives us with the forgiveness He earned and paid for on the cross. Remember, we get it right when we point to Jesus.
And as God gives He also stirs in us to respond and give. We do not do the good works which God prepared in advance for us to do except that God stirs and moves in us, motives us to do those good works and actually works those good works in and through us.
So we get back to our main message, Jesus forgives and we forgive. In our Epistle reading, Paul reminds us of the heart of forgiveness. Paul reminds us that it is because of our sin, our inborn original sin, the sin of Adam that is a part of our DNA as well as our actual sins, our sins of omission, that is failing to do what God would have us to do and our sins of commission, that is our committing sins that are against God and our brother. It is because of our sins that Jesus was born, God in flesh, a true human being and truly God. Jesus has to be God in order to born in perfection which is His demand on us. Jesus had to be truly human in order to be our substitute, that is in order to live perfectly for us in our place, in order to take our sins and give us His righteousness, in order to suffer hell for us in our place. It is Jesus’ life, suffering, death and resurrection that earn our forgiveness. And His forgiveness is for all, and has already been accomplished. All we can do is refuse and reject His gift which we do when we fail to confess our sins and when we fail to forgive those who have sinned against us. As Jesus says in our Gospel lesson, “forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it well be measured back to you.”
God is the prime mover. God does first. God gives and does and we are given to and done to. And God works out the best for us because He loves us. Martin Luther entered a monastery in order to get away from the trials and temptations of the world, yet even in what he believed to be holy place away from the sinful world he continually realized what a sinful person he was. “We are beggars it is true,” as he said. There are those in our world who would have you believe that the more you grow in our faith the more perfect you become until you become a mentor for a less perfect Christian. I will tell you, as a Christian, the more I grow in my faith the more sinful I realize I am and the more I need to repent and cling to Jesus, just Jesus. And the more I agree with Luther, we are beggars, it is true. Yet, God shows His love for us in that while we were sinners Christ died for us. Indeed, God loves us so much that He sent His One and only Son to give His life for ours. If God loves us so much how can we not love others, whom God also loves, so much.
God’s greatest gift to us is forgiveness of sins and the ability to share that forgiveness with others. As we contemplate our own sinfulness and confess our sins and hear God’s gracious, loving, merciful words of forgiveness, how can we not forgive those who have sinned against us. Thanks be to God for His great love and forgiveness and to Him alone be all glory, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
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