( Sermon Genesis 50: 15-21 ) [ Deutsch Predigt ] [ Afrikaanse Vertaling ] [ Announcements (German)463.18 KB ]
15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.”
16 So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died:
17 ‘Say to Joseph, “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him.
18 His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.”
19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God?
20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
21 So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus, he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
Dear Congregation
You know the story of Joseph and his brothers. I want to recall some of the events that I believe are important to understand this text that is the end of the story.
The story begins with Jacob, who favours his son Joseph - he gives him a very nice dress, only light work and clear advantages over his older brothers.
Joseph then dreams - and he recounts his dreams publicly and with satisfaction how he stands in the middle and his family members bow before him. I think it shows that he became an arrogant, self-absorbed guy because his father favoured him so much.
Then his brothers sold him as a slave to Egypt. There again, he is favoured, Potiphar’s wife tries to seduce him, then he is falsely accused, thrown into prison, can explain the Pharaoh's dreams and then becomes prime minister.
The predicted drought arrives, and the brothers came to Egypt to buy grain. Joseph meets them, lets them return with their money. He then arrests them and forces them to bring his full-brother Benjamin with him next time. On this return he showed himself to them who he was - and, when they were afraid of his vengeance, he told them “And now do not worry or think that I am angry that you have sold me here; it is for the sake of your life God sent me before you.”
Despite the fact that he had forgiven them on that occasion, the brothers were still restless. Their conscience bothered them - as it has plagued them before in the course of history: With every setback they thought: Is this our punishment for selling Joseph and making Father believe he had died?
And now that their father died, fear flared up again: Will Joseph take revenge now?
They try their best to use whatever authority they can appeal to persuade Joseph not to take revenge: Our Father said ... the servants of your God. They are so scared that they even sent messengers and only came afterwards.
Only where Joseph is friendly, and forgiving do they have the courage to make a confession: all the misery we have done.
Joseph forgives. He does not take the role of the judge. He emphasized the good that God has made to come out of the evil done. He is committed to doing good for his brothers and their families.
What do we learn
First, although they had already been forgiven - by Joseph, by Jacob, by God - the brothers could not believe it - until they confessed their own guilt.
Until then, they were full of fear. They can't really live in peace for years - because they were scared. Their own sense of guilt strangled them.
Where is it in your life that guilt that you have not confessed continue to complicate your relationships and circumstances? Although you may know, or the other person has said, that they don't hold it against you, it may still be something that bothers you.
It is difficult for us to confess guilt. It took the brothers decades. It's not easy for me either. But: Where something makes me uncomfortable, where it prevents me from really deepening the relationship, from trusting the other person, it is important that I overcome my pride and confess my guilt, bring to light the things that are rumbling underground, and talk about it openly. It is often the case that the other has long since forgotten - and forgiveness comes quickly. And then the air is clear again and the relationship grows.
I think we suffer from this problem in our country too. We haven't really overcome the guilt, scars, anger, hatred of the past. There are many of our people who suppress their guilt. It is also shown in the indignation at what is happening now and in implicit attempts to justify oneself from the mistakes of the present. Of course, corruption and abuse of office are not good. But often, when people speak about it, it sounds like we don't realize that there were problems before, that injustice has left deep scars, and that confession and forgiveness is needed. I hope that we may become open to each other to confess the guilt of the past and then experience new strength and hope for the future can flow from forgiveness.
Second, Joseph changes direction: away from the evil that the brothers did, toward the good that God achieved through them.
I find this Joseph story wonderful: There are no heroes in it, only people who are in some way damaged, broken, imperfect - just like you and me: Joseph, the narcissist, who was favoured and spoiled by his father, and acts as if everything should revolve around him, everyone should bow down to him. The brothers: Vengeful, hurt in their honour, treacherous. God does his work with these imperfect humans - and begins to build his people, to save his world.
It is amazing, astonishing: God uses sin, the evil that the brothers did to accomplish a great, good work. Again and again, we see that God can use what is evil to make good grow out of it. We see it in the cross of Christ: where the forces of evil tried to inflict the greatest defeat on God, God achieved the greatest victory.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote:
I believe that God can and wants to create good things out of everything, even from the worst.
For this he needs people who allow all things to serve for the best.
In such a belief all fear of the future should be overcome.
I believe that our mistakes and errors are not in vain either,
and that it is not harder for God to deal with them,
than with our supposed good deeds.
Of course, this does not mean that we may behave as badly as possible - because God can still make good of it. No, God wants us to take part in his work.
And that brings me to the third point:
Joseph matured. He changed, turned around. He was an arrogant guy, wore his beautiful robe, and told his dreams to the others, which were always about him.
But now he has a much larger, broader view: He does not see himself in the middle, but what God wants to do. God wants people to be saved - a great people to stay alive. Whether Israel or the Egyptians are meant - God saves. God wants to preserve and nurture life. Joseph makes himself part of God's will to save: I will take care of you and your little ones.
Even today God wants to save, and we can be part of his great work. What an honour! What a joy!
Where guilt still burrows in you and worries you: Confess it, so you can be free. You may know that God can also do good through your sins and mistakes - you don't need to look back and evaluate everything carefully. Look ahead, be part of God's great work of salvation.
