This morning Garry spoke from Genesis 50:15-21 about handling guilt. Joseph’s brothers had a guilty conscience, aware of how badly they had wronged him as a young man, and were afraid he would now seek revenge. They were haunted by their prior actions; guilt is not easily ignored or dismissed.
Our first reaction to wrongdoing is usually to hide (see Gen 3:8-10). We feel there is no way out and no way back (as Judas demonstrated, Matt 27:3-5) The purpose of guilt is not to torment us, however, but to lead us to the path of repentance. Joseph’s brothers had never sought forgiveness for their wrongdoing, and even when he offered this to them, it was as if they could not believe him. Our hearts can condemn us long after God and others have forgiven us (1 John 3:19-20), but we need to receive both God’s forgiveness and other people’s.
Forgiveness is a choice, as Jesus made plain in the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matt 18:23-34). Some say they can only forgive if forgiveness is actively sought, but Joseph forgave his brothers even when they had not asked for forgiveness. Jesus did this also on the cross (‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’ Luke 23:34) God’s forgiveness was offered to us freely while we were still sinners (Rom 5:6-8) and therefore if we are living in a place of unforgiveness, it is by our choice. Joseph’s brothers had been forgiven by Joseph, but they did not receive his forgiveness initially. We must learn to live as forgiven people and to forgive freely if we are to live under the blessing of God as Joseph did.
