Kansas City, Missouri, United States - Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - “Forgiveness with Generosity” – Saturday, 26 July 2014 - Scripture: Genesis 45:1-15

Kansas City, Missouri, United States - Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - “Forgiveness with Generosity” – Saturday, 26 July 2014 - Scripture: Genesis 45:1-2 Joseph couldn’t hold himself in any longer, keeping up a front before all his attendants. He cried out, “Leave! Clear out—everyone leave!” So there was no one with Joseph when he identified himself to his brothers. But his sobbing was so violent that the Egyptians couldn’t help but hear him. The news was soon reported to Pharaoh’s palace.
3 Joseph spoke to his brothers: “I am Joseph. Is my father really still alive?” But his brothers couldn’t say a word. They were speechless—they couldn’t believe what they were hearing and seeing.
4-8 “Come closer to me,” Joseph said to his brothers. They came closer. “I am Joseph your brother whom you sold into Egypt. But don’t feel badly, don’t blame yourselves for selling me. God was behind it. God sent me here ahead of you to save lives. There has been a famine in the land now for two years; the famine will continue for five more years—neither plowing nor harvesting. God sent me on ahead to pave the way and make sure there was a remnant in the land, to save your lives in an amazing act of deliverance. So you see, it wasn’t you who sent me here but God. He set me in place as a father to Pharaoh, put me in charge of his personal affairs, and made me ruler of all Egypt.
9-11 “Hurry back to my father. Tell him, ‘Your son Joseph says: I’m master of all of Egypt. Come as fast as you can and join me here. I’ll give you a place to live in Goshen where you’ll be close to me—you, your children, your grandchildren, your flocks, your herds, and anything else you can think of. I’ll take care of you there completely. There are still five more years of famine ahead; I’ll make sure all your needs are taken care of, you and everyone connected with you—you won’t want for a thing.’
12-13 “Look at me. You can see for yourselves, and my brother Benjamin can see for himself, that it’s me, my own mouth, telling you all this. Tell my father all about the high position I hold in Egypt, tell him everything you’ve seen here, but don’t take all day—hurry up and get my father down here.”
14-15 Then Joseph threw himself on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. He then kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Only then were his brothers able to talk with him.
“Forgiveness with Generosity” by Lisa Mueller
One of my favorite authors is Isabel Allende. She quotes her daughter’s motto as one that guides both her writing and her private life. The motto is, “When in doubt, ask: ‘What is the most generous thing to do?’”
Believe it or not, there are ways to “forgive” people that still leave vast amounts of regret and damage unresolved. Joseph seemed concerned with the effects this continued guilt and regret would have on his brothers. So in addition to forgiving them, Joseph took the generous step of going beyond forgiveness. He attempted to redeem them from the bondage and emotional torment they displayed in their repentance.

This is surely the most generous way we, too, can forgive anyone who has offended us. Sometimes we want to forgive, but we want our offender to continue to feel terrible about what they’ve done. This kind of forgiveness is selfish. It relieves me of the guilt of an unforgiving spirit, but it insures that the other party remains burdened by what they’ve done. May God help us learn to forgive generously, as He forgives us. May we offer true redemption and freedom in our forgiveness.

Hymn for Today:

“Your Love compels Me” by Doug Holck, copyright 1982 by Pilot Point Music (ASCAP) Box 419527, Kansas City, Missouri 64141, United States. All rights reserved.
1. Your love compels me Lord,
To give as You would give,
To speak as You would speak,
To live as You would live.
2. Your love compels me Lord,
To see as You would see,
To serve as You would serve,
To be what You would be.
Thought for Today:
“So he said, ‘When you pray, say,
Father,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.’”(Luke 11:2-4)
Prayer Needs:
Developing Christian leaders in Rwanda!
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