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Joseph The Forgiving

A forgiving person is a rare find. I’ve struggled with the true definition of forgiveness. Obviously, “forgive and forget” is an impossible feat. There’s that. Then there’s the question: Is it forgiveness if we say, “You’re forgiven,” but secretly wish for revenge? Would forgiveness be considered having mercy on your enemy? Look no further than Joseph for a biblical story of true forgiveness.

Joseph, the son of Israel, had several older brothers who did not share the same mother, nor did they like Joseph. His brothers scoffed at him and treated him like a hindrance. Their father favored Joseph because he had him in his old age (as the bible tells us). One day when Joseph’s brothers were out feeding the flock, his father asked him to go out and check on his brothers. As Joseph searched for his brothers, they saw him coming from a distance and plotted to kill him. One brother, Reuben, convinced his brothers not to kill him, but to place him in a pit in the wilderness. Once Joseph caught up with his brothers, they threw him in the pit as planned, then sold him as a slave to a group of men passing through.

The men who bought Joseph eventually sold him to Potiphar, an officer of the Pharaoh in Egypt. Joseph then found himself, from the age of seventeen to around the age of thirty, serving Potiphar. After his servitude to Potiphar, Joseph was wrongfully imprisoned for a couple of years. He then went on to serve the Pharaoh, who appointed him as governor of all the land. Unanimously, Joseph found favor with Potiphar, the prison guard, and Pharaoh because of his trustworthiness, ability to interpret dreams, and abundant wisdom.

When a widespread famine came over the land affecting Egypt, and the land of his father and brothers, the word spread that Egypt had plenty of grain to spare. Joseph’s brothers set out to get food for their family. Little did they know their long-lost brother would be the governor of Egypt and the arbiter of their fate. Joseph faced a tough decision: help his estranged family or repay them for their evil deeds. Joseph chose to help, embrace, and most importantly, forgive them.

Lord, thank you for Joseph, the forgiving maverick, who decided to be different. Joseph had many reasons to repay his brothers for their evil. Instead of doing what most would do, and instead of doing what was easy, he forgave the unforgivable. He had mercy on them. Joseph’s actions saved many lives and granted peace to his father before his death. Joseph set an example for the entire world to follow.