Forgiving your scoundrel brothers

It seems we have been talking about forgiveness for weeks now in our weekly lessons.  (The Church has been talking about forgiveness since the cross).  It has been a deep and thoughtful conversation.

Like the whole episode of Joseph and his recalcitrant brothers that we find at the end of the Joseph saga.  The saga begins about Genesis 35 but we are looking at the final verses in chapter 50.

Joseph is one of 12 brothers, the sons of Jacob also known as Israel.  He is his father's favorite.  He knows it and he flaunts it.  He's one of those trumped up brothers who lorded himself over his older brothers.  After a while, they had had enough and became so angry and jealous that they sold him into slavery!  How's that for revenge.

But as God would have it, years down the road those same brothers needed food during a famine and suprise of surprises, Joseph was the person with the power to say Yes or No.  That gets us to this tender scene between the brothers and Joseph.  (BTW Joseph said yes).

Jacob has died and the brothers are concerned that without his influence, Joseph will take his revenge.  So bowing before Jsoeph, and lying through their teeth, these men claim that their father's dying wish was for Jseoph to forgive his brothers.  At this point in the story, Joseph wept.

Here's the question:  why?  Was it out of frustration because he know his brothers were scoundrels and would always be scoundrels?  Was it out of disappointment over all the years he had missed while he and his family were parted?  Was it out of anger that, in fact, Joseph might still be angry at them but they were the only family he had?

Or could it be this?  Joseph wept because, in fact, he had forgiven them long, long ago and it had taken until this moment for them to be ready to receive this forgiveness.  At this moment, the family could truly be reunited and a new life begun.

because.....isn't that how God loves and forgives us?  God's heart is a heart of forgiveness waiting for us to open our hearts to this healing resurrection to new life. 

Oh yes.  I think this is the best of all possible explanations and I would be embarrassed to admit that I didn't think of it* except that God's forgiveness is never ever something to be embarrassed over.  It is something to celebrate and live. 

Celebrate my friends - new life is yours in the forgiveness of God through Jesus.  I think that deserves and Alleluia!

*thanks to Darlene for her insightful response to this story.  It was a gift to me, and I think to us all.

Living it Out.......by Pr. Steve Biegner

Instead, put on Jesus Christ..." Paul to the church in Rome...and Upstate NY

 (Thank you to Pr. Steve Biegner for today's blog post.  It was first posted in the Upstate NY Synod's Mid-week Musings.)

I'm sure this will come as a huge surprise to most of you reading this...except for those who have actually met me... and those who've heard me spell something...and those who've asked me a question concerning history, important names of any classic literature...but...here's the breaking news...I was never a huge fan of studying.

 Now, for those of you who are in an academic setting or journey right now...studying is good...Steve was/is just bad at it.

I call myself an "experiential learner" (read: would rather go golfing with someone who already did the assignment and have them tell me the oral report of the book).  I found over my academic career (read: purgatory) that the library and me just didn't click.  It was a bit too quiet and dark.  Very helpful for naps, not so much for learning. 

I was known as "well rounded" by my dad...not great at anything but could survive everything. 

I was never a supporter of "tests" but loved the concept of "independent study."

Long story short...I was never a big fan of studying.  At least, not in the "classic" sense of the word.

For those of you who a church frequent flyers, you're going to hear Jesus speak about forgiving others AGAIN this weekend.  Like one week wasn't enough for us to totally learn it??  Probably not.  Because this week, instead of counting how many times we are to forgive, Jesus invites us into practical applications of forgiving: being experiential forgivers.  No more studying.  Yea!!  Now it's time to do it.  Gulp!!

Paul told the Roman church one way to live into it: Put on Jesus Christ.  Not from a book or a quote or a mantra, but instead the whole Jesus for the whole person in the whole world.

It's not the language of cramming for a test!  That's the language of immersing one's self into God's active presence through the Holy Spirit.

It's living with God...not learning about God.

It's Jesus sent into our lives for real life stuff...not passing high above with a magic wand.

It's the Holy Spirit poured out over you in baptism, working through you in the world...not a holy ghost blowing by in the wind. 

Can you experientially study that and then live it out?  Can you experience the God that has been, is and will forever be in your story in a very real, present, non-quiet-dark-library sort of way?

A guy walked into my office early this morning and we ended up talking about this same text because of a situation going on in his family.  It became his 15 Minute Moment of the day.  He decided to try out Paul's advice and "put on" his faith and Jesus-like forgiveness toward the family members that hurt him. 

It's not cramming for a test.  It's not memorizing verses.  It's practical application and lifestyle change and risk and challenge for our lives and for the life of the world.

Lord, help me study and experience your presence in my life.   Amen

15 Minutes of reflection:

•  What does "putting on Jesus" look like practically for me this week?
•  What are the other things I "put on" instead of Jesus?
•  Who is one person that I can encourage this week in their journey toward forgiveness?