August 17 Gen. 45, Mt. 15
We have a wealth of riches this morning. i do wish to continue a bit on the story of Joseph. he has his ups and down but to the delight of a colonial person he is a high official in Egypt. His dream will come true in a most unusual way, this prince/master of dreams. His forgiveness of his brothers is intriguing. First, his series of cruel tricks show that he wasn't going to forgive if he did not see if any change has occurred in their moral character, and he selects his full brother as the clue. When he notices that they are willing to sacrifice themselves for the welfare of the youngest brother, when they easily could have concocted another false story has him burst into tears. :Like many of us, joseph cries when overwhelmed with a melange of feelings. Yes, he ahs tested them; yes he was grievously harmed by them; ye shtye have broken the heart of their father, but still he loves them. He will not use his power for revenge. that is perhaps the great step in forgiveness: to forego revenge.Joseph has not forgotten them, but he also is not going to forgive until he sees some change in their attitudes and behavior.(Hear our repeated Lord’s Prayer here) This is a rare story when we see the hurt one and the ones who victimized both offered better positions. The tears of Joseph are, at least in part, tears of release.
We know Jesus as the Forgiving One. Rarely would we even consider forgiving jesus. Few stories make Jesus look so bad as this one in Matthew. The desperate woman will not let rudeness deter her from seeking healing for her daughter.Jesus had just called Peter one of little faith, but now this woman has great faith in his estimation.She bests Jesus in a verbal bout, and jesus learns about himself and his ministry from her.Like a basic joke, this story is patterned by three rebuffs, and then we get the surprise at the end.We are in border territory in this story, so expectations are bound to be confounded or confused. Somehow she knows of Jesus and a proper religious title (has anyone else used this fully yet in Mt, we have heard son of David) At the same time she is not polite but screaming, shrieking out the title. It is difficult to tell if the disciples want jesus to dismiss her or to give her what she wants to get some peace and quiet. they speak in the imperative however.She kneels/worships and impedes the journey this time.(Is there a hint of the messianic banquet in her response?) Were dogs allowed inside? Is the child with her all along, if we discover the instant healing? We will fight fo rourselves, but we become lions for our children.We look past slights in a rellentless effor tto get osme help.
In both instances, the offense is not merely passed over, repressed, or said to be no big di eal. Forgiveness is not the same as forgetting, so we do lose that easy excuse. In both instances, the other parties are made ot understand the pain of their actions and words. We often identify with the one hurt when we encounter forgiveness. we tend ot resist faicng up to our need ot be forgiven as well.
Our confession of 1967 uses the great theme of reconciliation as its core.Reconciliation is the restoration of relationship.Forgiveness offers the key to unlock the possibility of reconciliation. It is the most powerful weapon in the Christian non-violent fight for loving relationships.
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