God's Message of Reconciliation

Articles

Tim Beckley
03/01/21 - Monthly Article

When you read about Joseph in Genesis 50, do you become emotional with Joseph as his brothers fearfully came to him pleading with Joseph not to take revenge on them? Why did Joseph weep? Why do we get emotional at the beauty and poignancy of the moment?

Notice three things Joseph says in response to his brothers’ pleas after gently telling them not to be afraid:

“Am I in the place of God?” (19)
“You meant to do me harm, but God meant it for good.” (20)
“I will provide for you and your little ones.” (21)

Why did he say those things? The purpose was to comfort them.

Look at those statements again. Derek Kidner, the Old Testament scholar, noticed three corresponding principles Joseph shared - the reasons that drove him to reconcile with the very ones who some would say, “ruined his life”:

Joseph avoided trying to sit in God’s chair;
Joseph tried his best to look at events from God’s perspective, and;
Joseph demonstrated God’s care practically.

How can we get to where we genuinely and quickly want to reconcile with our brethren?

First of all, like Joseph, we need to avoid trying to sit in God’s chair. Joseph understood God’s place as Creator and Sustainer. Even when Potiphar’s wife repeatedly attempted to seduce him, he attributed the standard of right and wrong by which he lived to God. (Gen. 39:9) Joseph never looked backwards in making plans to avenge himself for the wrongs that others had done to him. He left it in God’s hands. He lived in humility, not in the self-centeredness, which would have produced bitterness and hard-heartedness. (Rom. 12:19)

Secondly, just as Joseph did, let us look at events in the long term, instead of losing our perspective in the pain of the moment. Trusting God gave him confidence to face whatever the world threw at him, whether he found himself in a pit awaiting death; as a prized steward; as a royal prisoner; or as Vizier of the world’s superpower of the time. Joseph trusted God and it was, just like his great grandfather, counted to him for righteousness. (Gen. 15:6)

These two ways of living, with humility and confidence of trust, motivated him to demonstrate practical care for others, even those who had harmed him in the past. His tenderness of heart allowed him to forgive, but not just to forgive – but even more importantly, to reconcile with those who so desperately wanted the relationship to be made right.

Reconciliation! Aaaahhhh; that word thrills me to my core. More than just forgiveness. Reconciliation is the goal of forgiveness. Reconciliation is the intent to build back the lost trust that was broken by the offense that was forgiven. Joseph saw his brothers’ contrition, even in their sad attempt to coerce him to not take revenge against them. But Joseph wanted so much more. His perspective was divine. He wanted a relationship that was not just made whole by forgiveness, but the ongoing rebuilding of trust that is no longer tempted to use deceit or fear to keep it cobbled together.

I hope as you’ve read to this point that you, perhaps even out loud, said “but Jesus is an even better example!” If so, You. Are. So. Right. Jesus is the ultimate Joseph.

Jesus demonstrated humility better than Joseph. He is the one “though He was in the form of God, He did not regard equality with God something to be possessed by force. On the contrary, He emptied himself, in that He took the form of a slave by becoming like human beings are. And when He appeared as a human being, He humbled himself still more by becoming obedient even to death…” (Philippians 2:6-8)

Jesus was even better than Joseph in acting with God’s perspective in trust. He is the one we should look to – “the Initiator and Completer of that trusting…who endured such hostility against Himself from sinners, so that you won’t grow tired or become despondent.” (Heb. 12:2,3)

Even better than Joseph, Jesus is the one who, with care and compassion, made possible His Father’s work of reconciliation. We, too, have a part in this most important of works:

“And it is all from God, who through the Messiah has reconciled us to Himself and has given us the work of reconciliation…Therefore we are ambassadors of the Messiah; in effect, God is making His appeal through us. What we do is appeal on behalf of the Messiah, “Be Reconciled to God!”” (2 Cor. 5:18,20)

So, just like Joseph and Jesus, these same three principles should drive us to proactively reconcile with one another.

1. Humility + 2. Trust = 3. Comfort of Reconciliation.

Let us be like Joseph. Be like Jesus. Be like God. Live the message of reconciliation with one another.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2 Cor. 1: 3-4)