FAVORED TO FORGIVE
GEN. 45:1-5 PT3(Getting over myself)
Sermon by Rev. U.R. Mckneely II 6/6/2010
“Simon Wiesenthal lost 89 relatives in Hitler’s death camps. He has devoted his life to finding Nazi criminals and bringing them to justice. He is often asked when he will give up. After all, he is hunting down men in their 70’s and 80’s for crimes committed half a century ago.
Wiesenthal answered by writing a book. The book begins with a true experience he had while he himself was a concentration camp prisoner. One day he was yanked out of a work detail and taken up a back stairway to a dark hospital room. A nurse led him into the room, then left him alone with a figure wrapped in white, lying on a bed. The figure was a badly wounded German soldier, whose entire face was covered with bandages. His name was Karl.
With a trembling voice, the German made a kind of confession to Wiesenthal. He told how he had been brought up in a Nazi family, the fighting he had experienced on the Russian front, and the brutal measures his S.S. unit had taken against Jews. And then he told of a terrible atrocity.
All the Jews in a town were herded into a wooden building
that was then set on fire. Karl had taken an active part in the crime. Several times Wiesenthal tried to leave the room, but each time the ghost-like figure would reach out and beg him to stay. Finally, after 2 hours, Karl told Wiesenthal why he had been summoned.
The soldier had asked a nurse if any Jews still existed. If so, he wanted one brought to his room so he could clear his conscience. He then said to Wiesenthal -"I am left here with my guilt. "I do not know who you are, I know only that you are a Jew and that is enough. "I know that what I am asking is almost too much for you. "But without your answer I cannot die in peace." Karl asked for forgiveness for all the Jews he had killed. He asked for forgiveness, from a man who might soon die. Wiesenthal sat in silence for some time. He stared at the man’s bandaged face. At last, without saying a word, he stood up and left the room. He left the soldier in torment, unforgiven. #986
Had Simon Wiesenthal done the best he could? He himself seemed dissatisfied with his action. He went over it with his companions. He visited the dead soldier’s mother.
In his book, he asks 32 rabbis, Christian theologians,
and secular philosophers to comment on it. "What would YOU have done?" is the question he posed.
Out of 32 people he asked the majority said he had done right in leaving the soldier unforgiven. Only 6 said he had done wrong. Yet Bible says we have the privilege of granting forgiveness to those who have wronged us.”
1.Denounces Pride
Whether we recognize it or not, when we are offended by others we rarely seek for an occasion to show forgiveness before we receive an apology. The fact of the matter is that most forgiveness that is shown between people is conditional. I can’t forgive until I have been shown a satisfactory measure sorrowfulness and repentance. I can’t forgive you until I see that you are worthy of my forgiveness. As the offended party we seek occasion to justify our withholding of forgiveness. When others have done us wrong the one part of us that is most often hurt is our ego, and it is because of a wounded ego we refuse to forgive. We wallow in self pity and find pleasure in sympathy from others because we have been injured. Joseph could have easily proclaimed his brothers offenses toward him before the whole house of pharaoh. He could have went through the whole story of how he had to endure because of their jealousy and how he was able to rise above the hatred of his brothers to become somebody in this world. The house of pharaoh probably would have stood to there feet and applauded Joseph for his endurance and his never quit attitude. They probably would have wrote his story down to be told by generations to commemorate the human will to succeed, Joseph could have made his brothers gravel and beg for his forgiveness while the house of pharaoh stood and watched, but Joseph did not look for an occasion to make them recognize their wrong, but he was concerned with bringing his family back together again. Pride is motivated by self exaltation over an individual and while forgiveness is motivated by reconciliation with the family. Joseph says leave me alone with my brothers. He wasn’t looking for the approval of an audience but he wanted to show sincerity to his brothers. He told everyone to leave because his forgiveness was not a issue on display for public ridicule but it was a matter reserved personal disclosure. His objective was to reveal to his brothers his identity and in revealing his identity it was the beginning of Grace to undeserving brothers.
2.Disarms Vengeance
The bible goes on to tell us that his brothers are dismayed at the revelation of this ruler being the brother that they sold into slavery. They remembered how harshly they treated Joseph and they knew that Joseph was in the position to punish them for their sin against him. They were faced with the reality that they now stand in the presence of one who would be justified in showing vengeance. If Joseph was to toss them in the same dungeon that he spent years in because of their hatred no one in the kingdom would have found fault with it. Even the brothers that stood before Joseph would not be mad at the judgment. But when they stand before Joseph they are not shown the deserved hostility but instead they are shown care and concern. Joseph weeps and asks is his father still alive. His love for his family exceeded the possible hatred or vengeance in his heart. All he yearned to do was bring his brothers close to him. He says to them “come close to me please” See that I am your brother . He invites them into his koinenia or a fellowship of likeness. Before he reveals himself they are just traveling strangers but now they are seen as brothers, the apparent fellowship causes them to see their guiltiness but Joseph doesn’t show vengeance and he disarms them of what ever shame they have for what they had done. I cant go any further without acknowledging the fact that Joseph is a type of Christ for Jesus removes the sin as well as the guilt and shame of the sin.
3.Discloses The Providence of GOD
The forgiveness that was in Joseph was a by product of the fact that he could see God’s hand working in the entire situation. As a young boy God gave him a vision of his sitting in a position of authority before his brothers but before he could be exalted God deemed it necessary to taken him from his parents to go down into a pit to be thrown in prison in order to sit in the palace one day. Joseph told his brothers that it was needful that I fall into your hands to suffer because my suffering resulted in your salvation. All that happened was for your good. I can’t help but see Jesus telling us that I had to fall into the hands of evil brothers in order to suffer, because, my suffering was mandatory in order for you to have salvation. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth, like a lamb that is lead to slaughter, and like a sheep that is before its shearer is silent, so he opened not his mouth. Isa. 53.10 says “Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; He has put him to grief when his soul makes an offering for guilt. The song writer put it best when he said “Living he loved me, Dying he saved me, Buried he carried my sins far away, Rising he justified me, Freed me forever one day he’s coming back GLORIUS DAY!!!!!!
