Of the 12 sons of Jacob, 9 had conspired to sell Joseph into slavery. Another one participated in the cover up. It was a terrible sin, but they were forgiven both by Joseph and by God. From those 12 came the nation of Israel. God did not choose 12 men who were without sin, he chose 12 who knew the power of forgiveness. Forgiveness restored the relationship of the brothers to Joseph. Forgiveness restored the relationship of the guilty sons to their father. They had lied to their father and kept it secret for many years. No doubt if Joseph had not forgiven his brothers, his father would not have forgiven them either. Forgiveness saved their lives. Had Joseph not forgiven them, they never could have gotten the food in Egypt that saved them from the famine. For reflection: Forgiveness still has that power today. It has the power to restore relationships and save lives. It has power across miles, across generations, across time, death and eternity. Whom do I need to forgive? Let us pray. Father, I thank you for showing me the way to forgiveness. It is possible to even forgive people who have tried to kill me, or who wished me dead, or who have lied to me for years. With your help, I choose to forgive.
2 Comments
Carmen Nicholson
2/5/2014 11:07:29 pm
Excellent posting on forgiveness Question: Rationally I forgive, but the emotional hurt, the wound, persists, making it very hard to engage with that person or persons the old way. Please advise on this. Is it normal? Am I right in keeping a healthy distance?
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Alice
2/6/2014 02:03:08 am
That's a good question, Carmen. If the emotional hurt has persisted for a long time, I would take a second look at forgiving the person. Is there some aspect of what they did that you have not forgiven? If so, forgive them again. And it never hurts to pronounce this forgiveness out loud. Over time, if we have really forgiven, the pain and hurt fade. Keeping a distance, though, can still be a good thing. If the person was abusive to you, there is no reason to put yourself back into that situation where the person can abuse you again. So, keeping a distance depends on what the person did. Feel free to call the prayer line if you want to discuss this in more detail. 301 760 7744.
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AliceI started this website and blog on May 1, 2012. I am a Catholic who has been in ministry for many years. I first developed what I would call a close relationship with Jesus in the early 1970s. Ever since then I have been praying with people for healing and other needs. It is because I have seen so many of these prayers answered that I am so bold as to offer to pray for you individually through this website and phone line. Archives
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