Prompt: Love and Forgiveness, by Makoto Shinkai

This is the last article on biblical reflections on Genesis, the first book of the Bible. God willing, next time I will be shifting to Exodus.

In our study of Genesis, we started with a primeval history beginning from the day of creation up to the Tower of Babel (Genesis 1 to 11). From this section, we learned that God created the world perfect but the sin of man has ruined the world. Without the gracious act of God, there was a great possibility that the world would sink again into violence which prompted God to judge the world by sending a flood. And since the world was returning to chaos and darkness again as in its primitive state, God in His mercy called Abraham to become a great nation to serve as a light to the world. And so from Genesis 12 to 50, we learn about the history of the Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And here in chapter 50, the conclusion of the book of Genesis we also find the end of the life of the last patriarch, Jacob. We read here the story of his death and burial.

Part of the story of Jacob was the life of his favorite son, Joseph. It is interesting to observe how the book of Genesis ends with a message that the world badly needs in our time. It ends with a message of forgiveness. And the life of Joseph is the most powerful demonstration of the power of forgiveness.

And so the book concludes with the death of both Jacob and Joseph. The good thing is that before both of them passed away from this life, they saw their family reconciled. This tells us that death and genuine forgiveness are two basic realities of human existence. That it is better to leave this world without resentment, anger, and bitterness against anyone. It is better to leave this world with a message of forgiveness.

In this article, we will reflect on the power of forgiveness. I would like to share with you three things about this power.

Forgiveness has the power to drive out fear.

The apostle John said:

. . . perfect love drives out fear because fear has something to do with punishment (1 John 4:18).

And then the apostle Paul said, love, does not keep a record of wrongs and always trusts (1 Corinthians 13:6-7).

And then the apostle Peter said:

. . . love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8).

Forgiveness is an expression of love. People who have never experienced the power of forgiveness live in fear. I see at least three kinds of fear that forgiveness can drive out:

• Fear of trusting again

• Far from being hurt again, and

• Fear of being punished for your sin

Our text talks about the fear of being punished. This is the kind of fear that the offender is afraid that those whom he offended might get even against him. And so the tendency is either to hide or to run away. Many forms of hiding and running away exist. Living a life of lies and deception is one.

Joseph's brothers already tried hiding for so many years. They lied to their father about what happened to Joseph. They deceived themselves for so long thinking that their betrayal would not pay. After so many years, they were tired of hiding. It never gave them peace. It always bothered their conscience.

Even though Joseph forgave them, still they were not at ease especially this time when their father was already dead. The good thing with them is that they initiated an action to remove their fear. They wrote Joseph a letter and asked for forgiveness. When their message came to Joseph, he wept. And he assured his brothers of his forgiveness. Finally, his brothers felt relief. Their fear disappeared!

Do you see yourself in the situation of Joseph's brothers? If you do, stop hiding and admit instead the offense you committed and ask for forgiveness from the person you offended. That's the only way for you to be released from the fear of punishment.

The same truth applies to our relationship with God. Perhaps we sinned against God that nobody knows. And we are afraid that God's punishment would expose our guilt. Remember that no sin can be hidden; it will surely find you out. Better to ask forgiveness now and change your way before it's too late. This is the only way to drive out fear.

The power to forgive will only be possible if you realize the higher purpose of God.

If you have been suffering pain as a result of someone's offense, it will be very difficult for you to forgive as long as you are looking towards the situation and the person who offended you. Yes, every time you remember the person, you are always reminded of the pain that you suffered. The only way for you to forgive both the person and yourself is to discern the higher purpose of God for everything that happened.

Joseph had that realization:

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives (Genesis 50:20).

The same truth was echoed by the apostle in the New Testament in a different language saying:

. . . in all things God works for the good of those who love him. . . (Romans 8:28).

If someone has offended you and you find it difficult to forgive, stop looking into the person. Stop looking also at yourself, your pain, and your situation. Instead, start finding the higher purpose of God and why He allowed such suffering. Only then you will be able to genuinely forgive.

The power of forgiveness is demonstrated both in words and concrete action.

You cannot say that you genuinely forgive someone and yet you say:

I don't want to see your face anymore.

That's not genuine forgiveness. Genuine forgiveness is known both in words and actions. The tone and manner of your speaking will change. Before whenever you saw him, you could not help but be angry. That's an indication that you have not completely forgiven the person yet. If you have truly forgiven him, the way you speak to him will be kind and gracious.

Moreover, your forgiveness will not just end in kind words, but will be demonstrated in gracious action. Even though the person doesn't deserve such acts of kindness, remember that you are doing it in the name of God.

Notice how Joseph demonstrated the power of forgiveness to his brothers. In verse 21 we read him giving a promise to his brothers to provide for them and their children. That's one of their worries since their father now was dead. They worried that Joseph would stop providing for them. They worried about their future. They were afraid that Joseph might withdraw the provision they were receiving since their father now was gone. Instead, we see Joseph assuring them that they had nothing to be afraid of. Joseph would still provide for them. And then Joseph spoke kind words to them. And so here we see both words and actions are clear demonstrations of genuine forgiveness.

Do you find someone difficult to forgive? Speak kindly to him. Do something good for him. Though your emotion is telling you to say and do otherwise, just do the exact opposite. In no time, you will see that your emotions too will be completely healed.

Conclusion

In this article, we learned that forgiveness has the power to drive out fear, can only be made with a realization of God's higher purpose, and is demonstrated both in kind words and gracious action.

Grace and peace!