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In touch

Up-to-the-minute jumping-off points for sermons, linking the reading to the latest news and global issues.

 

Forgiveness and contrition

The complex story of Joseph and his brothers raises important questions about the key place of forgiveness. 

 

Context 

• In some ways Genesis 44 and 45 read like a court scene, with Joseph as judge and his brothers as defendants. One of the major debates over the summer in the UK has been about the early release of prisoners. Within this debate there has been renewed discussion about sentencing guidelines and, in particular, what part remorse or contrition should play in determining the form or length of a sentence. According to at least one firm of solicitors in the UK: ‘In matters being investigated by the police or before the criminal courts it is sometimes the case that a simple act of contrition, genuinely felt and communicated, can alter a case outcome significantly’.
• Forgiveness is something intensely deep and personal. A theme that needs handling with great care not least by those leading worship or preaching. The stories of those who have been through the most extreme trauma and somehow found the grace to forgive are both deeply moving and very challenging - they certainly put the petty grievances we can easily cling onto in a very unfavourable light. One such story is that of Immaculée Ilibagiza who survived the Rwandan genocide only to find that her entire family had been brutally murdered, with the exception of one brother who was studying abroad. She also found that nearly one million of her extended family, friends, neighbours and fellow Rwandans had been massacred. Her book Left to Tell and her website tell of how, after the genocide, Immaculée came face-to-face with the man who killed her mother and one of her brothers. After enduring months of physical, mental and spiritual suffering, Immaculée was still able to offer the unthinkable, telling the man, "I forgive you."
• The context of this week’s Old Testament reading is one of famine due to crop failure. Not so long ago if we heard those words on the news we would have probably associated them with countries and continents beyond Europe. Not so now. With a fifth heat wave this week and fields the colours of deserts, crop failure is now a significant issue in the UK and, whilst famine may be some way off, there is certainly much talk of food shortages. 

 

Ideas for sermons or interactive talks

Forgiveness is at the heart of the story of Joseph’s reconciliation with his brothers. This is an important theme to explore – it is at the very heart of our faith, symbolised by the cross and heard in the most gracious words in human history ‘Father forgive them’ (Luke 23:34). There are at least three ways in which you could explore this theme from the Genesis text set for this week:

1. By exploring the place of contrition or remorse. At first reading there may be a sense in which Joseph’s forgiveness of his brothers was contingent upon them expressing contrition or remorse. But then we have Joseph’s amazing words in Genesis 45:5: ‘And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you’. These words are echoed in the equally remarkable Genesis 50:20: ‘Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today’. So, you may wish to explore the relationship between our contrition and God’s providence and forgiveness.
2. In many Christian traditions we pray the Lord’s Prayer every week. At the heart of the prayer we pray ‘forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us’. Easy to say but not always so easy to do - especially so within the context of family or Church where sadly grievances can often last a long time. What do the stories of Joseph and/or Immaculée Ilibagiza (see above) say to us in this context about the need for, the possibility of, and the transforming power of forgiveness?
3. Often when we think about the need for forgiveness we think about it all in an inter-personal way, mindful of how we have sinned against God or other people. But with wild fires raging, bodies of water drying up and crops failing, do we need to give more attention to how we have sinned against the rest of the created order and sincerely seek forgiveness for that? And not just seek forgiveness but demonstrate our contrition and remorse by changing our selfish attitudes and behaviours that have contributed to the devastating effects of climate change.

 

Questions for discussion

• What are the relationships between God’s forgiveness and our contrition and forgiveness of others?
• Is our forgiveness of others contingent on their contrition?
• How should our understanding of forgiveness and contrition affect the public debates about the sentencing of those convicted of crimes?
• In what sort of relationships or contexts do we find it most difficult to forgive? Why might that be so?
• In the light of the climate crisis do we need a broader perspective about what we need forgiveness for?

Andrew Roberts is a husband, father, Methodist Minister and the author of Holy Habits. He enjoys watching football and cricket and once appeared on national TV dressed as a giant sunflower (BBC Get Your Own Back).

 

Check-in

Connecting faith with everyday, real-life issues for young people

Did you watch the eclipse this week? Do you know anyone who travelled abroad in order to get a better view? Some parts of the country saw something truly spectacular; in other places, the results were less impressive. What you saw depended a lot on where you stood.

In this week’s Bible reading, we hear about Joseph’s reconciliation with his brothers. Although Joseph tells them that everything has worked out for good because God is in charge, his brothers are still unsure whether to believe him; after all, it takes a lot of grace to forgive your own family for selling you into slavery! From where Joseph was standing, having felt God’s power at work in his life, he could see a way to forgive his brothers. To the brothers, forgiveness seemed like an unlikely outcome.

Sometimes two people in the same situation can have very different reactions to it. Perhaps you’ve seen something like this if you’ve collected exam results recently or moved school.

Whatever the fears of Joseph’s brothers, Joseph responded with love, mercy and grace. He helped his brothers and cried with joy and relief. He understood their fear, but responded with a love that took it away completely. We can’t control how others react under pressure, but how we treat them when we recognise their feelings can make all the difference.

• Where do you see people in stressful or difficult situations today?
• How does your faith shape your perspective on these?
• How does your faith affect your response to things that happen in your life?

Tom Rippon is an Anglican authorised lay minister and Assistant Editor for Roots.

 

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