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In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Introduction: I’m inclined to say repeatedly, the season of Epiphany is about the revealing of who Jesus is. From His Baptism, turning water into wine, casting out demons, healing diseases, exorcising unclean spirits, and bringing in a large catch of fish. Together with the disciples and others we’ve watched Jesus increasingly be manifested as the Son of God. The Son of God whose words have great importance. Even the hard ones.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus continues from last Sunday’s beatitudes discourse by saying “But… There’s a hard word … BUT … a word of warning that what follows may not be an easy matter… “But, I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,” (Lk 6:27).
My experience may be different, but I sense that for most of us, and for most of the time, the forgiveness we extend is not really difficult because the sins against us are not really that grievous. We may not find it difficult to forgive an unknown driver who has cut us off in traffic, or a close friend or family member who has forgotten a significant date, or who has withheld information from us, or even has stolen from us or lied to us.
But there are other sins against us that may not be so easy to forgive. Sins that include abuse, cruelty, exploitation, infidelity, betrayal, defamation, or libel. The kinds of transgressions that turn friends into enemies and make us wish Jesus had never said “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you” (Lk 6:27-8). The kind of iniquities that would have us consider even ignoring Jesus’ words if we had unlimited authority … and the power of righteous revenge as payback for our suffering.
If you are not familiar with the Narrative of Joseph and his brothers, I encourage you to read all of it in Genesis 37-50. The Patriarch Jacob had 12 sons. Joseph was his eleventh son. As the narrative unfolds 10 of Joseph’s brother’s “hated him and could not speak peacefully to him (Gen 37:4b). The situation was so unbearable that the brothers schemed to kill Joseph, but at the urging of the oldest brother Rueben, Joseph was instead sold into slavery. Then they told his father Jacob that he had been killed by a wild animal. And so, at age 17 Joseph began a very providential sojourn.
Joseph was sold again to Potiphar, Captain of the Guard of the Egyptian Pharoah, in whose service he was wrongly accused of sexual improprieties with Potiphar’s wife. He was then imprisoned. A recurring phrase in this Bible narrative is “The Lord was with Joseph” (Gen 39:2a, 3b, 21, 23b). And so it was that God enabled Joseph to see success in whatever he did … even in prison. God gave Joseph the ability to interpret dreams including the Pharoah’s. Joseph’s success results in his rise to power. After 13 years of slavery and imprisonment, at the age of 30, Joseph became Governor of the Land; second in charge under the Pharoah of Egypt.
The brothers make a trip from drought-ridden Canaan to Egypt to buy grain. Joseph knew them, but they did not recognize him. Imagine having the power of life and death over these hateful tormenters who had tossed him aside like so much garbage. He could have snapped his fingers and ended it all. His decision would not be questioned, and he would be obeyed instantly. And as these guilty offenders stood there now fully aware that this was Joseph, what kind of dread did they experience wondering if they would receive grain for their hunger or the gallows for their heinous deeds? And then, because God is in the salvation-surprise-business, the narrative overturns what our life experience and the cinema has trained us to expect.
Today’s OT is the account of Joseph revealing himself and His testimony to His brothers that God was using these events to preserve his family. “And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. …7 And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. 8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God” (45:4-5, 7-8)
The brothers bring their father Jacob and their families back to Egypt where Joseph provides for them. Unfortunately, after their father Jacob’s death, the brothers began to fret that Joseph had only held back retribution for his father’s sake but now would seek his revenge. Joseph responded to their concerns by saying: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Gen 50:20). Amazing! Joseph did not trust in his own resolve or doubt God’s providence. trusts that God has been at work orchestrating events at just the right time to put Joseph in a position to bring salvation to his family (Gen 45:7 – 8). Joseph’s life is living example of Romans 8:28, that “for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
Which character are you? Forgiving-victim Joseph … or guilty-doubting brothers? Because of our sin against others and of doubting God’s unconditional mercy and goodness … because of all our actual sins and our sinful nature we deserve nothing but God’s temporal and eternal wrath and separation from God in the torment of hell.
But the very God who was with Joseph is the same Lord who is also God with us in the person of His Son Jesus. The incarnate Christ of Christmas dwells among His people now. And not only among us and with us but for us and in our place took upon Himself the punishment that we alone deserve. At the cross Christ carried all sin for all time for all of humankind in His own body. He suffered and died in our place to pay the penalty for our sins. The divinely-inspired St. Peter writes 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. (1 Peter 2:24). And again: “18For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God…” (1 Peter 3:18)
Jesus offers forgiveness, not revenge, to those whose sins nailed Him to the cross. He rose again from the dead – victorious over sin, Satan and death. And now life and salvation are also available through faith in Christ. God does not punish us as we deserve but fully forgives our sin and our sinful nature for Christ’s sake.
Today’s Verse, from the Gospel, shows why Joseph was surprisingly merciful to his brothers—and why we extend mercy and forgiveness even to those who harm us: “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” (Lk 6:36). Only because we are forgiven by God for Jesus’ sake can we truly and freely forgive. Forgiven, we forgive.
When the Holy Spirit brings us to faith, we hold to the saving promise of the Gospel, and we are made righteous. As the Spirit continues His work in us, He sanctifies us as the Word of God in all its forms bears the fruit of faithful obedience in our lives. We have confidence in the certainty of the eternal life Jesus has won for us. Death, the last enemy, no longer has power of us. Indeed, eternal life is certain as the Spirit brings us to the knowledge of the true God and strengthens that faith by the means of Grace: the Word and the Sacraments -- in the living Holy Scriptures that are read, prayed and expounded here and at home – in the death of the Old Adam and rising to new life in Holy Baptism -- in the comfort and consolation of having the forgiveness of sins applied personally and individually in Holy Absolution – and in the bread and wine of the Holy Supper which is the true body and true blood of Christ given and shed for us for the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. By these Means of Grace God calls and so enables us to repent and to live in contrition and faith. He leads us to have sorrow for our sin and bestows faith and trust “that sin has been forgiven and grace has been obtained through Christ” (AC XII.3-6) … and with that faith we desire to do better than to keep on sinning. When we repent then God forgives us for the sake of Jesus Christ.
This is revolutionary! Jesus revolutionizes lives with His forgiveness in order that forgiven lives might be revolutionary in their impact. This is the great impact that the church can make in the world … to be storehouses and distributors of forgiveness! Forgiven, we forgive.
Conclusion: Today is the last Sunday of the Epiphany season before the Transfiguration. Placed as it is between Last Sunday and next, it serves to help us shift our attention focus from the worldly to Jesus alone. It is Jesus, the Son of God, who ALONE is our salvation and alters our standing before God. The things of this world CANNOT do this. In today’s Epistle (1 Cor 15:40), St. Paul contrasts the glory of this world and the things of this world with the heavenly glory that is to come in the resurrection. The gifts of this world are not the ultimate good but are good for service to our neighbors.
Being unburdened from the things of this world we are now set free to see them all as God’s gifts to use in extending the very forgiveness of sins that we ourselves have received. With such a focus we can say, like Joseph, that we are the means by which God may spiritually preserve others, including those who have betrayed us … spiritually preserving them in the grace of God, both in time and in His eternal Kingdom.
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
(stand) The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.